Five talented groms who will compete as local wild cards in the Reflections Cadet Cup at Rainbow Beach, Bonny Hills, on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, hope their "insider" knowledge of their favourite break will give them an advantage when it counts, as organisers say conditions for this weekend's event are "very favourable".
Bonny Hills surfers Lexi Puttick (Under 16 girls), Aliyah Cormack (U/14 girls), Zeke Woollam (U/14 boys), Beau Hall (U/12 boys) and Tase Melvern (U/16 boys) are keen to show their form at the March 1-2 event, which will draw 85 emerging surfers from NSW.
World Surf League competitor Callum Robson will run a workshop on March 1 at the Cup, a 5500-rated event on Surfing Australia's National Series calendar and supported by Port Macquarie-Hastings Council.
Wild cards Aliyah Cormack, 12, and Lexi Puttick, 15, are both members of the Camden Haven Junior Boardriders Club and have been surfing since they were aged three and eight respectively.
"I really enjoy being in the water because I am with all my friends but at the Cup I'll be more competitive," says Aliyah, whose mother Gee, a surfing teacher, adds that her daughter is "a rhythmic surfer who has focused on her rail surfing to create good flow and speed for turns".
Lexi Puttick's family moved from country Victoria to Bonny Hills nine years ago and living a few blocks from the beach was enough to get her on a board and into surfing.
"I was a bit scared at the start but soon I was going every day, with the Boardriders and with my Dad at Rainbow Beach (Bonny Hills). Surfing there probably gives me a bit of an advantage because I know how it is and I am most comfortable there," she says.
Launched in 2024, the Reflections Holidays Cadet Cup is a partnership between Reflections, the largest holiday group in New South Wales, and Surfest, the biggest surfing festival in Australia. The Cup has expanded to include a second event at Tuncurry, with Under 12, Under 14 and Under 16 girls and boys categories.
Minister for Sport, Lands and Property, Steve Kamper, said the Cup's 2024 debut was a milestone event for junior sport and had since gathered momentum to support regional businesses through tourism.
"It's wonderful to have the Cup now held in two locations by Reflections, which manages coastal holiday parks on Crown Land in some of the best surf locations in New South Wales," Mr Kamper said.
"The flow-on effect to local business is fantastic and I wish all the competitors the best of luck this year."
Surfest director Warren Smith said the conditions for this weekend are looking favourable.
"Rainbow Beach is a great location for a surfing contest and conditions are looking very favourable for this weekend. We are expecting light winds, sunshine and swell around 1-1.2mtres. The competitors will really enjoy these conditions, and we will see great surfing from these stars of the future".
Reflections Chief Marketing Officer Peter Chapman said the Cadet Cup had been firmly embraced by the local community in Bonny Hills and Tuncurry and was moving from strength to strength.
"We believe that life's better outside and we love connecting our guests with nature, and working with Surfest to host the Cup in two locations adds another layer of fun for our guests, who can watch all the action unfold and also enjoy the food pop-ups and live music in our parks that are part of the weekend," Mr Chapman said.
