CABARITA BEACH, NSW(September 16, 2024): Finalists have been decided in the Over 40 Women, Over 65 Men, Over 50 Women and Over 45 Men divisions at the 2024 Australian Longboard Titles.
Event Manager Rohan Fell said it was a challenging day for almost every division: “Athletes faced larger conditions today with a new swell arriving overnight. We welcomed some of the top seeds back into the draw for Round 3 heats. The four-to-six-foot sets pushing competitors to battle it out and really put their skills to the test. The wind slightly backed off throughout the day, resulting in some epic rides and dramatic finishes.”
In Over 60 Men, Tony Rae (Hastings Point, NSW) used his local knowledge to his advantage, posting the highest single wave score of the day with an excellent 8.50.
In Over 40 Men, Ben Williams (Biggera Waters , QLD) delivered a standout performance, finding two solid waves in the testing conditions. He posted an early 6.00, then backed it up with an 8.17, securing the highest heat total of the day with 14.17 to take the win. Three-time world champion Josh Constable (Noosa Heads , QLD) also put in a strong display of quality longboarding to finish second and progress to the semis.
AndreaBohn (Freshwater, NSW), the oldest female competitor at age 66, said: “It was thrilling to win and get through to the final but it was also awesome to surf with three other women who were all over 65 from different states in such big and difficult conditions.
“We’ve never had this many women competing. Five years ago, there were only two divisions—Over 35 or Open. I think this is a great step for the future. Most of us are trying to encourage other women to get back into competitive surfing. We still have that joy. We all come from different paths—whether shortboarding or taking up surfing later in life. Once they get hooked, they love it.”
Semifinals will continue tomorrow for the Over 70 Men, Over 40 Men, Over 55 Men, Over 50 Men and Over 60 Men ahead of the finals.
Conditions are expected to ease slightly overnight, with the final day of competition scheduled to start at 7am.
O45 Men – Final
Liam McCafferty (McCrae, VIC)
Mark Miccoli (Patterson Lakes, VIC)
Paul Burke (Dunsborough, WA)
Michael Paxton (Dodges Ferry, TAS)
