New surfing awards add to Rip Curl Pro excitement

The top-ranked young surfers in the Surf Coast Shire will now be recognised annually in the lead-up to the world-famous Rip Curl Pro, following the launch of the Rising Star Surfing Awards.

Named in honour of local surfing legends Gail Couper and Wayne Lynch, the inaugural awards were presented on Saturday 8 April at the Rip Curl Pro Launch Party in Torquay.

The awards recognise the top-three Surf Coast Shire residents in the under 18 male and female World Surf League tour rankings. Etching their names into the history books as the inaugural winners were Izzi Rudland, Isabell Cook and India Robinson, and Tully Wylie, Nathan Rivalland and Xavier Huxtable.

Lorne-based Couper – who is a five-time national champion and 10-time Bells champion – presented the Gail Couper Awards.

“Gail and Wayne were voted the number one most influential female and male surfers in the past 50 years respectively, so it was a real thrill to welcome Gail,” Surf Coast Shire Council Mayor Brian McKiterick said.

“These awards are an opportunity to recognise the achievements of our young surfers and inspire them to follow in the footsteps of surfing pioneers, such as Lorne’s Gail and Aireys Inlet’s Wayne, a three-time national junior champion.”

Research recently conducted by the Surf Coast Shire has identified surfing is an integral part of Surf Coast’s family life, social connectedness and economy. It plays a central role in family relationships, connection to community, employment generation and economic growth.

These awards is one way to increase the community connectedness and would also deliver other positive outcomes including:

• recognition of the achievements of young people in surfing and inspiring them to follow in the footsteps of surfing pioneers before them

• creation of links between young, local surfers, local surfing legends and elite World Tour surfers who attend the Launch Party

• fostering connections between older generations of surfing pioneers

• creation of authentic community outcomes from an existing event

• strengthening a connection between Torquay and the surfing industry.

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Gail Couper Achievements:

· ten times Champion of Bells event

· National Champion 5 times, Victorian Champion 13 times

· voted No.1 most influential Victoria female surfer in past 50 years

· lives locally in Lorne.

Wayne Lynch Achievements:

· Victorian Junior Champion six times in a row from 1965

· National Junior Champion from 1967-1970

· after 1969 become one of the world’s most highly regarded and sought after shapers

· voted No.1 most influential Victoria male surfer in past 50 years

· long time Aireys Inlet resident.