Margaret River and Yallingup surfers claim crowns at State Surf Masters championship at Gracetown

The region’s champion surfers have claimed a swag of titles at the weekend’s 2023 Surf Masters WA State Championships held in big waves at Big Rock near Gracetown.

Leading divisions were dominated by Capes talent, with Margaret River’s Finn Cox claiming the Open Men’s, Yallingup’s Claire Bevilacqua the Open Women’s, and Cowaramup’s Macklin Flynn the Pro Junior title.

But right across the board, Capes chargers racked up the tally, with Dunsborough’s Richard Sills claiming victory in the Over-35 Men, Busselton’s Belinda Adams in the Over-35 Women, Margaret River’s Andrew Sheridan the Over-40 Men, and Brad Cowan the Over-55 Men, with most of the finals seeing Capes surfers scoring places as well.

Eleven titles were crowned overall across the three-day surfing safari which organisers said was “blessed” with epic conditions much bigger than originally forecast.

Surfing WA events manager Justin Majeks said competitors vied for their wins in glorious 3-6ft waves, boosting the standard of surfing across the event.

“That was a memorable event with some world-class performances to match,” Majeks said.

“Big Rock is such a great competition venue that delivered in spades for our surfers.”

Judges said Cox was outstanding in the blue-ribbon Open Men’s final, with a sizzling display of surfing that saw him claim his maiden title in style.

The victory booked Cox a spot in the locals’ trials for the upcoming Margaret River Pro. “It’s been a while since I’ve won anything and it feels unreal,” he said.

“The trials is as big as it gets here in Margaret River, so I’m stoked to get a shot at the event and to get one up on my older brother is always a treat.”

Judges likewise praised Yallingup’s Wilson for surfing “with a maturity beyond his years” to finish in second and confirm his spot into the local trials too.

Also joining the trials were former World Surf League professional Bevilacqua, with the Yallingup veteran drawing from experience in high-profile competitions to claim the Open Women’s title.

After recently giving birth, the young mum sizzled in her final against Capes colleagues Ruby Berry, Olive Hardy and Bailee Hastie.

“This is my first competition back since giving birth,” Bevilacqua said.

“The body is an amazing thing and it’s nice to feel like myself again and be back in the water competing, which is something I love doing.”

Coming in second, Augusta’s Berry also booked her spot in the trials, narrowly pipping her Capes rivals. The title holders will also represent WA at the 2023 Australian Surf Championships in NSW in August.