Winners on the crest of a wave

Margaret River and Gracetown have dominated the major awards in this year’s Surfing WA night of nights. Held last Thursday in Perth, the awards named Championship Tour surfers Jack Robinson and Bronte Macaulay as the year’s best, while George Simpson and Willow Hardy took the tyro titles. Hardy was named the Mike Mcauliffe performer of the year and Simpson the Murray Smith junior surfer of 2021. Capes surfers were numerous throughout the other awards, including Willow’s sister Olive scoring the State under-14 girls’ championship. Surfing WA chief executive Mark Lane said the event attracted many of WA’s past, present and emerging surfing stars. “We understand the high level of commitment it takes to win a State Championship, and I congratulate them all on their fantastic achievements during this completion season,” he said. Robinson claimed his second consecutive Ian Cairns Male Surfer of the Year Award, after winning his maiden World Surf League Championship Tour event in Mexico. Robinson finished 12th on the WSL CT ratings and was the only non-Brazilian event winner in 2021. Robinson’s result was the best from a WA male since Yallingup’s Taj Burrow finished 2014 in 14th position. Gracetown’s Bronte Macaulay claimed another Jodie Cooper Female Surfer of the Year Award, after finishing the 2021 WSL Championship Tour ratings in 11th. Macaulay captured a career best result, with a third-place finish at this year’s Margaret River Pro, a result that came amid the news of her brother Jack’s death. Simpson was honoured for a trifecta of State Championship titles, including the Under-18 Junior Boys, Under-21 Pro Junior and Open Men’s. Willow Hardy’s gong capped off an outstanding year for the 15-year-old. Highlights included becoming the youngest wild-card into the Margaret River Pro and claiming State Championship titles in the under-16 and under-18 girls divisions. Hardy also recently won the under-16 girls division of the Yeti Australian Junior Online Surfing Championships. Other category winners included Max McGregor in the under-18 junior boys bodyboard, Felicity Palmateer in the open women’s division of the WA Surf Masters and Yallingup’s Otis North taking out the under-16 cadet boys in the WA Junior Surfing Titles.