The state's best surfing lifesavers took advantage of great waves last weekend for the 2019 Midford Board Riding Championships.
It was the final state championship event for the 2018-19 season and Surfing Sutherland Shire surfers did well at North Narrabeen.
The Board Riding State Championship event celebrated 70 years since it was first held in the 1949-50 season. The event has crowned state champions who have been among the most influential and successful surfers in Australia throughout its history.
As part of a partnership with Surfing NSW established in 2018, competitors were judged by some of the most experienced competition officials in the country. Head judge Phil Courtney, who has worked with many of Australia's top surfers, said the standard across all divisions was high.
"North Narrabeen has a surf history like you wouldn't believe. Surfers and surf lifesavers, we're one and the same. Some of the best surfers have come out of surf lifesaving clubs," Courtney said.
Sixteen-year-old Finlay Browning from Cronulla SLSC was the big winner, taking on some incredible competition to win the open short board title.
"It was pretty fun out there," Finlay said.
"There was a good rip bowl that made some sections of the waves perfect for big, critical turns which is what the judges were rewarding."
North Cronulla SLSC's Cruz McKee backed up his 2018 Australian title winning the under-14s boys boardriding title. He was joined by teammates Bella Fleming and Pippi Simpson on the dais after they finished first and second in the under-13 girls event.
Chris King from Elouera won the under-19 male event from Wanda's Tyler Knott while council lifeguard Jon Lavers won the 60-69 male short and long board titles.
Historically a strong boardriding club, Bronte SLSC continued to dominate with Bondi lifeguard Anthony 'Harries' Carroll continuing his gold medal tally in both the open and Masters divisions.
With more than 40 competitors at this year's event, Bronte took out the overall point score with 58 points. They beat MacMasters Beach SLSC with 31 while Palm Beach SLSC and Wanda SLSC tied for third place on 27 points.
Past champions in Surf Lifesaving NSW Board Riding is like a hall of fame, featuring many of the country's best surfers including Wanda's world champion finalist Bobby Brown and former professional surfers Mark Sainsbury, Tom and Nick Carroll, Tom Whittaker, Laura Enever and Shane Bevan.
After a slow start to the week Cronulla surfers were served up waves as good as it almost gets yesterday, with the 4-6 ft swell cleaning up and wrapping into every corner of Bate Bay.
All the beaches reefs and points were firing all day until a slight onshore blew through and the nice morning conditions should stick around at about the 3 ft mark for today and tomorrow.
The forecast is for the winds to stay offshore all this week and the small south swell to slowly drop-today we are still seeing some 3 ft waves and this should continue into the weekend with a small 4 ft spike on Saturday.
The banks actually look pretty good so don't waste the good conditions and go surfing.
Led by reigning Champion Jay Phillips, the big guns fired on day four of the Australian Shortboard Titles at Duranbah Beach as part of the 2019 SAE Group Australian Surf Championships yesterday.
Nic Squires (Corrimal) and India Robinson (Jan Juc) had already claimed Australian Titles taking out the respective Open Men's and Open Women's divisions at the Australian Shortboard Titles ealier in the week.
In the Over 50's division, it was the Glen (Pringle) and Glenn (Valaire) show with the pair nailing down 14 and 15.90 point heat totals in round one-Glen then surfed straight through into the semi's and takes on old pro surfer Robbie Page and Ray McIntosh in semi one tomorrow.
Cronulla's Pringle is a former age Australian champion and a competitive machine and has also surfed straight into the semi's of the O45's as well so he could bring home double gold!.
Jay Phillips put together a near-perfect heat in 2-3 foot perfect Duranbah conditions, posting an 18.45 point total that included a single wave score of 9.70 points during his Over 40's matchup.
Former tour surfers Paul Paterson and Shane Wehner were other standouts in the Over 40's division, placing first and second in their second-round heat to advance to tomorrow's finals.
Paul Snow and Shaun Gossmann sent early warning shots to their competition in the Over 35's division posting 17.25 and 15.75 point heat totals respectively.
All heat draws and ongoing live results can be found at australiansurfchampionships.com under the results section of each respective division or through Live Heats at liveheats.com/surfingaustralia