Photos: Pumping waves keep Cronulla surfers happy

Five days of westerly winds and head high waves coupled with some perfect sandbanks up the beach have made surfers 'working from home' very busy and the crowds have also been pretty severe.

From Saturdays 4-5 ft swell to yesterdays 4-5ft swell-its the gift that keeps on giving.

The forecast shows that today's offering of 2-4ft is the smallest period of the week with a 4-6 ft spike on Friday carrying over the weekend.

The winds will be a mixed bag with periods of clean offshores but also some sou-east onshores along with some rain just to remind us that everything isnt always ideal.

Todays pics are from the Midway super bank and some from the North Cronulla lefts that are breaking from all the sand washed off the beaches in the last storm.

Winter is living up to its reputation as the best part of the year for Cronulla so wax up and get out there.

The NSW Surfmasters pres. by Moby's Beachside Retreat saw an action packed weekend with some of the states best amateur surfers going nuts in punchy four-foot surf.

Former Australian Champion and event standout Nic Squires (Corrimal) saved his best performance for last in the Over-35 Mens division nailing the only perfect ten-point ride of the event as well as a near-perfect 9.77.

Central Coast surfer Cameron Sharpe (Shelly Beach) managed to put on a dynamic performance over the course of the Over-40 Men's division, nailing a handful of exciting snaps and carves to claim the title. Sharpe finished the heat with a respectable 13.47 two-wave heat total to take the win and ensure a title made its way south to the NSW Central Coast.

Brett Bannister (Narrabeen) was the sole victor from Sydney's northern beaches, hammering the long rights on offer in the Over-45 Men's final. No stranger to competition, Bannister found himself remaining patient over the course of the final, only catching three waves, but notching up a giant 17.27 two-wave heat total to take the win ahead of former World Tour surfer Jake Spooner (Bulli) who finished in second.

Chris Homer (Lake Illawarra) became the second champion from the Illawarra region, taking out the Over-50 Men's division. Homer surfed like a man ten years his junior in the final, hammering an array of decent snaps and carves to claim the win.

Cronulla didnt have any winners with event standouts Rod Baldwin (Copacabana), Mark Gobbe (Mona Vale) and Neil Cameron (Byron Bay) all putting on impressive displays in the picturesque conditions to claim the Over-55, Over-60 and Over-65 Men's divisions respectively.

Live competitive surfing will return to the World Surf League for the first time since March with the Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold Rumble at the Ranch. The world's best are back for a one-day, winner-take-all showdown at the Surf Ranch in Lemoore, California on August 9.

The Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold Rumble at the Ranch event will welcome 16 of the top male and female surfers currently residing in the United States to compete in a mixed-doubles team event, with prize money going to a charity selected by the winning team.

Competitors will include 11-time WSL Champion Kelly Slater, Olympic qualifiers Caroline Marks, Kolohe Andino and reigning four-time WSL Champion Carissa Moore, alongside Championship Tour stars Filipe Toledo and Sage Erickson.

"I've really been looking forward to getting 2020 going, so an event here in California is super exciting," said Caroline Marks. "I love the Surf Ranch so I can't wait to get out there and surf again. It'll be fun for us athletes and the fans too."

"I can't wait to put the jersey back on," said Filipe Toledo. "To know we can bring a live experience for fans from the Surf Ranch here in California, in a safe and secure way, is really exciting. It'll be awesome for us surfing, for our sport and our fans. Let's go!"

The Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold Rumble at the Ranch will be broadcast live on WorldSurfLeague.com starting at 3 pm ET / 12 pm PT on August 9, 2020.