Hayley Smith from Cudgen Headland SLSC is attending her 10th State Champs this year. At 18, Hayley has developed into a talented surf competitor representing the Far North Coast branch and the NSW Country team at the Interstate Championships. 


At last month’s Country Championships Hayley took out almost every event in the Under 19s division including the board, swim, ironwoman and the in the Opens she doubled up with the ironwoman and the sprint race.



“My first State Champs was way back in the Under 8s and it was at Swansea Belmont then too,” recalls Hayley. “I love it there. The surf can get really good and we’ve had a couple of years when it’s been really big and fun.”



Hayley’s whole family has been involved as surf lifesavers for as long as she can remember. “My two older sisters (Amie 22 and Katelyn 25) have always been in the club I always looked up to them and wanted to have the same fun they were having.” She remembers sitting on the sand when she was a little Nipper watching them have the best time with their friends and competing.



So what makes the 2020 NSW Country Championship club what it is? Hayley says it’s all about having a good time, “Cudgen really is a big family and we have so much fun. We train every day together but it’s not all serious. We are up at 5am for swimming squad every morning and then in the afternoons we do our specific surf skills training but before we get into it we have a game of touch footy and on Saturdays we have breakfast together.”



The Cudgen crew travel together a lot to compete in events up and down the NSW coastline as well as into Queensland. Expect to see all their top competitors on the beach at Swansea Belmont with 21 opens, 2 masters and 42 age championship athletes.



Hayley is looking forward to competing in her sky-blue starred Cudgen Headland cap across all the water events in both the Under 19 and Opens as well as teams events this year. She’ll be there with her foot on the line along with her greater club family.



 



Friday 14 February 2020