After a stuttering start to the carnival, the 2026 NSW Surf Life Saving Open Championships, proudly presented by Your local club, hit full speed on day two, with teams medals won and places in Sunday’s finals package earned across Blacksmiths Beach.
Heavy rain on day one threatened to put a dampener on the state’s premier surf sports event – indeed, lightning would mean day one had barely begun before racing was suspended and eventually postponed – but a much better second day saw loads of races run and many athletes flex their muscles.
Wanda SLSC leads the way heading into finals day, having mustered a healthy lead over Newport SLSC, and will be looking to snap an Open overall point score winning streak that dates back 12 years for the Sydney Northern Beaches club.
Both clubs were omnipresent across the day, with Wanda’s Jayden Beaumont, Dane Sutton and Otis Jessop too strong in the U19 Male Taplin Relay. Kobi Mead, Max Bowmer, Jordan Prince and Dashiell Lonergan were the most consistent swimmers and duly rewarded with gold in the U15 Male Swim Teams.
For Newport in the Female U19 Taplin, Ironwoman, Olivia Clues chased down Swansea Belmont SLSC’s Kaleah Kingston in an epic sprint up the beach to steal the gold medal for herself, board paddler, Pipi Te Pania and swimmer, Charli Barbour.
Impressively, Newport also fielded the first three finishing teams in the Open Female Ski Relay, with the supposed ‘B’ team – Clues, Analise Kibble and Lizzie Welborn – leading the remaining six gold and maroon caps home.
Around the grounds, Cudgen Headland SLSC made the long trip worthwhile with a huge win in the U17 Female Board Relay for Izzy Arghyros, Charlie Mills and Skye Campbell. One of the biggest cheers of the day was also reserved for coach, Scott McCartney as he outpaced Max Brooks up the beach to take third in the revered Mixed Open Taplin.
Central Coast club, Shelly Beach picked up their lone gold medal in the U17 Female Sprint, with Tahlia Goy backing up several strong runs over previous State Championships.
Also on the track, Nick Aivaliotis from Wollongong City was rapid on his way to not only U19 Beach Sprint gold, but Open gold, too.
Home club, Swansea Belmont was victorious in the Open Female Beach Relay, with Lucinda McNabb coming home fastest after being set up by Emerson Leadbeatter, Luana Da Rocha and Poppy Doran.
In the flags, Zara Hall from Moruya SLSC backed up her impressive showing at the NSW Country Championships last month with a win in the U17 Female category, just beating out Swansea Belmont’s Lucinda McNabb.
Finn Robertson from Avoca Beach SLSC grabbed gold in the U19 Male Flags, and it was a Mollymook SLSC double in the Opens, where Payton Williams won the Female category and Sam Zustovich got back on top of the Open Male podium, beating last year’s champion and reigning Australian champ, Jake Lynch from South Maroubra SLSC.
Just to the north of the competition area, the Surf Boat Championships were also playing out where a finals package also took shape, but some races went through to medals.
The Palm Beach Pelicans won the Reserve Male Repechage, and the South Maroubra streakers won the Reserve Female. On Friday, before the day was put on hold, Kempsey Crescent Head’s crew of 220+ Males, swept by Michael Megaloconomos, won their category, while the Batemans Bay Banshees won the 200+ Females.
The 2026 NSW Surf Life Saving Open and Surf Boat Championships, proudly presented by Your local club, finishes on Sunday 1 March with the individual race finals package.
Saturday 28 February 2026