Swansea Belmont surf club is prepared to welcome more than 20,000 athletes, officials, family and friends to Lake Macquarie this week for the beginning of the 2026 NSW Surf Life Saving Championships, proudly presented by Your local club.
Dubbed the unofficial home of the NSW Surf Life Saving Championships, it’s the first time in five years the club will host the largest surf sports event in NSW after half a decade on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
On a scale similar to that of the Commonwealth Games, nearly 6,000 athletes across Age (Youth), Masters, Open and Surf Boat Championships will contest 12 days of competition at Blacksmiths Beach, where individual and club glory are both up for grabs across the full range of surf sport disciplines.
Competition kicks off on Thursday 19 February where the U9 and U10 competitors hit the sand and surf, many for the first time, to open the Age Championships, and competition culminates on Sunday 1 March with finals packages for both the Open and Surf Boat Championships.
With only two down days in between, there is action a-plenty set to go down at Blacksmiths.
“We had it for five years previously, going back to 2021, and when I tabled to the members, we had a chance to bring this event back, would there be interest, overwhelmingly the answer was yes,” Swansea Belmont SLSC President, Brad Fox said.
It’s wonderful to be back here, for our athletes, they’re more familiar with the break so maybe there is a bit of a home beach advantage. And for the parents, you wake up in your own bed, and you come down to your board sitting on the beach.
“We really enjoy hosting, and a lot of the stalwarts of the club love making sure the event runs very smoothly.”
One of the club’s many shining lights is teenage sensation, Kaitlyn Rees. Last year at the State Championships, she cleaned up across the U17 individual and team events with a stack of gold medals, and her continued growth as an athlete means she isn’t done there.
She has her eyes on competing more widely across the Open competition in 2026, where she’s shown she can mix it with the best in the sport.
“All the Juniors right the way through, we’re pumped to be at our home beach, we train here day in, day out,” Katy said
Katy has become a bit of a role model within the club and hopes to lead the way for the future Ironmen and women at Swansea.
“To have some of the younger ones looking up to me is so exciting, we’ve really built a bond and for me I just want them to see that they can do it and grow into a really strong competitor from here in NSW,” she said.
One club to the north but sharing the same stretch of sand, Redhead SLSC competitor, Dan Collins is excited to compete close to home and build on the momentum generated by a fantastic Iron Series performance in 2025/26.
On the national tour, Dan finished seventh to secure his spot in next year’s Series without the need to trial and requalify, and now he has his sights set on big things closer to home.
“I’ve been doing State Titles now for a lot of years, I’m almost 30 and I’ve been competing since I was nine,” he said.
“The years are stacking up and there’s been plenty of venues in that time, but Swansea Belmont was the first beach I won an Open Ironman title, it’s a place I’m definitely familiar with.”
Thanks to a commitment from the Lake Macquarie City Council, the NSW Surf Life Saving Championships will stay in Swansea for the next three years.
Mayor, Adam Shultz was thrilled to throw Council’s support behind the Championships, and by extension the Surf Life Saving movement.
“The NSW Surf Life Saving Championships bring incredible energy to Lake Macquarie and give us the chance to share the natural beauty and vibrant lifestyle we’re fortunate to call home,” Mr Shultz said.
“I’m delighted to welcome competitors, officials and visitors back to Blacksmiths Beach for this premier event
“Lake Macquarie City Council is proud to support the Championships and showcase our beautiful coastal location.
“I wish every athlete, official and spectator an unforgettable experience and look forward to cheering on the lifesavers as they compete for glory at Blacksmiths Beach.”
ClubsNSW, under the Your local club banner, continues as the Naming Rights Partner in 2026, with CEO, Rebecca Riant noting that the State Championships is the pinnacle of surf sports in the state.
“The NSW Surf Life Saving Championships is a fantastic celebration of the commitment and skill of volunteer surf lifesavers who work tirelessly to keep our beaches safe, and ClubsNSW is proud to have supported this event for more than a decade,” she said.
“Registered clubs across NSW have also contributed more than $900,000 to Surf Life Saving over the past year through the ClubGRANTS program, ensuring lifesavers have the resources they need to continue their vital work.”
The 2026 NSW Surf Life Saving Championships, proudly presented by Your local club will run from 19 February to 1 March. Competition will be livestreamed on SLSNSW Facebook and YouTube on Sunday 22 February, Saturday 28 February and Sunday 1 March.
19-22 February: Age (Junior) Championships
25-26 February: Masters Championships
27 February – 1 March: Open & Surf Boats Championships
Wednesday 18 February 2026