Latest news with #MargaretRiverPro
Time Out
20-06-2025
- Time Out
We knew it! Australia is officially home to the best surfing spots in the entire world
You won't find Wallace or Gromit in Australia, but you will find plenty of groms and grommets. Our sun-kissed island is full of sandy-toed, salty-haired surf rats who can catch a pretty gnarly wave. And it's not just the locals – tourists from around the world come Down Under to ride our legendary swells or to learn to surf for the very first time, with our coastline serving up the best surfing breaks on the planet. To mark International Surfing Day (June 21), the travel pros at Travelbag conducted a study to identify the world's top ten surfing hotspots. Their study looked at everything from surf ratings and water cleanliness to social media popularity and global search volume – all in the name of finding the ultimate wave. Australia absolutely dominated the rankings, claiming more top ten spots than any other country – including four of the top five alone. The number one spot went to Queensland's Burleigh Heads, which led the pack with a five-star surf rating, a water cleanliness score of 71.48, and more than 135,000 global annual searches. As the northernmost breakpoint on the Gold Coast, the exposed waters of this World Surfing Reserve catch strong offshore winds, serving up some of the best right-hand barrels in the country. Experienced surfers will love the adrenaline rush, but the shallower waves also make it a hotspot for beginners. The Gold Coast had a strong showing in the top five, with Snapper Rocks landing as the fourth-best surf spot in the world. Perched on the southern tip of Rainbow Bay, this rocky outcrop is famous for its long, hollow waves and multiple barrel sections that attract pros and thrill-seekers alike. Another standout Aussie spot to make the list was Victoria's legendary Bells Beach, which came third overall. It had the highest water cleanliness score in the country of 72.22, and also earned a five-star surf rating. Tucked between the rugged cliffs off the Great Ocean Road, Bells is known for its huge waves, tough conditions and a kind of explosively powerful break that takes a lot of your strength to ride – but if you do, you'll have the time of your life. Over on Australia's west coast, Margaret River ranked as the world's fifth-best surfing location. This iconic surf spot roughly matched Burleigh Heads' global searches of 135,000, also scoring five stars for its surf and being the most popular on Instagram with almost a million hashtags. However, its water cleanliness score came in lower than the other Aussie beaches at 62.5. Even if you're not a surfer, you can head here to watch the annual Margaret River Pro – one of only two Australian events on the prestigious World Surf League Championship Tour Here are the world's 10 best surfing spots Burleigh Heads, Australia Malibu, USA Bells Beach, Australia Snapper Rocks, Australia Margaret River, Australia Pipeline, USA Mentawai Islands, Indonesia Tamarindo, Costa Rica Tamarin Bay, Mauritius Black Rocks, Mauritius 🏄 🧗🏾♀️ 🏀
West Australian
19-06-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Karri Karrak Aboriginal Corporation defends costs to Surfing WA for sacred site row
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Don Punch has declined to comment directly on reports the region's newly-formed Indigenous corporation sought restitution from Surfing WA in the wake of complaints about alleged misuse of heritage sites. The news follows a media storm stoked by the Karri Karrak Aboriginal Corporation during last month's Margaret River Pro after the representative group said the State Government ignored its objections to the use of three sites for parking during the event window. Although the Times reported none of those sites, approved by WA's Department of Planning, Heritage and Lands, were actually used during the Pro out of respect to the region's Wadandi people, the corporation said it reserved the right to demand a judicial review. The corporation did not respond this week to requests for comment on whether it would push ahead with that demand or any other action after last month's complaint. A similar complaint during the 2024 Pro led to Surfing WA paying Karri Karrak $9000. Surfing WA chief executive Mark Lane previously apologised for using the overflow parking site in 2024, despite years of what sources called 'a handshake agreement' with Wadandi elders permitting the land to be used. Mr Lane initially declined to comment on the $9000 payment to Karri Karrak, though this week said it was payment 'for a heritage assessment/site visit to monitor potential damages to site'. The minister as well as Karri Karrak hosed down reports the money was a fine levied against the State's top surfing group, with the minister noting the corporation lacked the legislative clout to enforce that. 'The Noongar Regional Corporations do not provide statutory approvals nor issue fines and penalties under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972,' he said. 'We will continue to work with Karri Karrak and encourage proponent engagement with the corporation in protecting Noongar cultural heritage. 'The Noongar Regional Corporations are important partners of the WA Government.' A Karri Karrak spokesperson also said the payment was not a penalty. 'Surfing WA was invoiced for a site inspection, traditional custodian consultation, a formal archaeological and environmental report, and specialist advice to assess potential damages to a site, following its unlawful use for the 2024 event,' the spokesperson said. The report 'found that these heritage places have suffered from significant erosion, specifically from their use for overflow parking during the Margaret River Pro event'. While Surfing WA apologised for not having formal permission last year to use the corner of Wallcliffe and Surfers Point roads, registered as an Indigenous burial place at the Wooditj Dunes, the minister said this year's approvals for the World Surf League were all in place.
West Australian
11-06-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Margaret River firebrand Jacob Willcox claims Challenger Series win at Newcastle
Margaret River surfing mainstay Jacob Willcox has earnt his first win on the Challenger Series to top the World Surf League rankings. Sunday's contest at Newcastle's Surfest followed Willcox's impressive run as a local qualifier all the way to the quarterfinals at last month's Margaret River Pro. Willcox and women's competitor Francisca Veselko from Portugal overcame a massive crowd of contestants all eager to use the series as a launch pad back to the top-rated Championship Tour. 'This has been a long time coming,' Willcox said. 'I've had a lot of losses to get this win and it feels incredible to finally get it. It's taken a lot of hard work to get here, and that was the best moment of my life on the beach just then. 'Coming in and having my crew tell me that I probably had it and share that moment with them was so special.' In the final, Willcox traded mid-range scores with Tahiti's Kauli Vaast, taking a small lead, before the ocean began to slow. Both were left waiting for more than 10 minutes for a wave until a quick flurry in the dying seconds gave Vaast one more chance. But he couldn't convert, leaving Willcox to take the win with a two-wave total of 12.30 to Vaast's 11.56. 'The final was pretty slow in the end, but I was just telling myself that sometimes the ocean just gets on your side and gives you some luck, and you find some rhythm, and I feel like this week I found some rhythm and some luck,' Willcox said. 'That's the thing with our sport, you just never know when you're going to get your moment. My moment was today, so I was stoked.' Willcox was a championship tour rookie in 2024 after years of near-misses in qualification, but he lasted only a few months before missing the mid-season cut and failing to re-qualify for 2025. The goofy-footer has been pegged as a title threat since his junior years, beating Kelly Slater as a teenage wildcard in Portugal, but has struggled to make a huge impact in the competitive arena.
West Australian
05-06-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Margaret River challengers to make road trip as junior surfing titles move to Trigg
Fresh from the inspiration of the Margaret River Pro, some of the region's best juniors will head to Perth this weekend for the second round of the WA Junior Surfing Titles. Some of the Capes surfers, including Ily Fraser and Cowaramup duo Grace Cook and Ace Flynn, will be defending strong wins in the first round which took place in home waters in February. Eyes will also be on Okie Fraser and Olive Hardy to score victories at this weekend's event at Trigg Beach. Meanwhile, local surfers would be up against some of their rivals from metropolitan schools as well as clubs as far afield as Geraldton, which hosts round three in July. 'We've got a great run of surf on the way and a solid field of competitors ready to put on a show,' Surfing WA events manager Justin Majeks said. 'It's always nice to host such a big event at our home beach. 'The local energy, the community support, and the chance to showcase the State's best juniors is something we really look forward to.' The three-day contest will culminate in a finals showdown on Sunday. To keep up with the scores or watch the action live, visit and
West Australian
05-06-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
World Surf League cops backlash after surfers bail on key community event
The World Surf League has copped a blast for not sending any of its athletes to a key annual community conservation event during the Margaret River Pro. WSL traditionally organised for a handful of Championship Tour competitors to attend Nature Conservation Margaret River Region's annual busy bee held in conjunction with volunteers and local junior surfers. While Nature Conservation staff, volunteers, parents and Cowaramup Bay Boardriders grommets attended the May 15 event at Grunters, no athletes came along this year as they had in the past. Although it remained a WSL-supported event as part of its One Ocean partnership, parents and other stakeholders told the Times youngsters were left disappointed and feeling like their genuine conservation efforts didn't matter. Gracetown parent Megan Garnett, who also co-ordinates the Friends of Gracetown conservation group, said many grommets had hoped for more than a free t-shirt. 'The event was a success, but I think it was a bit of a slap in the face,' she said. 'It does make that actually look like a tick-box for WSL and its environmental standing. 'All of us parents and local schools are trying to encourage this idea of being environmental custodians, and when that's not valued by their role models, that makes it twice as hard.' In years past, surfers including Bettylou Sakura and Italo Ferreira joined young talent laying brushing and planting seedlings along the coast. Ms Garrett said the region's young surfers looked up to the Pro athletes and the chance to rub shoulders with them while helping the local environment 'could have meant so much'. Others told the Times it wasn't good enough for WSL to muster local groups when it needed to apply for permits — such as the inclusion of North Point as a location option, bitterly opposed by many surfers — but then pay lip service when the Pro was running. However, a WSL spokesperson said the official surfing body remained committed to working with local groups and residents 'through sustainability and community engagements throughout the WA Margaret River Pro competition'. WSL cited its partnership with Nature Conservation that included junior Boardriders, the Margaret River Coastal Residents Association, philanthropic group Line in the Sand, and the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River. But WSL declined to comment on why no professional surfers were available this year. The disappointing no-show followed complaints from surfers also wondering why the wild cards trial in the lead up the Margaret River Pro was not televised despite everything being in place at Surfers Point. And that negative feedback came on the heels of last week's reports the Karri Karrak Aboriginal Corporation had voiced its own disquiet that objections to using certain important heritage sites near the competition were overruled by the State Government. WSL passed inquiries about the wild cards event to Surfing WA who were unable to comment before deadline. A Nature Conservation spokesperson said talks were under way to avoid the shortfall in the future. 'Nature Conservation felt disappointed for the Cowaramup Bay Boardriders groms who were so pumped to work on country with their surfing idols,' interim manager Cass Jury said. 'We are working with the WSL to come up with a solution for future years that will prevent this disappointment and give the pro surfers an opportunity to contribute to the worthwhile work of the many coastal volunteers who work tirelessly to protect our fragile coastline.' Boardriders spokesperson Keighley Bremner told the Times the event was 'a successful day' but declined to comment on the lack of talent on show. WSL also noted this year it hosted a Capes Coastal Forum during the Pro. 'The forum created a space for community stakeholders to come together to discuss coastline protection,' the spokesperson said. 'The WSL is committed to supporting the community by joining forces with local organisations through workshops, projects, and the WSL PURE Grant program.'
