Ocean and Milla rule the waves to win titles and Aussie selection

New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) Scholarship athletes, surfers Ocean Lancaster and Milla Brown, conquered the waves at Woonona on Sunday – and the best surfers in their respective age groups – to win Australian Junior Surfing Titles.

In a further boost for the Institute, Lucy Darragh, a member of the highly acclaimed NSWIS/Regional Academies of Sport Pursu32+ program for regional athletes, finished second in the women’s under 16 competition.

Lancaster joins the likes of past winners, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist, Owen Wright, and a star of the Championship Tour, Joel Parkinson, as the Australian under-16 champion. The teenager did it in impressive fashion, winning each of his five consecutive heats (including Sunday’s final) at the competition which was held north of Wollongong.

The 15-year-old from Merewether (near Newcastle) dominated Queensland hot shot Henry Dowling 16.56 to 8.11 to seize the cadet crown. The triumph also sealed Lancaster a spot on Australia’s national team, the Irukandjis, which will compete in next year’s World Junior Surfing Championships.

“That was a dream come true,” said Lancaster of his victory.

“Coming out on top put the icing on the cake. I had a good start to the year, got rattled in the middle, but all the hard work paid off here. It feels so good.”

Lancaster helped to guide Australia to a teams’ victory at the International Surfing Association event earlier this year in El Salvador. He also helped NSW claim the national tag-team title at Woonona on Saturday.

Seventeen-year-old Brown, from Sydney’s northern beaches, sealed her place in the Australian team – and secured the National under-18 title – in what organisers and commentators agreed was one of the greatest heats in the history of Australian junior surfing.

The NSWIS Scholarship holder secured victory after defeating Queenslander Isla Huppatz in a tight battle. Huppatz was relentless in the duel on the waves, but Brown provided the KO blow when she unleashed an air reverse which judges scored 8.45,

“It feels crazy,” Brown said. “I almost had Isla in combo. She needed a high 9 with three minutes left. I let her go on an insider, and she does a proper air rev. Not even a little one, a proper one. I thought, ‘I’ve just cooked this so hard.’ Then I saw another insider and did a little air and got the score. I was so stoked.”

“Me and Isla have been talking about this moment for so long. Before we paddled out, we said, ‘Let’s make this the best heat ever.’”

Daniel Lane, NSWIS

Photo: Surfing Australia website