THE 2021 AUSTRALIAN SURFING AWARDS NIGHT

While the world was watching CT over in West Oz with some really exciting match-ups, We had the pleasure of attending the Australian Surfing Awards in Surfers Paradise on the Queensland Gold Coast. 

With the night containing surfing royalty, our excitement levels were at full. With the likes of Damien Hardman, Pauline Menzcer, Neil Ridgeway, Mick Fanning, Dingo Morrison, Darren Handley and more attending the night, we were pretty excited to be around some of the most influential people in Australian (and international) surfer culture.

The amount of awards was crazy and it was so incredible to see that in almost all of them (except for the male specific ones) had women nominated.

Awards like the Heavy Water Award, Laura Enever was nominated, Sandra English being nominated for the Peter Troy Lifetime Award as well as Jalaan Slabb being nominated for the Indigenous Surfing Community Celebration Award and more, it was pretty empowering to witness the new wave of women’s presence in surfing start to appear. 

So, here is a breakdown of the categories with the nominees and the winners from the night:

Female Surfer of the Year Award

1 Tyler Wright

2 Molly Picklum

3 Macy Callaghan 

Male Surfer of the Year Award 

1 Jack Robinson

2 Morgan Cibilic

3 Reef Heazlewood

Griffith University Rising Star Award – Female 

1 Sierra Kerr 

2 Nyxie Ryan

3 Ellie Harrison

Griffith University Rising Star Award – Male 

1 Jarvis Earle 

2 Dylan Moffat

3 Joel Vaughan 

Heavy Water Award

1 Russel Bierke

2 Laura Enever

3 Chris Lougher

ASB Greater Good Award

1 Mike Durante, Ron Clarke, Jenna Clarke – Surf February 

2 Tahlia Anderson – Surfing the Spectrum 

3 Cooper Chapman – The Good Human Factory 

Peter Troy Lifetime Award 

1 Martin Tullemans 

2 Matt Grainger

3 Sandra English 

Coach of the Year 

1 Adam Robertson 

2 Stace Galbraith 

3 Clancy Dawson 

ACCIONA Innovation Award 

1 URBN Surf Melbourne 

2 Surf Better Now

3 Surf Lakes 

Surf Culture Award 

1 Chris Nelius and Team – Girls Can’t Surf 

2 Vaughan Blakey – Postcards from Morgs and Free Scrubber

3 Tracks Magazine – 50 Years

Simon Anderson Club Award 

1 North Shelley Boardriders

2 Queenscliff Boardriders Club

Indigenous Surfing Community Celebration Award 

1 Naru Indigenous Corporation 

2 Otis Carey

3 Soli Bailey

4 Jalaan Slabb 

Nikon Surf Video of the Year

1 Spencer Frost – A Corner of the Earth 

2 Tom Jennings – SPIRIT, starring Jay Davies 

3 Andrew Kaineder – FIRST NAME IN THE WATER, Russ Bierke, 90 

Nikon Surf Photo of the Year

1 Stu Gibson 

2 Russel Ord

3 Mark Onorati 

What an amazing night… These awards are so prestigious to all and to win one would be an absolute honour. Also, the night ended with one of the best humans and the most influential Australian surfers of all time – Mick Fanning – being the 43rd inductee into the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame, it completely topped off the night. 

His emotional speech left everyone in tears (even us!) and we think it made everyone in the room even more confident about how much Mick Fanning deserves this honour. #CheersMick