Champion of champions

One of Surfing Sutherland Shires main roles is to promote junior surfing and the umbrella organisation that looks after Cronulla surfers will once again be running the annual Surfing NSW Junior Regional Titles on March 25 2023 at the best break on the beaches of Bate Bay.

This year there will also be bragging rights on offer for open age surfers when for the first time in a decade Surfing Sutherland Shire is pleased to announce the Cronulla Champions of Champions surfing event involving  Shire boardriders clubs which will be held in conjunction with the Surfing NSW Junior Regional Titles.

Unlike the junior competition where surfers compete all day through a heat/semi/final system, the Open surfing champ will be chosen from the four shortboard Club Champions- men and women and the Longboard club champions male and female.

From the 1960s up to 2000’s the Cronulla Championship was a big deal but was superseded by surfers having to compete in their allocated regions -Cronulla surfers competing in the Sydney South Zone before progressing to State and National championships thereby eliminating the need for a local champion. In fact Surfing Sutherland Shire is an organization that was formed after Surfing NSW amalgamated their South and East regions into one big body representing all competitive surfers south of the Harbour.

Some of Cronulla’s greatest ever surfers have won the title of Cronulla Champion including Denny Childs and Wayne Roach ,Jim Banks, Ross Marshall in the 70’s, Rod Baldwin, Glenn Pringle and Andy King in the 80’s and 90,s and then young guns Troy Dennehy, Kirk Flintoff, Connor O’leary before the selection was chosen by local surfers highest ranking in the Australasian WQS at the end of a calendar year saw 2022 World Junior Champion Jarvis Earle hold the crown.

Jarvis is back to defend his title so the gauntlet is down and the waves await- whose name will be on the historic Paddy McCue Trophy