2023 Australia Surfing Awards incorporating the Hall of Fame
Recap Australian surfing’s night of nights as we look back at the Australian Surfing Awards Incorporating the Hall of Fame.
This year, the event was held at the iconic Bondi Pavilion on the shore of Sydney’s most iconic beach.
Renowned surf media icons Vaughan Blakey and Jess Grimwood hosted the event, which recognised the outstanding achievements of athletes and contributors across 19 award categories.
Among the many highlights of the night, Harley Walters received the Mick Fanning Male Rising Star Award, while Sierra Kerr was honoured with the Stephanie Gilmore Rising Star Award.
Gilmore said: “With Surfing Australia supporting the juniors so much, it just seems like there’s a real clear pathway for the young groms to come through and know what they want to do and have the support in and out of the water, in the gym, with the jet skis and coaches. It’s a fantastic way to encourage kids to chase their dreams. Watching these last two (Championship Tour) events with Molly going absolutely mad and Sierra’s going to be there behind her too. It’s really special and I’m very privileged to be here to watch it.”
Otis Carey was celebrated with the Indigenous Surfing Community Celebration Award for his contributions to the sport and community.
Carey said: “I do what I do for the next generation because as Indigenous people we have to work twice as hard to get to where we want to get to. I want to make it easier for the next generation.”
Surf Witches Boardriders Club received the Surf Culture Award. The club aims to provide a friendly, supportive network for female surfers of all ages and its number of members has soared, several of whom, aged in their 60s and 70s, feature in the inspiring doco Taking Off: Tales of Older Women Who Surf.
Surf Clip of the Year – Surfer Award went to Outer Edge of Leisure – Russell Bierke.
World Record holders Laura Enever (largest paddle-in wave) and Blake Johnston (longest-recorded surfing session) were recognised with the Heavy Water Award and the Greater Good Award, respectively.
Former Surfing Australia CEO Andrew Stark received Surfing Australia Life Membership for his dedication to Australian surfing and Gilmore also presented one of the the biggest gongs , inducting Chelsea Hedges into the Surfing Australia Hall of Fame.
Winners of the 2023 Australian Surfing Awards incorporating the Hall of Fame:
Male Surfer of the Year presented by the AIS
Ethan Ewing
Female Surfer of the Year presented by the AIS
Molly Picklum
Mick Fanning Male Rising Star Award presented by Griffith University
Harley Walters
Stephanie Gilmore Female Rising Star Award (Under 18) presented by Griffith University
Sierra Kerr
Male Para Surfer of the Year
Joel Taylor
Female Para Surfer of the Year
Jocelyn Neumueller
Heavy Water Award
Laura Enever
Indigenous Surfing – Community Celebration Award
Otis Carey
Greater Good Award
Blake Johnston
Breakthrough Surf Brand of the Year Award
Need Essentials
Innovation Award presented by ACCIONA
Flowstate
Surf Culture Award presented by Jim Beam
Surf Witches Boardriders Club
Simon Anderson Boardrider Club Award presented by Curly Lewis
Byron Bay Boardriders
Peter Troy Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Surfing World
Steve Foreman
Coach of the Year Award
Jay “Bottle” Thompson
Surf School of the Year Award
Coastrider Surf Academy – Clifton Beach
Surf Clip of the Year – Surfer Award (under 15 minutes)
Outer Edge of Leisure – Russell Bierke
Surf Film of the Year – Filmer Award
Kamchatka – Spencer Frost and Guy Williment featuring surfers Letty Mortensen and Fraser Dovell
Surf Photo of the Year presented by Tracks
Ben Jackson “Darcy Piper”
Hall of Fame
Chelsea Hedges
The Australian Surfing Awards incorporating the Hall of Fame are proudly sponsored by Griffith University, ACCIONA, Jim Beam, Le Tan, Small Things Wine, Tracks, Surfing World, Curly Lewis and OnStone.
The official afterparty for the Awards was held at the Curly Lewis Brewery.
