TEEN surfers faced gusty weather conditions and fierce competition in the inaugural Reflections Cadet Cup on the NSW Mid North Coast this weekend.
The debut Cup, staged at Rainbow Beach by Reflections Holidays in partnership with
Surfest, attracted 76 competitors over two days of competition on Feb 10 and 11, with
boys and girls competing in Under 12s, Under 14s and Under 16s categories.
The winners were: Maverick Macgugan (North Avalon) in the Under 12 Boys category, and Coco Woolley (Boomerang Beach) in the Under 12 Girls category; Hamish Harrigan (Coffs Harbour) in the Under 14 Boys, and Mali Adam (Merewether and Port Macquarie surboard clubs) in the Under 14 Girls; Joey Silk (Crescent Head) in the Under 16 Boys, and Chelsea Darling (Hat Head) in the Under 16 Girls.
The Minister for Sport, Lands and Property, the Hon. Steve Kamper, said it was great
to see the debut Cadet Cup draw the cream of teen surfers to the area, boosting
patronage of local businesses and tourism services.
“Reflections manages holiday parks on Crown land in some of the state’s best coastal
locations and this partnership with Surfest aims to support both regional tourism and
nurture the wave of surfers coming though the ranks,” Mr Kamper said.
“The fact that there was strong demand for entries for the inaugural Reflections Cadet
Cup shows just how important these events are to regional communities.”
Reflections CEO Nick Baker said the Cup, which included the competition alongside
an ‘Eats and Beats’ zone with food trucks and music for the community to enjoy, had
been a resounding success that the organisation was proud to stage.
“As the largest holiday group in NSW, partnering with Surfest, the biggest surfing
festival in the Southern Hemisphere, was a no-brainer, with both of us focused on
enjoying the great outdoors and connecting communities in nature,” Mr Baker said.
“Reflections is a Crown Land Manager that cares for 45 nature reserves along the
coast and inland, so for us it’s a special thing to see communities come together to
connect on this land as we’ve witnessed this weekend.”
Surfest co-ordinator Warren Smith said the Reflections Cadet Cup had drawn some
strong competition in the teen ranks and witnessed history in the making with the surf
talent at Rainbow Beach.
“The whole weekend was a fantastic showcase for these young surfers who will be tomorrow’s champions, and the night-time entertainment on this most wonderful stretch of the NSW coastline was the icing on the cake,” Mr Smith said.
“There’s been so much good feedback from competitors, their families and locals that organisers have already started talking about how it’s going to be a challenge to make the Reflections Cadet Cup even better in 2025.”
