Medal hauls, standouts, emerging stars, smiles aplenty at NSW surf life saving titles 2025

There were impressive medal hauls, new rivalries established and emerging stars racing into the limelight at full tilt. Stars and standouts of the opening days of the NSW Surf Life Saving titles

There was great fun and graet results to be had at the NSW surf life saving championships 2025. Pictures: Supplied SLS NSW

There were impressive gold medal hauls, new rivalries established and emerging stars racing at full tilt on the opening days of the NSW Surf Life championships.

It was the first taste of competition for many young athletes competing at the competitions across a number of areas on Sydney’s northern beaches.

But that didn’t stop some great performances being laid down by an assortment of up-and-comers across the competition.

And these youngsters had to contend with just about everything the weather could throw at them – from heat and sunshine to cloud bursts and strong winds - at the beaches used near the competition base at Queenscliffe.

We look at some of the highlights across the competition, throwing a spotlight on the young guns of NSW surf life saving and their clubs.

Happt athletes from different clubs at the NSW surf life saving championships 2025. Pictures: Supplied NSW SLS

A northern beaches young gun and a North Bondi competitor are just two of the standouts of the opening days of the NSW championships.

Joseva Ranatawake showed he is one to watch in the future after winning the U11 surf race from Wollongong City’s Max Eccles and then the iron man finale from Max and Bulli’s Oscar Sheppard.

The Manly athletes, who won the iron race at round one of the world youth championship in Queensland in December, also finished sixth in the board race won by Lewis Bolt from Cudgen Headland.

It’s always good to win a medal at the NSW surf life saving championships 2025. Pictures: Supplied SLS NSW

Another turning heads is North Bondi’s Emerson Hoo who now boasts the extraordinary record of never being beaten at a state championship in the surf race after winning the U11 title.

Emerson, like Joseva, also won the iron race at the opening race of the world youth championship in December.

She then went on to win the U11 iron race from Neve Harrison from Swansea Belmont and also finished second in the board race behind Indi Hoetzer from Swansea Belmont. Indi also finished third in the iron race.

A young gun ready to race at the NSW surf life saving championships 2025. Pictures: Supplied

Manly has a long tradition of producing great iron athletes and Millie Gaudry could be one of them after her win in the year 12 female iron over Coogee’s Sophie Rowles and Avoca’s Stella Webster.

Millie also won the board and board relay with club mates Summer Easton and Alice Woolnough before finishing third in the Surf race won by Scarlett Mison from Cudgen headlands.

Young athletes waiting for their medals. a

In another dominating performance from a Hunter young gun, Liam Blair from Swansea Belmont nabbed victory in the U12 iron race over North Bondi’s Charlie Roberts and Collaroy‘s Dash Armstrong.

Liam was a standout at the event, winning multiple races including the board relay with Swansea teammates Patrick Blair and Bodhi Cousins, and surf race in which he beat Willem Botha from Elouera and Charlie Roberts from North Bondi.

In the board final, he beat Charlie Roberts and Tex Air from Redhead.

A youngster at the NSW surf life saving championships 2025. Pictures: Supplied NSW SLS

Another multiple winner was Ashton Bone from Avoca in the U14s.

He won the iron, surf race and then board relay with his Avoca teamates Billy McCarthy and Samuel Wetti.

A competitor running up the beach.

There were traces galore contested at the championships.

The Cronulla and Wanda clubs continued their tradition of producing fabulous flags and sprint runners with Shizella Thorne winning both U9s events for Cronulla and Denver Turner, Sophie Griffiths, Aria Moyle and Isabella King winning the relay for Wanda.

Charlotte Pearce beat North Steyne’s Mali Lalauze in the U10 flags and Stockton’s Will Esdale won the U10s beach flags from Manly’s Riley Gashel.

On Sunday, Copacabana’s Rafferty Thornton beat fellow Central Coast athlete Louis Veness from North Avoca to win the U11 flags race

Young athletes at the NSW surf life saving championships 2025. Pictures: Supplied NSW SLS

The Cook Hill club has been producing some top athletes in recent times and the latest looks to be Jonah Whiteman.

Jonah won the U10 board race and then combined with Lachlan Thompson and Gus Butler to win the board relay race.

Ella Jenkin from Coogee also had a great event, winning the U10 swim race from Swansea Belmont’s Xanthe Murrell and then combining with Cecilia Eerikainen and Chloe Hoiles for victory over Wanda A and North Bondi A.

A determined young athletes.

Archie Darragh from Gerringong won the U9 board race from club mate Lewis Payne.

They then combined with Harley Rackemann to win the board relay from Cook Hill in the U9s in a great outing for the pair.

The Cooks Hill A team of Gus Butler, Lachlan Thompson and Jonah Whiteman beat Wanda A and Caves Beach to win the U10 board relay.

Jake Vukovic from North Curl Curl showed plenty of speed in taking the flags and sprints for his club.

In the U9 sprint he beat Jack Orreal from Coogee and in the beach flags he beat Kycen Puroku from South Maroubra

South Maroubra beat North Bondi Red and Coogee in a battle of the eastern suburbs beaches in the beach relay for U11 females.

Scarlet Gutteridge, Stasia Serafin and Asher and Callie Simpson came home with the victory.

MORE TO COME

Originally published as Medal hauls, standouts, emerging stars, smiles aplenty at NSW surf life saving titles 2025