Surf Girl 2020: Currumbin Viking Courtney Taylor named runner-up and Ela Heiniger from Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park Surf Life Saving Club named Highest Fundraiser

Currumbin Vikings Surf Life Saving Club stalwart Courtney Taylor has been pipped at the finish line for the overall 2020 Surf Girl title.

CURRUMBIN Vikings Surf Life Saving Club stalwart Courtney Taylor has been pipped at the finish line for the overall 2020 Surf Girl title.

Taylor finished second overall behind Sonita Leng-Cole of the Alexandra Headlands Surf Life Saving Club who was named the 2020 Surf Girl on Friday night at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.

MORE SURF LIFESAVING

KING OF THE KIDS MAKES SURPRISE CLUB SWITCH

LIFE MEMBER’S PLEDGE TO GIVE BACK

CLUBBIE CONFIDENTIAL: ONE STOP SHOP FOR SURF LIFE SAVING GOSSIP AND RUMOUR

Ela Heiniger from Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park Surf Life Saving Club was named the 2020 Surf Girl Highest Fundraiser, having raised $180,162.59 for her club.

In total, the eight Surf Girl ambassadors raised a massive $529,756.19 for their clubs during 2019-20.

The winners are ... Courtney Taylor from Currumbin SLSC, Sonita Leng-Cole from Alexandra Headland SLSC and Ela Heiniger from Burleigh Heads SLSC.

From chief training officer and youth development officer at Currumbin to holding down a position on the membership and IRB lifesaving advisory committees for Surf Life Saving Queensland, Taylor has done it all during her surf lifesaving journey.

Last week, she joined her fellow seven ambassadors for three days of judging which community awareness initiatives, mock beach rescues, interviews with each of the judges and a speech summing up their year as a Surf Girl ambassador.

It comes after Surf Life Saving Queensland announced their new Surf Woman of the Year program at Friday’s ceremony, a revitalisation of the Surf Girl flagship program, which has been in operation since 1964.

Courtney Taylor (Currumbin SLSC) came second in the 2020 Surf Girl competition. Picture: Jerad Williams

In 2021 the new programs will aim to engage the most capable women from surf lifesaving clubs across Queensland and develop their skills and experience to further their future careers both within and outside the Surf Life Saving movement.

Surf Woman of the Year will celebrate the most passionate, talented and hardworking women in surf lifesaving, with one woman walking away with a prize package worth $20,000.

SLSQ CEO Dave Whimpey said he was proud of the new direction of the program.

“The 2021 Surf Woman of the Year program is modern, while recognising the important traditions of our past,” he said.

“It will empower and develop future female leaders in our surf lifesaving community.”