Considering the prestige it holds, the Australian Surfing Awards is one of those annual events that can easily pass without most surfers knowing it happened. This year, in its 36th edition, it was made even more obscure by the fact there’s a plague raging across six of the world’s seven continents. But COVID-19 be damned, the awards went ahead, hosted by Vaughan and Ronnie Blakey in a fittingly socially-isolated event that screened on Channel Nine on Sunday.
Everyone’s favourite CT rookie, Jack Robinson, took out the blue ribbon Male Surfer of the Year award ahead of Julian Wilson and Owen Wright, no doubt on the back of his stellar performance in Hawaii compared to the other two’s fairly lukewarm seasons on tour in 2019.
Unsurprisingly, Steph Gilmore scooped the Female Surfer of the Year award ahead of Sally Fitzgibbons and 2019 QS winner, Isabella Nichols.
Female surfing legend, Jodie Cooper, got the ultimate call-up, getting inducted into the Hall of Fame where her name will live forever alongside a motley crew of fellow icons, including MP, Westerly Windina and Occy.
South Coast charger, Russell Bierke, went back to back in the Heavy Water award, and his 2019 web release ‘Flow State’, made by filmmaker Andrew Kaineder, won the Nikon Surf Video of the Year. Ren McGann’s photo ‘The Right’ took out the Nikon Surf Photo of the Year.
In other awards, Glenn ‘Micro’ Hall was named Coach of the Year ahead of Jake Paterson and Richard ‘Dog’ Marsh, while Peter Owens of the Fight for the Bight Alliance scooped the ASB Greater Good award.
Vaughan Blakey also had the pleasure of giving himself an award after he and fellow Swellian, Jed Smith, took out the Surf Culture award for their podcast series Ain’t That Swell.
Full list of winners:
Male Surfer of the Year
Jack Robinson
Female Surfer of the Year
Stephanie Gilmore
Female Rising Star
Molly Picklum
Male Rising Star
Dakoda Walters
Heavy Water Award
Russell Bierke
ASB Greater Good Award
Peter Owens, Fight For The Bight Alliance
Peter Troy Lifestyle Award
Rob Bain
Coach of the Year
Glenn Hall
Innovation Award
Chris Friend, LiveHeats
Surf Culture Award
Jed Smith and Vaughan Blakey, Ain’t That Swell podcast series
Simon Anderson Club Award
North Shore Boardriders Club
Nikon Surf Video of the Year
Andrew Kaineder, ‘Flow State’
Nikon Surf Photo of the Year
Ren McGann, ‘The Right’
