Shaw and Partners Wauchope-Bonny Hills Wrap + RACE ONE WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Shaw and Partners World Ocean Series lit up the Mid North Coast as the series rolled into Wauchope-Bonny Hills for the Shaw and Partners Port Macquarie 7,000 — and the racing absolutely delivered.
The ocean turned it on — solid three-to-four foot sets and shifting winds made it fast, technical and beautifully unpredictable. Perfect conditions for those willing to back themselves. Australia’s best surf sport athletes put on a clinic, attacking the Iron, Swim, Board and Ski arenas in conditions built for speed, skill and surf craft mastery. Bonny Hills turned it on, serving up powerful banks, clean runners and a crowd-charged atmosphere.
Hundreds packed the shoreline, with even more tuning in live from around the country as the broadcast captured the raw beauty, energy and intensity of elite surf racing at its peak. From break-to-beach sprints to lung-burning transitions and last-wave heroics, the Port Macquarie round showcased everything that makes this sport world-class — grit, ocean smarts, and thrilling racing moments you simply can’t script.
Some incredible stories came out of the week. As well as emphatic wins and some costly mistakes made this round made for action packed viewing.
Open Ironman
1. Ethan Callaghan – Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park
2. Finn Askew – Surfers Paradise
3. Jackson Borg – Newport
Ethan ‘keep those KM’s off my car ‘Callaghan clutched up in the dying seconds of the ironman final.
Heading into the final swim leg, all eyes were on reigning World Ironman champion Finn Askew — the benchmark of consistency over the past twelve months. But the chase was well and truly on, with Ethan Callaghan and Ali Day right in the hunt.
As they approached the wave zone, Askew and Callaghan read the ocean perfectly, riding the same pulse of energy all the way to shore. And in that final surge, the story wrote itself: Ethan powered home with conviction. Strong, composed, and brimming with belief he’s racing like an athlete who knows he belongs at the pointy end every single round.
With Ethan acquiring two elite results early in the season. He is sending shock waves to the rest of the ironman field.
Open Ironwoman
1. Hannah Sculley – Northcliffe
2. Kaitlin Rees – Swansea Belmont
3. Naomi Scott – Northcliffe
Hannah Sculley had a day out.
When the surf is up, Hannah Sculley flicks a switch — she shifts the entire Ironwoman dynamic. On a tricky day in testing water, she was composed, calculated, and ruthless when it mattered most.
While a few big names came undone with costly errors, Kaitlin Rees once again rose to the moment. Racing with maturity beyond her years, she stormed home for second, a result that now sees her move to the top of the series leaderboard. Reigning series champion Naomi Scott rounded out the podium in third after another gritty performance.
These 7,000-point rounds are the ones you must get right. With the first Shaw and Partners World Ocean Series first Premier stop just a month away, the stakes continue to rise.
Open Men’s Ski
1. Riley Fitzsimmons – Northcliffe
2. Jackson Collins – Kurrawa
3. Jake Morris – Northcliffe
Riley Fitzsimmons did Riley Fitz thing’s stamping his authority from the opening strokes, controlling the race with poise and polish. Behind him, it was absolute chaos — skis slewing sideways, athletes losing craft, and a pack of hungry contenders chasing every opportunity.
The final wave brought the next group to shore together, setting up a fierce sprint finish on the sand between Jackson Collins, Jake Morris, Maguire Reid and Corey Fletcher. Collins had just enough in the legs to edge it and secure second, with Morris holding strong for third in a high-pressure dash up the beach.
Open Women’s Ski
1. Emily-Louise Doyle – Northcliffe
2. Piper Harrison – Newport
3. Olivia Clues – Newport
A showdown between former Newport training partners Emily Doyle and Piper Harrison headlined the women’s ski race — and it delivered. From the start it was chaos, with a powerful set tearing through the field and scattering skis everywhere. But Doyle and Harrison’s elite craft skills shone through, pivoting cleanly and punching into clear water while the rest scrambled behind. From there it became a two-woman battle. Doyle held composure, strength and rhythm all the way to shore, taking the tape just ahead of Harrison in a high-class finish. A special mention goes to rising star Olivia Clues, who stormed home for third. The result rockets her to second overall in the women’s ski standings — a massive statement in a stacked field.
Open Men’s Swim
1. Jackson McCleery – Wanda
2. Joel Piper – Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park
3. Henry Simpson – Alexandra Headland
The men’s swim was nothing short of entertaining, with 32 athletes battling through the break and belting around the cans. The field strung out quickly under the pressure, leaving a three-way showdown out front between Jackson McCleery, Joel Piper and Henry Simpson. These three will have epic rivalry to watch this summer.
Open Women’s Swim
1. Lana Rogers – Northcliffe
2. Lily O’Sullivan – Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park
3. Olivia Clues – Newport
The Open Women’s swim was one of the standout races of the day, with Burleigh’s Lily O’Sullivan going stroke-for-stroke with Northcliffe powerhouse Lana Rogers in a thrilling finish. Rogers found another gear on the sprint up the sand to claim her second win of the day and strengthen her MVP tally. Speaking of MVP form, O’Sullivan continues to impress. After successful start to the season in the Shaw and Partners World Ocean Series Burleigh 5,000. O’Sullivan is quickly emerging as one of the athletes to beat this season. Olivia Clues capped off a breakout weekend with yet another podium, further cementing herself as one of the rising forces in the women’s field.
Open Men’s Board
1. Charlie Verco – Newport
2. William Banister – Cronulla
3. Wesley Gould – Northcliffe
The Men’s Board race was absolutely stacked — and it delivered. Charlie Verco is quickly cementing himself as the most consistent board paddler in the country, and this performance only strengthened that case.
If you haven’t watched this one back, do it. It had everything. A party wave of 10–15 athletes hit the bank together, sending the beach into a frenzy, but the Sydney pairing of Verco and William Banister negotiated the Bonny Hills break better than anyone. Verco found the legs when it counted, edging out Banister, who will take plenty of confidence from a brilliant paddle.
Shout-out to Wes Gould, who stormed home for third in a thrilling finish. Verco’s 2025 form has been relentless, and he’s now firming as the favourite for the 2026 Shaw and Partners World Ocean Series board title.
Open Women’s Board
1. Lana Rogers – Northcliffe
2. Hannah Sculley – Northcliffe
3. Lily O’Sullivan – Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park
Just like the men, the women’s board race was an absolute spectacle — an 11 person drag race to the beach that had the crowd roaring. Lana Rogers hit the sand first and never looked back, lifting to another gear and powering away in the sprint to claim a dominant win. Sculley backed up her earlier heroics with second, while Lily O’Sullivan showed her class once again to round out the podium.
Mixed Taplin Relay:
1. Alexandra Headland A
2. BMD Northcliffe A
3. Burleigh Heads B
One of the most anticipated races of the day did not disappoint. By the time the Mixed Taplin hit the water, the ocean had completely shifted — chop, sweep and rebound turning it into a Rubik’s Cube of surf sports racing. Every leg demanded precision and calm decision-making under pressure.
Alexandra Headland mastered the chaos best, staying composed and capitalising on every opportunity to break away and take a huge win early in the season. Northcliffe chased hard for second with an elite line up, while Burleigh’s B-team delivered a huge statement to storm home for third . This Mixed Taplin is going to fast and furious in the up coming events I know everyone can’t wait to see who will dominate.
Come ups:
- Ethan Callaghan’s near flawless ironman
- Surf conditions
- Hannah Sculley’s dominance
- Lana Rogers double win
- Alexandra Headland Taplin team aura
- Wauchope Bonny Hills. I hope we are back…
RACE ONE WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS
Sunday belonged to the next generation.
The Race One World Youth Championships brought raw talent, fearless racing and a glimpse into the future of elite surf sports. This Incredible initiative from Race one and the Shaw and Partners World Ocean Series to create a genuine platform at grass roots level for the nippers that is a straight development to the Shaw and Partners World Ocean Series.
Australia’s brightest juniors delivered performances well beyond their years. Fast starts, smart ocean reads and ice-cold composure in the wash made clear that the depth of youth talent in the country has never been stronger.
The atmosphere on the beach was electric as families, teammates and senior athletes lined the shore to watch the stars of tomorrow take centre stage.
From future Iron stars to emerging craft specialists, the Race One World Youth Championships once again proved why this platform is so important – celebrating high-performance youth sport, inspiring participation, and giving our best a chance to shine on the biggest stage of the summer.
The future is bright — and it’s already arriving fast.
Below are the results from the Race One World youth championships
Results
U14 Boys
| Place | Ironman | Club | Swim | Club | Board | Club |
| 1st | Talus Manning | North Burleigh | Jordan Prince | Wanda | Dylan O’Connor | Mermaid Beach |
| 2nd | Jordan Prince | Wanda | Talus Manning | North Burleigh | Charles Williams | Mermaid Beach |
| 3rd | Sam Cregan | North Bondi | Dashiell Lonergan | Wanda | Chace Harrison | Swansea Belmont |
U14 Girls
| Place | Ironwoman | Club | Swim | Club | Board | Club |
| 1st | Mia Hoo | North Bondi | Zahnie Freeman | North Burleigh | Zahnie Freeman | North Burleigh |
| 2nd | Olive Ray | Maroochydore | Mia Hoo | North Bondi | Mia Hoo | North Bondi |
| 3rd | Matilda Harvey | Avoca Beach | Isla Latham | Maroochydore | Isla Latham | Maroochydore |
U13 Boys
| Place | Ironman | Club | Swim | Club | Board | Club |
| 1st | Liam Blair | Swansea Belmont | Liam Blair | Swansea Belmont | Liam Blair | Swansea Belmont |
| 2nd | Kai Husband | Tallebudgera | Tahj Pickering | Alexandra Headland | Tex Ayre | Redhead |
| 3rd | Alex Pyper | Wanda | Charlie Roberts | North Bondi | Kai Husband | Tallebudgera |
U13 Girls
| Place | Ironwoman | Club | Swim | Club | Board | Club |
| 1st | Millie Gaudry | Manly LSC | Isabel Czajkowskyj | Sunshine Beach | Billie Berg | Sunshine Beach |
| 2nd | Billie Berg | Sunshine Beach | Willow Stephenson | Burleigh Heads MP | Isabel Czajkowskyj | Sunshine Beach |
| 3rd | Aster McCall | Sunshine Beach | Scarlett Mison | Cudgen Headland | Elsie Hardy | North Burleigh |
U12 Boys
| Place | Ironman | Club | Swim | Club | Board | Club |
| 1st | Jensen Kocian | Tallebudgera | Joseva Ranatawake | Manly LSC | Archie Killorn | Maroochydore |
| 2nd | Sonny Greig | Maroochydore | Sonny Greig | Maroochydore | Joseva Ranatawake | Manly LSC |
| 3rd | Barnaby Moore-Barton | Noosa Heads | Rhys Nichol | Noosa Heads | William Dawes | North Curl Curl |
U12 Girls
| Place | Ironwoman | Club | Swim | Club | Board | Club |
| 1st | Evie Glore | Tallebudgera | Evie Glore | Tallebudgera | Indi Hoetzer | Swansea Belmont |
| 2nd | Emerson Hoo | North Bondi | Neve Harrison | Swansea Belmont | Emerson Hoo | North Bondi |
| 3rd | Neve Harrison | Swansea Belmont | Alexi Caldow | Alexandra Headland | Evie Glore | Tallebudgera |
U11 Boys
| Place | Ironman | Club | Swim | Club | Board | Club |
| 1st | River Casey | North Curl Curl | Max Pyper | Wanda | River Casey | North Curl Curl |
| 2nd | Clive Morriss | Avoca Beach | Lewis Scudamore-Daly | North Burleigh | Harley Gee | Avoca Beach |
| 3rd | Max Pyper | Wanda | Luca Mulligan | Alexandra Headland | Atticus Dunn | Swansea Belmont |
U11 Girls
| Place | Ironwoman | Club | Swim | Club | Board | Club |
| 1st | Aria Freeman | North Burleigh | Aria Freeman | North Burleigh | Aria Freeman | North Burleigh |
| 2nd | Lillian Clark | Redhead | Vada Wessel | Cudgen Headland | Vada Wessel | Cudgen Headland |
| 3rd | Xanthe Murrell | Swansea Belmont | Xanthe Murrell | Swansea Belmont | Xanthe Murrell | Swansea Belmont |
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