The Shaw and Partners World Ocean Series Southern State Showdown has wrapped up in emphatic fashion on the iconic coastline of Lorne, delivering a fitting finale to a massive southern-state campaign and setting the tone for what lies ahead.
The day began under balmy conditions as early heats rolled through the morning. By the time finals got underway just after 1pm, Lorne turned on a true postcard afternoon 24 degrees, light onshore winds and a small but workable swell, creating near-perfect racing conditions against the stunning Great Ocean Road backdrop.
One of the standout stories was a surprise late entry, with Lizzie Welbourne making a last-minute decision to race and she delivered in style. Welbourne was composed and dominant from the outset, producing a standout performance to clean sweep the day and stamp her authority on the final round of the Southern State Showdown.
Tom Lewis also made the trip south and completed a remarkable hat-trick of wins in the Southern State Showdown. From the Battle of the Bay in Warrnambool, through the Jim Wall Classic, and into the final weekend at Lorne, Lewis put together a flawless run, mastering every location on the schedule.
The Men’s Ski race was one of the standout highlights of the weekend, with Jamo Porter, Adam Holovics, Jack Slykhuis and Russell Fox all going head-to-head in a thrilling contest. In the end, it was Adam Holovics who proved too strong, charging home to claim the win in a sprint up the beach.
The Men’s Board race was always shaping as a classicand it delivered. Torquay’s young gun Harris Henderson rose to the occasion, taking a must-win victory to secure the Southern State Showdown series. Hot on his heels were some of Victoria’s all-time great board paddlers, with Nick Thomas, Steve Kerr, Ben Harris and Paddy O’Brien all right there in a frantic sprint to the line.
Beyond the individual performances, the weekend also saw the crowning of new Shaw and Partners World Ocean Series Southern State Showdown champions. It is one of the most prestigious series to lead, demanding consistency, skill, resilience, and the ability to rise above the competition across multiple events. For some athletes, the title had already been secured heading into Lorne. For others, it came down to the final race of the final round, with every point fiercely contested until the very end.
Adding to the spectacle was the depth of emerging talent coming through the younger age groups. Across the day, the next generation stepped up on one of the sport’s biggest stages, underlining the strength of surf sports pathways and the bright future of the World Ocean Series.
And with the Southern State Showdown now complete, it truly is Christmas time for surf sports fans as we look straight down the barrel of the Shaw and Partners Shannon Eckstein Double Header Classic.
The action kicks off on Friday afternoon with the Sunset Set Classic, bringing fast-paced racing under golden-hour skies, before the spotlight shifts to Saturday for the feature event the Shaw and Partners Shannon Eckstein Ironman Classic, one of the most iconic and prestigious Ironman races on the calendar.
Two days. Two events. One massive weekend.
The World Ocean Series rolls on and the best is still to come.
Live heats
Results
MEN’S IRONMAN
1st – Tom Lewis
2nd – Ashton Roberts
3rd – Matt Gilling
WOMEN’S IRONWOMAN
1st – Lizzie Welborn
2nd – Jemma Holt
3rd – Mae Lynch
MEN’S BOARD
1st – Harris Henderson
2nd – Paddy O’Brien
3rd – Cooper Bristow
WOMEN’S BOARD
1st – Lizzie Welborn
2nd – Jane McMeel
3rd – Georgia Lerodiaconou
MEN’S SKI
1st – Adam Holovics
2nd – Jack Slykhuis
3rd – Russel Fox
WOMEN’S SKI
1st – Jane McMeel
2nd – Elissa Johnson
3rd – Laura Campbell
MEN’S SWIM
1st – Matt Gilling
2nd – Archie Vernon
3rd – Callum Rossetto
WOMEN’S SWIM
1st – Lizzie Welborn
2nd – Jemma Holt
3rd – Ellie Morgan
Shaw and Partners World Ocean Series Southern State showdown Series Champions
🏆 OPEN RESULTS
MEN’S IRONMAN
1st – Tom Lewis
2nd – Jack Travers
3rd – Jack Webster
WOMEN’S IRONWOMAN
1st – Georgie Mclntyre
2nd – Elissa Johnson
3rd – Jess Burton
MEN’S BOARD
1st – Harris Henderson
2nd – Robert Burfield
3rd – Steve Kerr
WOMEN’S BOARD
1st – Georgia Lerodiaconou
2nd – Jane McMeel
3rd – Elissa Johnson
MEN’S SKI
1st – Harry Stevens
2nd – Daniel Ryan
3rd – Russel Fox
WOMEN’S SKI
1st – Laura Campbell
2nd – Elissa Johnson
3rd – Alexis Jane
MEN’S SWIM
1st – Tom Lewis
2nd – Hayden Cotter
3rd – Lestyn Knapp
WOMEN’S SWIM
1st – Amy Buck
2nd – Holly Fanning
3rd – Hannah Deacon