Another Far South Coast Surfer has won their first Australian Title.
While the Bega Valley’s Freya Prumm is still pinching herself after taking out the Australian Shortboard Women’s Open Title on Sunday (August 7).
Dalmeny’s Matt Hoar stepped up for the Eurobodalla on Monday (August 8), winning the over 35’s Men’s title at North Haven Beach, south of Port Macquarie.
The Dalmeny Surf Academy owner told East Coast Radio the title win on a self-made board that had dings plugged with electrical tape, was certainly a career highlight.
“Winning an Australian Title would have to be one of my best results in my surfing career,” Hoar said.
“This means so much because it shows the kids back home and the people from the south coast that it’s possible to be a good surfer and be competitive at any level,” he said.
It wasn’t an easy win for him as the conditions were challenging and with the skill level of the guys he was competing against in the semi and the final.
“I remember a few of the guys in the competition from professional surfing days, and they made the competition extremely difficult, as you would expect from an Australian Title,” Hoar said.
“I didn’t have a lot of expectation going into the final, my goal was just to make the final and then because of that I felt pretty relaxed,” he explained.
“I started the final really slow with only one wave for most of the heat, the other guys actually were doing a lot better than me, catching lots of waves.”
Matt was gifted two huge sections with only 90 seconds remaining in the heat.
“I was coming last in the final up until pretty much the last 5 seconds, I needed a 6.9, I was just in the right position when a nice little wave came through I managed to get on the end of it and just did two big turns.”
Needing a 6.9 the judges scored Matt 7, taking him from last to first within the last 5 seconds.
That was for the over 35 years division, Matt is also competing in the over 40s division today (Tuesday August 9).
It was a similar story for Bega Valley Surfer Freya Prumm, who scored her first Australian Title over the weekend too.
Merimbula’s Prumm, set herself apart from the pack, veering off to the left to catch a break late.
She told NBN News, it was a lucky break.
“There was really nowhere else to go when the waves are so flat, there’s only one spot that’s breaking,” Prumm said.
“So the fact that the that wave came through right at that time when I happened to dart over there, it was basically my day.”
Images: Surfing Australia
