Board riders to brave the surf for 46th annual Sunshine Surfmasters series at Flat Rocks

The Sunshine Surfmasters competition is back this weekend as surfers will hit the waves of Flat Rocks beach on Sunday. The Sunshine Surfmasters is the second longest-running surfing event in Australia, behind the Bells Beach Pro, as it prepares for its 46th edition. It is expected to draw high-performance surfers from across the Mid West and the State as the event provides a pathway to the pro circuit. The winner of the men’s and women’s open divisions will receive a wildcard spot into the 2023 Margaret River Pro trials one of only two Australian events on the World Surf League calendar. There are also large monetary prizes on offer with more than $15,000 in cash and prizes provided by local sponsors and the surf industry. The event is hosted by the Geraldton Board Riders Club which has produced many State and National Champions. Club founder Leon Norris said the GBR has always focused on the development of surfing in the region. “GBR is run by a dedicated group of volunteers who are proud to be contributing to the growth of the sport of surfing in the region,” he said. “The club is always investing in the future by developing the talents of Midwest surfers.” The event was originally scheduled to run across Saturday and Sunday but it will now begin on Sunday due to dangerous weather forecasts. “The forecast for Saturday is for dangerous surf and weather conditions, so the decision has been made for the event to not run on Saturday,” Norris said. “Sunday conditions are looking good for swell and weather with Monday being ideal for finals day.” While the premier event will be the open division there are plenty of opportunities for other surfers with 10 divisions being contested including the invitational over-60s division dedicated to the memory of local surfing legend Ian “Sam” Salmond. The competitions will begin at 7am each day with presentations to take place at the Geraldton Hotel on Monday afternoon. Live scores are also provided to view online via liveheats.com.