THE inaugural Reflections Cadet Cup on the Mid North Coast has attracted a keen local line-up, with five of the teen competitors hailing from or near Bonny Hills, where the event will be held on February 10-11.
Seventy-six talented teens will meet at Rainbow Beach, Bonny Hills, to compete in the Cup, a partnership between Reflections, the largest holiday group in New South Wales, and Surfest, the biggest surfing festival in the Southern Hemisphere.
Brothers Asher and Albi Winters, from Port Macquarie, just north of Bonny Hills, will face off in the Under 12 boys category alongside Bonny Hills local Zeke Woolam.
Bonny Hills local Rusty Hogan, 14, and Port Macquarie's Joey Thompson will be among the pack competing in the Under 16s boys.
A wild card entry, Rusty Hogan said he was looking forward to the event, hoping a little local knowledge would come in handy in his heats.
"I reckon I'm about the same in form as Joey, he's fun to surf with. I surf at Rainbow Beach most days so I'm hoping to have a little bit of an advantage," he said.
The Minister for Sport, Lands and Property, the Hon. Steve Kamper, said it was great to see a Crown land holiday park hosting the new surf competition and drawing surfing talent to the area.
"Reflections manages holiday parks on Crown land in some of the state's best coastal locations and this partnership with Surfest aims to support both regional tourism and youth sport," Mr Kamper said.
"I'm thrilled to see strong demand for entries for the inaugural Reflections Cadet Cup which will draw many surfers and their families as well as surfing enthusiasts to the Bonny Hills region."
Reflections Chief Executive Officer Nick Baker said it was fantastic to see the level of interest in the inaugural event from local and East Coast surfers, with the competition and nearby activities open to the community to enjoy.
"Whether you're interested in the surf competition or just keen to come down and enjoy the 'Eats and Beats' zone with food trucks and music at Reflections Bonny Hills, which overlooks Rainbow Beach, there is something for everyone," Mr Baker said.
Surfest co-ordinator Warren Smith said the Reflections Cadet Cup would offer points that determine the Surfing Australia ranking system, and its format ensured that no competitors would be eliminated in the first round.
"This joint initiative between Reflections and Surfest sees the Reflections Cadet Cup become the first ever Surfest event held outside of the Hunter region," Mr Smith said.
"With the points on offer to tomorrow's champions, as well as food and entertainment, we are anticipating a family-oriented event that will be a terrific celebration of Australian coastal life."
The Reflections Cadet Cup would allocate a prize purse of $3900, with additional prizes for the finalists in all divisions.
Key Facts:
Crown Land Manager Reflections Holidays is staging the inaugural Reflections Cadet Cup on February 10 at Bonny Hills
A strong local line up will be competing on the Feb 10-11 competition
