Australian Surf Life Saving Championships ready for Sunshine Coast return

The largest Surf Life Saving event in the world, the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships, 'The Aussies', returns to the Sunshine Coast next week with more than 5,700 competitors set to attend.

Running from 16th to 24th April, competitors from 314 clubs from across the nation will compete in hundreds of events throughout nine intense days of competition across three locations - Alexandra Headlands, Maroochydore and Mooloolaba.

Bringing together the country’s fittest surf lifesavers from the age of 13 through to over 80s, the event returns to the Sunshine Coast’s beaches for the first since 2016.

Cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19, the commences on Friday 16th April with the Youth Championships, followed by the Masters and Opens competitions, with more than 450 events to be held across the nine days of competition.

Looking forward to the Aussies, Surf Life Saving Australia National Sport Manager, Wayne Druery stated “like everyone involved in surf lifesaving, we were very disappointed when we had to make the decision to cancel the Aussies in 2020 due to COVID-19, but we are super excited, positive and actively working towards the 2021 Aussies on the Sunshine Coast.”

The Championships will feature competitors from rising stars to Australia’s elite Ironmen and Ironwomen, the Aussies will also feature Olympians past and present as well as leading ocean swimmers, ski paddlers, beach competitors and the crowd pleasing surf boats competition.

The 2021 Aussies are a COVIDSafe event.

Image: Surf Life Saving competition at Maroochydore. Credit: Surf Life Saving Australia.