Australian Surf Life Saving Championships to swap locations in 2022 and 2023

Surf Life Saving Australia has announced a location swap for the 2022 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships (the Aussies), with the Gold Coast now hosting the event in 2022 and Perth in 2023.

Surf Life Saving Australia President John Baker said the event swap would provide absolute clarity for surf clubs and members planning for next year’s event and noted “we are very pleased to be able to announce the success of negotiations which now allows a straight swap of locations between the 2022 and 2023 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships.

“The Gold Coast, Queensland is a location that is a well-known venue for the Aussies, and I’m sure that there’ll be plenty of excitement about being able to return to Broadbeach a year earlier than planned.

“We would like to thank Tourism Western Australia, Tourism and Events Queensland and Major Events Gold Coast for their support and flexibility in helping to make this transition possible and ensuring that Surf Life Saving’s pinnacle event has the greatest chance of success for the next two years.”

Queensland Tourism and Sport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the event swap followed the Queensland Government’s recent ten-year deal to host the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships in Queensland and advised “we’ve worked closely with Surf Life Saving Australia to help them navigate around the pandemic’s logistical challenges on the West Coast by bringing the Aussies to Broadbeach.

“Earlier this year, the Sunshine Coast hosted the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships and generated more than $16 million for the local visitor economy.

“We’re expecting a similar economic boost for Gold Coast accommodation providers and tourism operators with more than 6,000 competitors plus Queensland and interstate spectators anticipated this April for the Aussies at Broadbeach.”

Queensland will play host to eight editions of the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships between 2022 and 2031 with the exact locations still to be determined beyond 2022, but locations will be shared between the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

2022 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships Gold Coast locations:
Open, U19, U17, Masters water events – Broadbeach SLSC
U13, U14 & U15 Youth Championships – North Kirra SLSC 
Open, U19, U17, Masters beach events – Kurrawa SLSC  
Locations for the next two Australian Surf Life Saving Championships:
2022 – Gold Coast, Queensland
2023 – Perth, Western Australia