Twelve new State Champions were crowned over the weekend as the 2024 West Coast Suspensions Surf Masters WA State Championships landed on the Margaret River coastline.
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Conditions at Gas Bay exceeded organisers' expectations, offering hollow tubes and clean faces for the competitors to showcase their talent across various divisions.
Current Under-16 National Champion Maverick Wilson (Dunsborough) stole the show in the Open Men's final, delivering a masterclass performance to post two seven-point plus rides in the 25-minute final, leaving in-form surfers Jack Mitchell (Margaret River), Jerome Forrest (Cowaramup) and Okie Fraser (Margaret River) chasing good to excellent scores when the siren sounded.
Wilson's win secures his ticket to the Think Mental Health WA Trials, where he'll surf for a wildcard position into the Margaret River Pro in April.
"I'm over the moon and didn't expect to walk away with the win," said Wilson.
"I saw the draw and it was stacked WA's best talent, so I'm stoked to get the win and the opportunity to surf in the Trials is amazing."
Dunsborough's Emma Cattlin will also compete in the WA Trials after claiming victory in the Open Women's division, using her strong backhand attack with lethal efficiency.
In one of the tightest results of the event, just 1.46 points separated all four finalists, with Olive Hardy (Margaret River) finishing a close second, ahead of Kaleisha Launders (Margaret River) and Mia McCarthy (Cowaramup).
"This is the first event I've won in a long time and it's nice to be back in some proper waves," said Cattlin.
"After surfing in Perth for the past year it's really nice to be able to do some deep bottom turns and hit some sections on big waves.
"I'm stoked to make the Trials and I'll be doing my all to give it a proper crack this year."
Surfers impressed across all divisions from the thrilling Under-21 Pro Juniors to the hotly contested Over-65 Men's category.
Okie Fraser (Margaret River) was a standout all weekend, making the Open Men's final and carving his way to an electrifying victory in the Pro Junior division.
Andrew Sheridan was another local to impress, claiming two State titles at his home break, winning the Over-40 and Over-45 Men's division.
Belinda Adams (Busselton) defended her Over-35 Women's State title, while Jesse Molly (Golden Bay), Warren Boyes (Dunsborough), and Brian Williams (Mandurah) all secured their first WA State title victories with hard fought wins in their respective divisions.
Jack Mitchell (Margaret River) earned the West Coast Suspensions Wave of the Weekend for the only perfect 10-point ride of the event.
