The 2026 Australia Surf Life Saving Championships - the Aussies - kick off tomorrow at North Kirra, QLD with a strong contingent of Tasmanian surf lifesavers set to compete for medals across multiple divisions. 

From 21-29 March, athletes from clubs across the state will compete in Youth, Open and Masters events over nine days of competition, testing themselves against the best in the country.

Luke O’Garey, the SLST Surf Sports State Advisor, said he’s looking forward to seeing the athletes test themselves against Australia’s best.

“Many of them have had a terrific season, and now they get the opportunity to see how it all comes together at the pinnacle of our spot. I’ve watched so many of these young athletes grow and mature over the past two seasons, and I’m really excited to see them strive to achieve their goals on this stage,” he said. 

The event begins with the Youth Championships over the opening weekend, where athletes compete for the respective clubs before joining together to compete as a state in the Youth Pathways Cup on Tuesday 24 March. There are 16 athletes representing Tasmania in the state team with some competing at the national championships for the first time and others returning from last year. 

“Competing for their clubs across the weekend will be great preparation leading into Tuesday’s interstate competition. It gives them time to get familiar with the conditions and build confidence, as well as the chance to observe the competition they’ll be up against,” O’Garey said.

“There were some fantastic performances in last year’s Youth Championships, and we're hoping to see more strong results this year that can carry through into the Masters and Senior events later in the week.”

Among the athletes to watch, Ryan Stolp (Carlton Park SLSC) comes into the event fresh off winning both the U17 and Open board titles at the State Championships and is a strong contender in his age group. Ruben Lovric (Burnie SLSC) won the Binnie Wilson Shield at state titles after dominating his age group and is versatile across both beach and ocean events. Jackson Lawson (Burnie SLSC) is a good chance in the U19 single ski, having returned from an arm injury to show strong form leading into the event. Cate Clingeleffer (Clifton Beach SLSC) has been one of Tasmania’s more consistent performers at the national level for a number of years.

In the Masters competition, Warwick Lovell, Anna Sargent and Jamie Stubbs are among those to watch. Both Carlton Park SLSC and Clifton Beach SLSC have strong Masters teams and are expected to be in contention for podium finishes. 

“I’d like to think we can look back and say the team competed strongly and represented both themselves and Tasmania with pride and a never-give-up attitude,” O’Garey said.

“Hopefully, for many of them, this experience inspires them to keep pushing forward, dreaming bigger and setting even higher goals for the future. And also, to come away with some medals for their efforts.”

For the full list of Tasmanian athletes competing, click here. 

For more information on The Aussies, click here.