Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Wayne Swan and Minister for Sport Kate Lundy tonight joined with Australia's surfing fraternity to celebrate 50-years of Surfing Australia and pay tribute to our elite surfers and new talent at the annual awards ceremony in Sydney.
Surfing Australia inducted five-time champion Stephanie Gilmore into its Hall of Fame and unveiled the 10 most influential surfers of the past 50 years at the gala dinner.
Australian surfers Joel Parkinson and Stephanie Gilmore collected the evening's top honour and were awarded the title of Male and Female Surfer of the Year respectively.
As a 19-year-old Gilmore reached the pinnacle of her sport winning her first Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Title and since then she has gone on to collect an impressive five titles. As a strong advocate for women's surfing, Gilmore is a fantastic role model to all young Australians looking to try a new sport or take their involvement to the next level.
Parkinson took home his first ASP World Tour title in 2012 after coming runner-up at the Billabong Rio Pro. As a well-known surfing star in Australian, it was fantastic to see Parkinson's hard work rewarded last year with a title win and it's fitting he was recognised with Male Surfer of the Year award.
The Gillard Government congratulates Surfing Australia on supporting our surfers to develop and succeed. Both Gilmore and Parkinson are wonderful role models and great promoters for the sport of surfing in Australia.
The Government is a proud supporter of Surfing Australia providing over $1.5 million in funding to support both grassroot and elite surfing programs.