ULLADULLA'S Russell Bierke has once again been rewarded for his incredible exploits on the World Surf League's Big Wave Tour.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On Sunday, the former Ulladulla High School student took home his second straight Surfing Australia Heavy Water Award.
The 36th annual Australian Surfing Awards, hosted by Ronnie and Vaughan Blakey, were run digitally on Channel Nine this year (as part of a special episode of 'The Hold Down), due to the coronavirus pandemic - allowing the sport to celebrate all its amazing achievements during the past year.
This accolade for Bierke, who was the only South Coast surfer to win an award on Sunday, backed up his recent Video of the Year Award - where his and Andrew Kaineder's Flow State took out the top gong.
The night also saw Mirco Surf Academy's Glenn Hall, who's coaches Culburra Beach's Owen and Tyler Wright as well as Gerroa's Sally Fitzgibbons, named Coach of the Year.
Owen Wright and Fitzgibbons were both edged out for the Male and Female Surfers of the Year awards, with them going to Jack Robinson and Stephanie Gilmore respectively.
Ulladulla's Kurt Nyholm (Surfers United to Fight Suicide initiative) was pipped by Peter Owens (Fight For The Bight Alliance) for the ASB Greater Food Award.
Other awards on the night went to Molly Picklum (Female Rising Star), Dakoda Walters (Male Rising Star), Rob Bain (Peter Troy Lifestyle Award), Chris Friend - Live Heats (Innovation Award), Jed Smith and Vaughan Blakey - Ain't That Swell podcast series (Surf Culture Award) and North Shore Boardriders (Simon Anderson Club Award).
The final act of the evening was to induct Jodie Cooper, a super-powerful natural-footer who was a dangerous presence throughout the 1980s and the first part of the 1990s, especially in Hawaii, on the then-ASP World Tour, into the Hall of Fame.
In recent years, Cooper has been part of the coaching staff for the Australian junior team (which featured Ulladulla Boardriders' Harry Phillips in 2019) as they contested the ISA World Junior Championships and has been active as a commentator on various surfing events.