By Tim Briblecombe - Surfing Australia - www.surfingaustralia.com

Four-time world surfing champion and photography enthusiast, Stephanie Gilmore, was at Bondi Beach to announce a three-year partnership between Surfing Australia and Nikon.
 
The partnership sees Nikon become the official camera of Surfing Australia, with world-class surfer Stephanie Gilmore on board as the ambassador for Nikon's COOLPIX AW100 waterproof, freezeproof and shockproof camera.

To solidify the partnership, Stephanie was revealed as the face of Nikon Australia's first locally-produced marketing campaign that builds off the brand's global ‘I AM' strategy.  This sees Stephanie sitting alongside international stars such as Jamie Oliver as a Nikon ambassador, with the campaign including a locally-produced TVC, print campaign, online activity and point-of-sale.  

Australia's leading junior longboarders were exposed to the latest elite training at the Surfing Australia High Performance Centre longboard camp starting today.

All participants were under 18 and were selected by their State branches for the five-day camp to be held at the HPC in Casuarina in northern New South Wales.

Coaching was provided by the HPC's expert coaches including former Australian longboard champion Grant Thomas and Josh Fuller. Surfing Australia Sport Science Manager Dr. Jeremy Sheppard conducted the fitness program and Surfing Australia Judging Manager Glen Elliot conducted a judging presentation.

"These surfers have been recognised as the best junior longboarders in Australia and our goal is to help them reach their potential as they look to become professional athletes," said HPC manager James Eggington.

Layne Beachley and Mark Richardson were the toast of Australian surfing after winning the ISA World Masters Surfing Championship for TravelSIM Team Australia in El Salvador.

In clean .5m swell at Punta Roca, Beachley (Manly, NSW) dominated the Female Masters (35 years or older) for an eighth world title in her competitive comeback after retiring three years ago, while Richardson (Palm Beach, QLD) was equally impressive in the Male Masters (35 years or older).

The championship included more than 20 countries with more than 120 surfers competing in the Masters, Grand Masters, Kahunas and Grand Kahunas divisions.
In the only other final featuring an Australian, Nick Pearson (Byron Bay, NSW) finished third in the Grand Kahunas (50 years or older). TravelSIM Team Australia, the defending champions, finished fifth behind new champions the USA, Brazil, South Africa and Puerto Rico.

Young Australian female surfers of all experience levels who want to take their surfing to the next level have the chance to spend two days with one of the world's best when the Surfing Australia High Performance Centre hosts the Laura Enever Surf Camp.

To be held on December 17-18, girls under 18 will spend two days surfing and learning with the current ASP World No.10 plus Surfing Australia's expert coaches at the HPC at Casuarina in northern NSW.

The camp continues the impressive series of HPC Pro Surfer Camps with previous hosts including Steph Gilmore, Mick Fanning, Owen Wright, Bede Durbidge, Ace Buchan, Dan Ross and Joel Parkinson.

The camp will include meeting and surfing with Laura, a personalised signed poster and a Nike 6.0 goodies bag, guidance from Australia's best fully accredited coaches, video analysis of each wave surfed, as well as a DVD of the camp.