Tyce Shepherd and Karina Hick claimed the open titles at the Albany Boardriders’ 2026 Wavefest at Muttonbird Beach last weekend.
Two days of perfect surfing conditions in Denmark culminated in Shepherd and Hick taking the top prizes as a field of more than 50 competitors took to the waves.
Albany’s Hick, who won the event as far back as 2001, promptly declared it was the last time she would compete in the open section.
She pipped Olivia Mason to the title after making the strategic decision to surf a righthander, rather than wait her turn on the more popular, priority lefthand channel.
In the men’s competition, Shepherd won a close battle with 2025 champion Rueben Lemmes thanks to a spectacular air reverse, completing 360 degrees airborne, in the best of two waves final.
Michaela Ross took the women’s open third spot behind Hick and Mason with Alaia Williams.
In the men’s top event, Dan Bolt was third with Shepherd’s older brother Zen coming in fourth.
There was another Shepherd in the winners’ enclosure as uncle Aido clinched the over-55 men’s title.
He bettered the Boardriders’ life member Peter Bolt, the father of Dan.
In what was fast becoming a family affair, Dan Bolt won the over-35 men’s title ahead of Josh Coumans and Rhys Jones.
Ross won the women’s over-30 competition ahead of open title winner Hick, with Kylie Outhwaite third.
David Beeck, the Boardriders’ competitions director, became the over-45 champion.
Jason Oostdam was second and Steven Creek third.
Beeck said it had been a great competition.
“There were really good, contestable waves and a great atmosphere,” he said.
“And we got it done before the storm.”
The planned Midds Reef shootout on Monday did not take place due to a lack of swell until too late in the day.
Beeck said the club hope to run the competition as a skins event later in the winter.
Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.
Sign up for our emails