Fitzgibbons taking surfing to the mainstream masses

Sally Fitzgibbons is among the crop of young champion surfers helping take surfing to the next level, and into the mainstream of world sport.

Even if Fitzgibbons, the newly crowned Australian Sportswoman of the Year, can’t quite believe it.

“It’s kind of crazy to feel that I’m at that stage where I’m inspiring the next generation,” Fitzgibbons said.

“It always feels like we’re still so young, just to feel like we’re having that influence, the momentum, seeing girls at signings all excited, I think for sure its becoming more and more of a mainstream sport.

“Going into next year the season is looking so promising, we’ve got a few more additions yet to be announced and with prizemoney doubling, it really feels like the sport is blossoming right now.”

Surfing has increased its broader appeal in recent times and established itself as a legitimate competitive sport.

Whether intentionally or not, surfing can no longer be scoffed at as a glorified hobby. The athletes – and they are athletes – who take on the toughest breaks around the globe are at peak physical fitness, train harder and with greater expertise than any brand of surfer before them, and the competition is more open than ever, giving birth to not one surfing superstar, but dozens.

As a result the sports world has taken notice. Sponsors are jumping to get signatures of surfers young and old on tour, prizemoney has increased for both men and women, and crowds are turning out in their droves to see their favourite surfers in the flesh.

One of those athletes that have become surfing celebrity is Sally Fitzgibbons.

At the tender age of 22, she’s seen and done it all. Ranked world no.3, she’s won six events on the ASP Women’s World Tour, overcome a debilitating back injury early in her career, braved the world’s most daunting surf breaks and filmed countless documentaries, the latest of which ‘Behind the Smile’ by Red Bull Media House will see her surfing the chilly waves of Nova Scotia, Canada.

“The documentary shows at the start of the new season how you feel really confident but also those heartbreaks and setbacks, and how hard it is to get to that No.1 spot and how special it is when I get there,” Fitzgibbons said.

With that No.1 spot not far away, Fitzgibbons is likely to be found on posters of girls (and boys’) bedrooms around the world.

Despite her success, Fitzgibbons never forgets her roots though. She still holds the coastal beaches on the south coast of NSW, where she first stood up on a board, as some of her favourite spots to have a surf when she’s back home.

“I can’t go past Seven Mile Beach because that’s where it all began, but I always go down to Ulladulla too; there’s such a good variety of breaks,” she said.

When she’s not conquering the toughest surf breaks around the world, the ever-active Fitzgibbons can be found on the shore, happily playing beach soccer with her friends. It’s that carefree, uber-friendly personality complimented with a warm, toothy grin that has helped make Fitzgibbons an Australian sporting sweetheart.

But beneath her bubbly exterior, there’s no denying Fitzgibbons is a consummate professional and her biggest critic.

“This season to tell you the truth it was a frustrating one,” she said.

“I felt like I was surfing and training better than last year and you can see that in my scores compared to last year.

“But it’s just the uncontrollable in the sport and that’s what I love about it. There is no start or finish line, its just not predictable.”

As Fitzgibbons makes preparations for next season, she is eagerly awaiting the beginning of the 2014 tour and the Australian events early in the season where she aims to improve on this year’s performance.

“I love the Australian summer when we compete at Snapper and Bells,” Fitzgibbons said.

“We have a lot of die hard passionate surf fans and we all live and breathe it along the coastal fringes of Australia.

“There were some results that could have gone the other way last season, but I’m going to have a big off-season and will be ready bigger and better for next year.”

Sally Fitzgibbons claims top honour at Support Women In Sport Awards