Joel Parkinson offers reward for return of stolen surfboards

Joel Parkinson has got the better of the world's best surfers and biggest waves in the past 12 months, but there was one thing even he couldn't stop - some light-fingered backpackers.

Australia's 2012 world surfing champion was surfing at the legendary Bells Beach in Victoria this week when his car was broken into.

Parkinson said everything in his car was stolen, including several surfboards.

"If you travel around with a lot of surfboards I guess you're a target," Parkinson told Triple M.

"I went for a surf and came in and my car had been broken into and a few of my boards (were) gone, everything in the car (was) gone."

Parkinson believes backpackers and not local surfers were responsible for the theft.

"It's no locals or anything.

"There's a couple of those camper vans and Wicked vans around.

"I'd say my boards would be halfway up the Hume Highway or heading west or something.

"So if anyone finds them, there'll be a reward out there."