Barwon Heads surfer Ellie Harrison has been named in the six-person Surfing Australia team to compete in the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games in El Salvador from May 30 to June 7.
The Irukandjis team is made up of Jack Robinson, Ethan Ewing, Liam O’Brien, Sally Fitzgibbons, Sophie McCulloch, and Ellie Harrison.
Harrison, 18, will be competing in her first World Surfing Games.
Sally Fitzgibbons, a three-time ISA World Games Gold Medallist, said representing her country and sharing the Aussie team spirit was “so special”.
“It’s an energy that lights the internal fire like no other. I go away with the goal of being the best teammate I can be and will rally to dig deep in my performances for the mighty Irrukandjis.
“All of our team have an amazing chance of going deep in the competition and the diverse range of world class waves we have in Australia set us up to have all the tools we need for the waves in El Salvador,” she said.
“The ISA World Surfing Games are positioned well in the Challenger Series calendar after back to back events and it will provide an amazing opportunity to sharpen up my game against the best of the best from other countries in a four woman format, just like our CS. I’m super excited to not only put on the jersey and try to draw my best surfing out under pressure but also to work with our talented coaching staff.”
The ISA Worlds also play a vital role in the qualification process for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“This will be Jack and Ethan’s first Irukandjis experience and we’re excited to share with them the team culture and story of the gifting of the name from the Irukandjis people,” Surfing Australia National High Performance Director, Kate Wilcomes said.
“This is also an important event for us to have a chance at securing a third additional Olympic spot for Paris 2024.”
