A NSW Central Coast teenager who was bitten by a shark
at Avoca Beach earlier this year has been crowned a national surfing
champion at the Australian Junior Surfing Titles in Western Australia.
Kirra-Belle Olsson, 13, is one of three Avoca
locals who put in standout performances at Shallows, near Rabbit Hill,
Yallingup over the weekend.
The junior champion hit headlines around the world in October, when she was bitten on the calf and foot by a metre-long shark at her local beach in October.
Meanwhile, Avoca's Caleb Tancred took out the Under-14 Boys, his second title win in as many years.
2013 Under-14 Junior Champion Macy Callaghan has claimed back-to-back titles this year, taking out the Under-16 Girls.
Six states were represented in the battle for the prestigious national titles in Under-14, Under-16 and Under-18 divisions.
Overall, New South Wales ranked second behind Queensland in the national competition, followed by WA, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.
A win at the national level is regarded as a major step in a surfer's competitive career, with the list of past winners featuring some of the greatest names in world surfing.
World Champions Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, and Stephanie Gilmore are all past winners of the competition, along with Tyler Wright and Sally Fitzgibbons, and former World Champions Mark Richards, Tom Carroll and Damien Hardman.
