The Ocean Queen Classic, Illawarra's only invitational all-female surf event, has been postponed due to unsafe weather conditions. The annual event was originally scheduled for Saturday, March 28 at Woonona Beach, but organisers made the call to delay it after forecast conditions showed powerful swells.
"The swell is expected to be too powerful for safe competition, and the safety of our surfers is always our priority," organisers posted on social media. The event is now tentatively set for Saturday, May 2, 2026.
The postponement comes as the junior winner of the inaugural Ocean Queen Classic, Gerringong teen Lucy Darragh, was set to highlight this year's event. The 15-year-old recently won the World Surf League Qualifying Series 4000 event at Phillip Island, Victoria, her third major QS victory this season. Darragh credits last year's OQC prize money for helping fund her travel and competition costs.
Australia's best female surfers are locked in for the third annual Ocean Queen Classic, including 17-year-old Alice Hodgson, who won the Taj's Small Fries title in Western Australia. Organiser and former pro surfer Yvonne Turner noted the high standard of competitors, including Lani Cairncross, Everley Morgan, Ruby Neill, Oceanna Rogers, Keira Buckpitt, Holly Wishart, and Grace Gosby.
The Ocean Queen Classic is a grassroots women's surfing event run by Woonona Boardriders, supported by Surfing NSW and sponsors. Former world champion Pam Burridge praised the event as a launching pad for young surfers, saying, "I can't wait to see how everyone shows up for the Ocean Queen Classic 2026 - bring it on!"
