Student takes on nation's best surfers in shortboard titles

Year 12 Illawarra Sports High student Alice Hodgson is set to take on the country's top surfers at the Australian Shortboard Titles in the Illawarra from August 24–30.

Alice is the only athlete from her school’s elite surfing program old enough to compete. The 17-year-old Kiama Downs resident will enter the water as a junior competing in the Open Women's division, carrying strong local backing, impressive career momentum and a lifelong connection to the ocean.

Alice’s path into competitive surfing began when, in year 8, her family moved to Kiama Downs. 

"My friend surfed, and I met her at school, and I pretty much couldn't really be friends with her if I didn't start surfing," she laughs.

"I loved surfing with them, that's probably what inspired me to keep going. I had a bit of a natural ability to stand up and turn, and loved the feeling of winning.”

Alice's background in gymnastics gave her early foundations in balance, control and spatial awareness, which translated naturally into boardriding. Aside from her athletic determination, Alice’s love of nature keeps her coming back to the water.

"I love animals a lot, and I love surfing with dolphins, snorkelling, and seeing all the sea creatures under us," she says. 

"I'm a bit of a water baby.” 

Alice joined Jones Beach Boardriders, where last year she became the first female competitor to win the annual Robbo’s Round competition in its 43-year history. 

Proudly representing her school and club, Alice has brought home top medals in local and national rounds, steadily building a reputation as one of the Illawarra’s best young surfers. 

Over the past 12 months, her impressive streak of results includes placing third in the under-18 girls division at the 2025 Australian Junior Surfing Titles before kicking off 2026 with a major victory, coming in first at the Western Australia Taj's Small Fries event.

She followed up with strong performances in April, placing second at the North Narrabeen Ripper under-18s and taking out first place in her final year at Parko’s Junior Pro, off the back of a winning performance last year. Her momentum continued through May with victories in the under-19 girls MR Shield at the Surfing NSW State Titles and a first place finish as the under-18 girls champion at the Youth Surfing National Battle before securing second place in the open women’s category at the Ocean Queen Classic in June 2026. 

"My proudest achievement currently would be winning the Parko Junior Pro last year, because I came back from pretty much a year’s worth of recovery and injury, because I did my knee," Alice says. 

"That win kind of just proved to me that all the work that I put in was worth it... I felt really proud of that because I didn't think that it was possible to get back on top after being out so long.”

Alice puts in a huge amount of work behind the scenes, from gym training and Pilates to time in the water and mental preparation. 

"I have a sports psychologist who is really good with putting stuff into perspective," she says. 

“There's a lot of things that go on behind it – it's just putting them all together at the end of the day and being able to perform how you want to perform." 

As a senior at Illawarra Sports High, Alice credits the school’s dedicated program and coach Geoff Latimer for providing key video analysis, gym conditioning and water sessions, alongside unwavering support from her family and friends. 

With the Australian Shortboard Titles in Wollongong this week, Alice is eager for the chance to compete in her first open women’s division.

"I'm so excited – I've never done it before! I don't know if I'm going to the actual Aussies at Margs yet, so I'm really excited that I get another opportunity here to be able to compete in an Australian comp,” she says.

Breaks 'among the best'

Destination Wollongong is also excited about the opportunities in this week's competition. "We want to continue strengthening Wollongong's relationship with Surfing Australia and cement the city's reputation as a home for major surfing events," a spokesperson said. 

The city recently locked in a three-year agreement with Surfing Australia to host a national titles event annually through to 2029. 

“With breaks like Sandon Point among the best on the east coast, and the competition able to move anywhere from Stanwell Park to Port Kembla depending on conditions, it’s also a great opportunity to showcase a large part of our coastline to competitors, families and surfing audiences around Australia,” the Destination Wollongong spokesperson said.

The event is expected to attract about 200 competitors, along with travelling families and support crews, generating close to $900,000 in direct economic impact for the local community.

High hopes for future

As for life after high school, Alice has no plans to slow down. 

"I'm doing my Pilates course at the moment, so I hope to get a job with that so I can travel and earn a bit of money while travelling," she says. 

She plans to follow her professional pathway to the WSL Pro Junior series next year. "And then see where it takes me… keep training and see!"