Bodysurfing World Tour QS for Australia/Asia Event 3: Queensland Quest

Wet, wild, and absolutely worth it — Event 3 of the IBSA Bodysurfing World Tour Qualifying Series hit the Gold Coast this September, and the ocean did not hold back. Twenty-four competitors paddled out into solid 4–5 foot waves for a proper wet-and-woolly Sunday, and what they served up was some of the sharpest, most technical bodysurfing of the season so far.

Open Women: Bridget Kruger Rides to Her First Title

With so many first-timers in the final, this one was never going to be a foregone conclusion. Caroline Cotton came out swinging, taking the best of the early exchanges and holding the lead for most of the heat. Taylor Wood-Durant was fearless the whole way through, hunting down the biggest sets and throwing herself into them without a second thought. And Rea Smith, competing in her very first tournament, more than held her own — remember her name, because she's going to be a real force on the QS in the years ahead.

But it was Bridget Kruger who found the wave of the final. She rode it with a flow that was just gorgeous to watch, and it was enough to hand her the first Qualifying Series crown of her career.

Results:

Bridget Kruger - 9.60 points

Caroline Cotton - 7.70 points

Taylor Wood-Durant - 6.47 points

Rea Smith - 5.87 points

Open Men: Osprey bodysurfing at new levels

The men's final was Australasian bodysurfing at its best — every single finalist landed at least one flat spin or front somersault. Will Cassidy, only in his first year on tour, rode his natural flow all the way into his second straight QS final, and he's already locked up a spot on the Osprey team for the 2027 Finals. Jay Van Deurse, meanwhile, was red-hot all day, winning every heat on his way through to the final.

In the end, though, it came down to the reigning IBSA world champion going head-to-head with his runner-up — and Jack Lewis proved unstoppable. He put together the two highest-scoring waves of the entire final, and the judges couldn't hand the win to anyone else.

Results:

Jack Lewis - 14.00 points

Chris Anderson - 11.17 points

Jay Van Deurse - 10.27 points

Will Cassidy - 9.67 points

Top Rides of the Day

Men: Jack Lewis didn't just win the final — he threw down the single highest score of the entire contest. Picture this: a flat spin that he backdoored straight into a barrel, popping out the other end clean as you like, for a 7.27 from the judges. He also banked two separate 14.00 heat scores during the day, the two highest of the whole event.

Women: Bridget Kruger's silky-smooth wave in the final scored a 5.67, the top women's score of the day.

A massive thank you to every competitor, our incredible fans, the volunteers, and the sponsors who make an event like this possible.

Ranking

OPEN MEN

1. Jack Lewis (Australia) 1000

2. Chris Anderson (Australia) 860

3. Jay Van Deurse (Australia) 730

4. Will Cassidy (Australia) 670

5. Sam James (Australia) 610

5. Harry Gordon (Australia) 610

7. Adam Baldwin (Australia) 555

7. Luke Smith (Australia) 555

9. Patrick McNally (Australia) 500

9. Glen Murphy (Australia) 500

9. Mitch Attard (Australia) 500

9. Col Smith (Australia) 500

13. Jarrod Bridges (Australia) 450

13. Magnus McManamey (Australia) 450

13. Nathan Connors (Australia) 450

13. Nigel Boyd (Australia) 450

17. Liam Toohey (Australia) 400

17. Chris Kerrisk (Australia) 400

17. Livio Veras Jr (Brasil) 400

20. Patrick Sheehan (Australia) 385

OPEN WOMEN

1. Bridget Kruger (Australia) 1000

2. Caroline Cotton (Australia) 860

3. Taylor Wood-Durant (Australia) 730

4. Rea Smith (Australia) 670