Russ Molony has claimed yet another title - at the Surfest Indigenous Classic.
This saltwater tradition continued for the 15th time for the Berkeley Vale resident, who lives an hour's drive down the road from Merewether Beach, the backdrop again of his latest triumph on Newcastle's southern outskirts.
Molony's extraordinary run saw Indigenous Classic organisers nearly a decade ago announce the open men's trophy would be named in his honour.
"I'm definitely feeling it - I am getting closer to 50," Molony told NBN News after another win.
"I have had the kids running around all day and it's been a really beautiful competition."
Taj Simon, one of a family of six boardriders with strong credentials that includes the surfing patriarch of the Simons, dad Mark, seriously challenged Molony in pursuit of his own fourth title to attempt to equal past four-time winner Joe Haddon's own record.
One of the Simon sisters, Bodhi, captured the Indigenous Classic just two years ago, the same year that Taj also did to ensure the Simon siblings stood side by side on the podium together.
This year, it was Malia Simon's time.
The 13-year-old took out all three possible female crowns, quite incredibly including the women's open title.
"It was so hard - I had six heats on the (last) day and the conditions were really tricky, but I got the job done," she said.
"It feels so good to win all divisions."
The Indigenous Classic, which is supported by the Awabakal Local Aboriginal Land Council, has been an integral component of the annual Newcastle Surfest for more than a half of the Newcastle's World Surfing League professional event's 41-year existence.
But in the latest first, an under 14 boys competition was introduced this year in addition to the established under-16 boys and girls and separate pro-junior division events.
The Moltzen brothers - Reko in the under-14s and Omar in the under-16s - also made the weekend of surfing another family affair.
Surfest event director Warren Smith believed the Classic has turned full circle.
"There's some really talented young surfers in the community that are leading the way now and even with the older generation of surfers that have come through they are water people, whose mobs have lived on the coast their entire lives," he said.
"They know how to survive along the coast, they know how to respect the coastline - and it has been a part of all their lives - and it's great to see them showcase their talent."
Smith said the event attracted interest up and down the state's coast and as far wide as Central West that included several dancers for the Acknowledgment of Country.
He added it was apt the Classic breaks surf - as much as it does ground - for the world's pros in Newcastle and the Cadet Cup between the multiple events.
"I think it is one of the real highlights of the entire event," Smith said.
"Our welcome (to country) and smoking ceremonies are a very spiritual hour and a half.
"One of the special things about Surfest is now our Indigenous Classic. We have a lot of professional surfers in this Indigenous event."
The Classic, under the Worimi and Biripi custodianship, has evolved from its early beginnings of the 'Kooris' taking on the Cops to prepare competitors for the Australia Indigenous Surfing titles in May at Bells Beach on Victoria's aptly-named Surf Coast, near Geelong.
Smith said the event has been accepted by not only the greater surfing community, but the Newcastle public.
"The most pleasurable thing to see is the broader (surfing) community come to watch it and be a part of it... It's great to see a mixture of communities coming together to be a part of this."
