Surfing legends Trent Munro and Jacko Baker set for Mid North Coast junior surfing showdown

The NSW North Coast and Mid North Coast will take centre stage this weekend when the Surf Reflections Junior Series heads to Hungry Head Beach for the second event of the 2026 series.

Former World Surf League surfer Trent Munro and Newcastle professional surfer Jacko Baker will mentor emerging surfing talent as 82 competitors from NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia compete across three days of action on the Mid North Coast.

The event will feature under-14 and under-16 boys’ and girls’ divisions and is a 5500-rated competition on Surfing Australia’s National Series calendar.

The Surf Reflections Junior Series is a partnership between Reflections Holidays, the largest holiday park group in NSW, and iconic surfing festival Surfest, with events designed to showcase some of the best surf breaks and coastal communities across regional NSW.

This weekend’s competition at Hungry Head Beach follows the successful opening round at Bonny Hills on the Mid North Coast in February, with the series finale to be held at Tuncurry-Forster in November.

Surfest director Warren Smith said the regional series was continuing to grow, attracting competitors from across Australia while delivering economic and tourism benefits to North Coast communities.

“We’re set for a super fun weekend at Hungry Head, with chest high waves and light winds expected,” Smith said.

“Conditions like this present the perfect playing field for our athletes as they look to claim the coveted top prize.”

Smith said the series played an important role in developing future surfing talent while giving young competitors the opportunity to surf in their home regions and learn from experienced professionals.

“Our partnership with Reflections and the support from local councils has ensured the growth of this series and we can’t wait to keep building on its success,” Smith said.

Competitors throughout the series have access to mentoring from former professional surfers including Callum Robson, Matt Banting, Jarvis Earl, Trent Munro and Jacko Baker.

Munro and Baker will also host a Q&A session on Saturday night during the Hungry Head event.

Reflections data shows the first event in 2024 delivered about $90,000 in local economic impact, with that figure expected to increase to $270,000 across the three events in 2026.

Minister for Lands and Property, Sport and Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said Crown land holiday parks provided an ideal setting for regional sporting events.

“Our Crown land holiday parks sit on some of the best surf breaks in the country so they are a natural home for events like this that encourages sports participation, mentor the next generation of surf champions and bring families and visitors into regional communities to benefit local businesses,” Kamper said.

Reflections chief executive officer Nick Baker said the series combined elite junior surfing with community-focused activities for visitors and locals.

“The Series is obviously for the surfing community with some great competition taking place but we also really encourage our guests and visitors to the area to drop in to the Eats and Beats zone and enjoy watching all the beach action,” he said.

Munro, who heads the Scotts Head Boardriders club and works as a lifeguard for the City of Coffs Harbour, said he was excited to support the next generation of surfers on the Mid North Coast.

“It’s fantastic to have this event locally for our kids to compete in and learn as much as they can and I’ll be sharing knowledge with the kids and their parents this weekend,” he said.

The competition begins on Friday with qualifying heats, with finals to be held on Sunday.

Each category winner will receive a $2500 accommodation voucher from Reflections, while $4000 in prize money will be awarded across the three-day competition.