THE Dunton brothers from McCrae embody the endless summer dream of pursuing the ultimate wave, the ultimate experience and the ultimate connection with nature.
The brothers have just been selected among four surfers to represent Australia in the 2023 ISA World Longboard Championships in El Salvador starting on 7 May.
The Australian team of two women and two men will compete under the name The Irukandjis Deadly in the Water, adopted by the national team in 2021. An irukandjis is a small, but deadly jellyfish.
The Duntons, Sam, 34, and Tas, 31, were selected through their results in the 2022 Australian Titles held at North Haven, NSW (Tas was second and Sam fifth) and the Victorian tiles which Tas won, and Sam came third.
Almost before they could walk the brothers understood the symbiotic connection humans have with the water, learning from their mum – longtime Mount Martha-based surfer Jan Dunton, who taught her sons to surf as toddlers.
Jan Dunton was the women’s Australian national champion after winning at Bells Beach in 1999.
The brothers went to Frankston High School before, as adults, moving to the peninsula and now jointly run Dromana-based Dunton Group Solar.
Tas said they get involved in the local community and, as they are “passionate about the environment, love surfing and being out in the ocean, solar was the logical business to pursue”.
Sam said the experience of going back to El Salvador was part of the thrill of being selected.
“Having been there before when I travelled with my partner in 2014, I know it’s an amazing country with incredible surfing opportunities; I can’t wait,” he said.
“It will be warm, the water will be warm, it will be beautiful … it’s pretty crazy, the stars have aligned.”
Sam said he and Tas chose to ride longboards because they allowed for a “gentle” surfing experience, with longboards more forgiving and stable, giving beginners and seasoned surfers better stability.
Both Duntons earned their places in the competition, having worked their way up from success in regional and state competitions.
The brothers are seeking sponsors to help them get to the competition. Contact Sam at enquiries@duntongroup.com.au
With Keith Platt
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 18 April 2023
