A STRONG trio of Mornington-based surfers are gearing up to represent the peninsula at the Australian Longboard Titles this month.
Chris Hanrahan, Tas Dunton, and Tom Bellisai will compete in the six-day event which begins on 22 July and will take place at some of the most renowned surf spots, including Cabarita Beach, Kingscliff Beach, Fingal Beach, and Duranbah Beach in northern New South Wales.
As the longest-running event on the surfing calendar, with 300 surfers representing all six surfing states, the competition promises to be thrilling.
All three Mornington surfers are members of the Maladiction Longboarders Club, which has been based on the Mornington Peninsula since 1997. Speaking to The News ahead of the event, Dunton said he was excited to hit the water.
“My preparation hasn’t been amazing as I’m still not 100 per cent with a light back injury and a six-month-old daughter but a recent one-week trip to YrdDog Training where the trainers have been helping me back into shape,” he said. “We have some local legend businesses who have been supporting us on our journey and without their support we simply can’t get to the events.”
Dunton, who has been based on the peninsula for 30 years, first competed in the Australian titles as a junior (U/18) in 2007 placing fourth in the final and third the following year in the open men’s division.
Dunton grew up surfing with his brother Sam who both went on to be selected to represent Australia in 2023. The siblings were taught to surf as toddlers by their mother Jann Dunton who was crowned the 1999 Australian national champion. “The peninsula is a great place to live and surf, it’s not a holiday destination for no reason: there are always waves with plenty of opportunity to get out all the time,” he said.
Italian born Bellisai, who has been living in Mornington with family for the past 14 years, will compete in both the over 40s and over 50s divisions. “My preparation starts with a good diet, a healthy mindset, and the constant desire to improve every time I’m in the water,” the 2023 state champion said. “Even during free surf sessions, while it’s great to enjoy the ocean with mates, I always have high expectations of myself – I’m always chasing that perfect ride. Without that drive, it would feel like going backwards. “The peninsula’s surf community and beautiful coastline have definitely played a role in pushing me to improve and stay connected to the sport.
This year at Cabarita, I’m aiming to give it everything I’ve got and push myself to reach that top spot.”
Fellow surfer, Hanrahan, said the event stood out not just for the quality of surfing, but for the strong sense of mateship. He will compete in the over 40s and over 50s divisions. He said everyone encouraged each other to surf their best and the vibe was always supportive.
Hanrahan was also grateful to be invited to the titles after missing the cut in the Victorian titles but “some guys had pulled out who had made it through and because they knew me they said come in”.
“It’s great for mateship … getting all the guys together is half the reason I go; it’s a really good vibe.”
The Longboard Titles is part of the prestigious Australian Surfing Championships. Winners of the open men’s and women’s divisions will earn a spot in the Australian surfing team.
Several other peninsula-based surfers will also compete in the Longboard Titles including: Josiah Skarratt (Somers) U18 junior men; Thomas Fahey (Balnarring) open men; Jaz Felsinger (Safety Beach) open women; Jess MacLeish (Dromana) grand masters women over 40; Liam McCafferty (McCrae) Grand Kahunas men over 50; Peter Cracknell (Red Hill) Dukes Men Over 55; Rory Shannon (McCrae) Legends Men Over 65; Liam McCafferty (McCrae), Peter Cracknell (Red Hill), Aaron Brew (Dromana) grand masters men over 40.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 23 July 2025