Jan Juc’s Carly Shanahan is a state champion after winning the WorkSafe Victorian Classic at Bells Beach.
This first year of a new format saw one of the biggest fields for the event in recent memory with more than 50 competitors attempting to earn the title of state champion and gain a spot in the Rip Curl Pro trials.
2025 Rip Curl Pro trials winner Shanahan was unstoppable throughout the event, winning her opening round heat to skip the repechage rounds before locking in the equal highest heat total of the weekend (16.00 points out of a possible 20.00) to make the final.
Shanahan never looked like losing the final, scoring a heat topping score on her first wave (7.33) before backing it up with a 6.17 to seal the win.
“I am frothing to take the win – time to start putting in the work for the trials,” she said.
“There was some amazing surfing going down. We’re so lucky to be able to live in this beautiful place with these waves and to surf them uncrowded is even better.
“The format to have a minimum two surfs at Bells is all time. All the girls surf incredibly and I was inspired to put in my all. Thanks to Micky for caddying all day.”
The Open division saw Lucas Hickson (Rye) continue his run of form over the last 12 months, going back to back with Victorian State Titles while Jan Juc’s Kai Nudd was runner-up on 13.00 points.
Open Women
1st – Carly Shanahan (Jan Juc) 13.50
2nd – Ava Holland (Dromana) 10.10
3rd – Sara Hickson (Rye) 7.10
4th – Lillian Bassed (Sandy Point) 6.30
Open Men
1st – Lucas Hickson (Rye) 15.23
2nd – Kai Nudd (Jan Juc) 13.00
3rd – Tim Birnie (Jan Juc) 11.00
4th – Derek Bassed (Sandy Point) 8.66
