THERE were medals, sand, surf and idyllic conditions as thousands of Nippers sprinted, swam and paddled at Blacksmiths Beach over the weekend during the 2020 NSW Surf Life Saving Age Championships.
The state's premier surf event - which was hosted by Swansea-Belmont Surf Life Saving Club for the fourth straight year - has been a huge tourism boost for the region, with an estimate of about 15,000 visitors pumping as much as $10 million into the local economy over the next week.
More than 2700 athletes in the under-nine to under-14 age groups competed in individual and team events from Friday to Sunday.
While ten Hunter clubs - Swansea-Belmont, Redhead, Merewether, Cooks Hill, Stockton, Caves Beach, Catherine Hill Bay, Fingal Beach, Tea Gardens-Hawks Nest and Dixon Park - fielded a total of 320 competitors in the Age Championships.
Overall, North Curl Curl were the winners, followed by Coogee, Cooks Hill and Swansea-Belmont.
