The Quest - 2026 BODYSURFING WORLD TOUR QUALIFICATION SERIES
EVENT PRESS RELEASE – POST EVENT
IBSA Bodysurfing World Tour QS – Event 3 QLD Quest - Australasian Region
Wet, wild, and absolutely worth it — Event 3 of the IBSA Bodysurfing World Tour QS hit the Gold Coast this September, and the ocean did not hold back. Twenty-four competitors paddled out into solid 4–5 foot waves for a proper wet-and-woolly Sunday, and what they served up was some of the sharpest, most technical bodysurfing of the season so far.
Open Women: Bridget Kruger Rides to Her First Title
With so many first-timers in the final, this one was never going to be a foregone conclusion. Caroline Cotton came out swinging, taking the best of the early exchanges and holding the lead for most of the heat. Taylor Wood-Durant was fearless the whole way through, hunting down the biggest sets and throwing herself into them without a second thought. And Rea Smith, competing in her very first tournament, more than held her own — remember her name, because she's going to be a real force on the WQS in the years ahead.
But it was Bridget Kruger who found the wave of the final. She rode it with a flow that was just gorgeous to watch, and it was enough to hand her the first WQS crown of her career.
Results:
Bridget Kruger — 9.60 points
Caroline Cotton — 7.70 points
Taylor Wood-Durant — 6.47 points
Rea Smith — 5.87 points
Open Men: Osprey bodysurfing at new levels
The men's final was Australasian bodysurfing at its best — every single finalist landed at least one flat spin or front somersault. Will Cassidy, only in his first year on tour, rode his natural flow all the way into his second straight WQS final, and he's already locked up a spot on the Osprey team for the 2027 WTF. Jay Van Deurse, meanwhile, was red-hot all day, winning every heat on his way through to the final.
In the end, though, it came down to the reigning IBSA world champion going head-to-head with his runner-up — and Jack Lewis proved unstoppable. He put together the two highest-scoring waves of the entire final, and the judges couldn't hand the win to anyone else.
Results:
Jack Lewis — 14.00 points
Chris Anderson — 11.17 points
Jay Van Deurse — 10.27 points
Will Cassidy — 9.67 points
Top Rides of the Day
Men: Jack Lewis didn't just win the final — he threw down the single highest score of the entire contest. Picture this: a flat spin that he backdoored straight into a barrel, popping out the other end clean as you like, for a 7.27 from the judges. He also banked two separate 14.00 heat scores during the day, the two highest of the whole event.
Women: Bridget Kruger's silky-smooth wave in the final scored a 5.67, the top women's score of the day.
A massive thank you to every competitor, our incredible fans, the volunteers, and the sponsors who make an event like this possible.
Comments