'Massive opportunity': Willow Hardy handpicked by 7x world champ Beachley

Two of WA’s brightest young surf talents are part of an elite group of athletes hosted at an exclusive camp alongside 7x World Champion and Surfing Australia Chair, Layne Beachley.

Margaret River’s Willow Hardy and Coral Durant from Red Bluff in the State’s north joined five other female surfers aged 17 to 20 at the Rising 7 Harvey Norman High Performance camp earlier this year.

The camp aims to provide a pathway for young athletes who are transitioning between the Pro Juniors and Qualifying & Challenger Series.

Their journey will be broadcast in a four part series which will begin this week on the mySURFtv YouTube channel.

The series follows daily challenges set up to test the young surfers’ skills, with the ultimate winner taking home $10,000 worth of prizes and a 12-month mentorship with Layne Beachley.

Beachley said the camp was essentially a 2 day WCT event, challenging junior surfers to adapt to the next level of competition.

“Seeing how they adapt to the pressure, how they adapt to all the different challenges we put on their shoulders and how respectful they are both in and out of the water,” she said.

“They’re beginning to leave school, and some are balancing work and training commitments.

At 16 years of age, Margaret River surfer Willow Hardy has made a name for herself as a solid competitor around the country, and recently secured victory the inaugural Nias Utara International Surfing Competition in June.

Dubbed ‘the silent assassin’ by fellow camp attendee, Lilliana Bowrey, Hardy said she was thrilled to be selected by Beachley.

“It’s such an amazing opportunity to be picked to be involved in the Rising 7 camp, especially with Layne who is someone I think we all look up to so much,” she said.

Durant said she was “so stoked” to be picked for the camp.

“You know that everything, the hard work you’ve put in throughout your whole junior career and to be noticed for it and to be picked to be here, is just such a good feeling.”

Held at the Surfing Australia High Performance Centre in Casuarina, NSW earlier this year the three-day camp included surfing sessions as well as mental performance in competition training and surf specific strength & conditioning training.

Each surfer was hand selected by Beachley with Surfing Australia Talent Pathway Coach, Chelsea Hedges developing the program.

Hedges said the challenges were designed to give surfers a sense of what it takes to make the World Championship Tour.

“These girls are all aged under 21 with dreams of being on the WCT,” she said.

“It’s a massive opportunity just to be selected.

“The challenges were designed to test the surfer’s skill set in high pressure moments. Each challenge was worth a set number of points that go towards a leaderboard and the eventual crowning of a winner.”