Samantha Vanderford has only been in Bonny Hills for about three weeks, but it was long enough for the local longboard club to adopt her as one of their own.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It's just as well they did too when Vanderford overcame pumping four and five-feet of swell at Rainbow Beach on August 19 to claim two Australian Longboard Titles in the space of an hour.
The Western Australian product admitted it was a chance meeting with some members of Bonny Hills' Mal De Mer Longriders before the championships started on August 5 where the seed was planted.
It then grew into eventual over-40 and over-50 women's national titles.
"They welcomed me into their club and on the first day they put me out there and it was absolutely 'macking' like it is right now and it was a baptism of fire," Vanderford said.
"Thank God they did that because I was ready for it, but the local club and ladies have really taken me under their wing. I call them the Bonny Lasses."
Vanderford has had to wait more than two decades for a national title after her first appearance at Yallingup in 1999.
Any national title is hard to achieve and it was showcased at Bonny Hills where competitors were tossed around like rag dolls.
And while there were regular four and five-foot sets rolling in that made wave selection even more important than normal, Vanderford welcomed the challenge.
It's nothing she isn't used to.
"It's helpful to be from WA when the waves are massive like this because we surf big waves like this a lot," she said.
"There was a lot of water moving around and it was pretty hard, but it was a good venue and it was the best choice for the conditions we had on offer. It was a bit hectic."
After securing numerous second and third-place finishes since 1999, the wait was finally over.
"I finally turned the key," Vanderford said.
"It does feel like there's a monkey off my back and it's so great that I get to surf against all these women and we have this opportunity to do this as adults."
She hoped Surfing Australia continued to hold the event for years to come - particularly in the older age divisions.
"These state titles keep everyone fit, it keeps us wanting to win and it keeps us out there trying," she said.