TONIC | profile
kat hughes
Words & Photos Ben Whitmore
The Sunshine Coast has become infamous for spawning a plethora of surfing talent. However, despite
the onslaught of new Sunshine Coast arrivals to
the World Tour, it’s the pool of surfers who slide,
walk and dance that’s deepening – so much so, it’s
about to overflow.
Currimundi’s Kathryn Hughes is among those whose style and
grace on a longboard has been groomed while growing up surfing Sunshine Coast point breaks.
Let’s rewind. It’s an a-typical swelteringly hot day in Queensland – Kat’s unmistakably hip white Hiace pulls up at Kawana
“s-bends”. The wave’s aren’t anything to scream about, but heck,
it’s too hot not surf.
I peer into back of the van;
for a vehicle that’s normally reserved for electricians
or the occasional phonebook delivery driver, Kat’s made this one
look like home. It’s
sterile white walls,
now painted with a
variety of
original pieces by Kat. An obligatory mattress, draws for bikinis
(and there are lots), a wetsuit rack and three fresh boards.
An hour or so later we reflect on a fairly uneventful session, but
a smile is still split between Kat’s cheeks. She managed to sneak
a few runners from outside and dance her way to the beach and
for now she is satisfied. Not for long though – as she hangs yet
another bikini on her van’s clothes line, she plots her movements
for the afternoon, which will involve a trip further north to Noosa, where she will surf for the third time today – a typical day for
Kathryn Hughes.
Kat will spend the next few months competing. In fact, a recent
road trip to Agnes Water, saw Kat bank a cool second place in the
coveted Reef 2 Beach Longboard Classic, and as we go to print,
she is inching ever closer to a solid result at the Noosa Festival of
Surfing.
Kat and her tripped out Hiace will also be heading south in a
month or so for the Bradnam’s Windows & Doors Queensland
Longboard Titles, presented by HIF.
If you’d like to join her, make sure you head to www.
surfingqueensland.com and put your entry
in today.
32 – autumn IssuE surfingqueensland.com.au