A big year ahead for Boardriders

As the 2025/26 summer competition season kicks off, Phillip Island Boardriders Club's new captain Walter Hiatt is keen to see the club reach its full potential.

A third-generation island surfer, Walter's grandfather Dave Fincher was a local surfing legend and his family ties with the club are generational.

His own involvement spans decades, joining PIBC as a super grom, around the age of eight. "My aunty and grandpa used to take me to the super groms. I distinctly remember Dave used to push me into the waves," he said.

Recently returned from living in NSW where he joined Newcastle's famous Merewether boardriders club, Walter brings a revitalised perspective to his role as club captain.

Previously he had a stint as co-captain with his aunt Michelle Fincher.

"I think I was 18, and I really didn't know what I was doing. This time around I have a much clearer idea about what is involved."

His latest captaincy got off to a good start when the club won the Victorian leg of the Australian Boardriders Battle, securing them a place in the Grand Final at Burleigh Heads in Queensland in March 2026.

"I feel like it was a result of some hard work," Walter said.

At this year's event, he put a big emphasis on the importance of fostering the team spirit.

"The team mindset might only be worth four or five points, over a 30-point heat, but that's a big difference."

In his role as captain, he hopes to bring some of the lessons he learned in his time at the Merewether club.

"Merewether is one of the best clubs in Australia, in terms of history and quality of surfers. It's run very professionally, and you've got people in the club that are on the WCT.

"Merewether have reached the pinnacle of Australian surfing. They won the Australian Boardriders Battle, they won Kirra teams. They have a mindset; 'we go into these comps to win'. They know the recipe to get there.

"I could see what success looks like up there, so coming back to Phillip Island and the Boardriders Club, I feel I've got different views on things that I could add to the club."

Walter said the work ethic and mindset of junior surfers at Merewether was "mindblowing" and showed the dedication needed to reach an elite level.

He's now sharing that knowledge with juniors on Phillip Island; "It's just knowing if you want to get to that level, this is what you have to do".

"We've put some things in place to try and promote these juniors."

The club is creating a pathways program for junior surfers, that mirrors the open surfers' pathway into the RipCurl Pro, with the two top juniors getting seeded into the club's open events.

"I think it's going to drive those juniors to really go looking for ways to improve and push themselves.

"I think the Boardriders Club is an equitable space, whether a kid is a generational surfer, or someone who has just gotten into it and their parents don't even know what the beaches are called. They all get the same support.

"We want to push these kids and have them achieve well, live their dreams and reach their goals."

The aim, he says, is to help everyone become the best surfer possible, but without killing their spirit and their love of surfing.

He's also sharing lessons he learned from a mental health coach.

"You know, you lose 95 per cent of the contests you go in, because in reality, only one person out of 300 people can win.

"Setting your own goals - like being the first surfer on a good wave, or catching five waves in a heat - means even if you lose the heat, you've hopefully achieved some of your own goals."

Although his role as club captain is firmly focused on competitions, he says being part of the club is about more than competitions.

Alongside club president Jake Eisen, he's working out how to find the balance, between having high-end competitive events, with everyone "striving to be the best", and others that are a little more social.

"I think we need to get a really good understanding of what our ethos as a club is."

Looking ahead, as well as making it through to the grand final of the Australian Boardriders Battle, the club has also been invited to compete at the Usher Cup, the world championship of Boardriders clubs. Clubs from all around the globe will compete at Snapper Rocks in January.

"It's the first time our club's been invited. That's groundbreaking ... I think it's possibly the club's first ever international representation.

"We need to perform at our very best, so over the next few months, we'll be really focusing on getting good scores and getting familiar with the feeling that we need to perform at our very best.

"We'll be getting together as a team, going out for dinner, getting to know each other, and continuing to build good team morale."

You can following PIBC on their Facebook page, or visit pibc.com.au