Warners Bay's Ged Cook has led the way for Hunter competitors at the Australian surfing championships, winning the over 55 men's title on the Tweed Coast.
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Cook turned the tables on Copacabana's Rod Baldwin, who beat him in June at the NSW titles, in the national final, scoring 16.7 from his best two waves. Baldwin was second with 16.35. Fingal Bay's Dean Shaw was fourth in the decider.
The win came after Cook spent two years out of the water because of a back injury.
Newcastle's Paul Snow (over 35s) and Port Stephens' Jay Phillips (over 40s) were also finalists in the men's age divisions, while Swansea's Glen Valaire was runner-up in the over 50s to Mark Tickle 16.35 to 14.95.
Meanwhile, Merewether's Ryan Callinan will face Brazilian Willian Cardoso and New Zealand's Ricardo Christie in his round one seeding heat at the Tahiti Pro at Teahupo'o, which could start as early as next Wednesday.
Callinan is ninth on the World Surf League championship tour and the highest-ranked Australian after six stops on the elite 11-event series.
