In a memorable moment that showed both competition and family relations, Lennix Smith and his father Matt Smith recently competed against each other in the finals of the King of the Rock event for 2024 hosted by Surfing Illawarra at Cowries. This weekend brought together the South Coast Community with a number of stacked heats and big names, the man-on-man final did not disappoint and had everyone on their toes.
The father/son duo took to the stage for the crown with a number of bets on the line. Lennix Smith, the 18-year-old rising star from Shellharbour and two time reigning champion of this event surfed heat-by-heat undefeated. That was until faced by a familiar opponent in the man-on-man final where his father Matt Smith claimed victory in a close match up.
“It was a great day”, said Matt.
“It was awesome to have a heat with my son. I thought I was taking it easy on everyone but somehow I kept on getting through my heats”.
Lennix scored the highest wave of the final with a 7.23, but it wasn’t enough to compare against Matt’s pair of high sixes. Although for both competitors, the real victory was the shared experience and the memories created.
Their journey to the final was not just a testament to their skills but also a profound vision of family bonds strengthened by a shared passion for the ocean and the sport.
“Lennix and I were just chatting throughout the heat. It was good vibes only out there, definitely no psyching each other out”, said Matt.
“It is definitely one for the history books. That night we just reflected on a great day, although Lennix did suggest there may have been a few bonus points given to me due to the age difference”.
As for Lennix’s final words being dethroned by his father, all the Billabong star had left to say was “f**k. The old boy moped me”, in true surfer grom spirit.
To see the full results and all other match-ups, please see here
Event photos can be seen here
Thanks to everyone involved for another great event!
