Port Macquarie, Australia, November 20 — In an incredible boardriders milestone, three generations of the Hudson family have now won the Open Title at the same club – Port Macquarie Surfboard Riders Club (PMSRC).
From grandfather Pete, to son Wayne, to grandson Ollie, the Hudson name has been stitched into the club’s honour roll, one generation at a time.
Pete Hudson: The OG club champ
The story starts in the late 1960s, when a young Pete Hudson was lighting up Town Beach on boards that looked nothing like today’s high-performance craft. One photo from 1965 (below) shows him holding what looks like an asymmetrical board – a reminder that experimentation and progression have always been part of the Mid North Coast’s DNA.
When Port Macquarie Boardriders Club came to life, Pete quickly set the standard in the jersey. He became the inaugural PMSRC Club Champion and later Senior Club Champion in 1970, helping lay the foundations for a club that would grow into one of NSW’s strongest.
His impact stretched well beyond heat wins. Pete went on to coach and judge at the highest level, including a stint as NSW Team Coach for the Australian Surf Titles in Western Australia in 1988, and Head Judge for the Australian Longboard Titles at Crescent Head in 1998. Along the way he collected multiple state and national titles of his own, and was recognised locally as one of only two “Surfers of the Century”.
For Port Macquarie groms, Pete’s the sort of club legend every generation remembers.
Wayne Hudson: Carrying the torch
Growing up, Pete’s son Wayne Hudson didn’t have to look far for inspiration. The club, the line-up and the contest site were part of everyday life.
Wayne came through the Surfing NSW and Surfing Australia pathway, stepping from junior ranks into Pro Junior events and ultimately the World Qualifying Series (WQS). Along the way he stacked up five NSW State Titles and three Australian Titles, proving himself as one of the most successful competitors to come out of the region.
Back at home, Wayne carved out his own piece of club history with two PMSRC Open Titles, claimed in 2000 and 2008. Just like his old man, he balanced competing with giving back – earning his Level 2 judging and coaching accreditations and serving as a Regional Director, helping to guide events and pathways for surfers up and down the coast.
Today, Wayne is best known locally for running Port Macquarie Surf School, a family business operated alongside his father and son. For more than 20 years, the surf school has introduced countless locals and visitors to surfing, and has earned multiple business awards.
From first lessons in the whitewater to advanced coaching in solid Town Beach peaks, the surf school has become another way the Hudson family share their passion with the wider community.
Ollie Hudson: The future in safe hands
Now it’s Ollie Hudson’s turn to add his chapter.
The youngest of the three generations, Ollie has just become the most recent PMSRC Open Title winner after a dominant season where he won six of eight club events to seal the overall crown.
Like his dad, Ollie is moving through the national junior pathway, and last year claimed a healthy rank in the national series – a strong marker of where his surfing is heading.
What makes his story even more impressive is the way he’s already giving back. Ollie is a Level 2 Judge, with experience judging up to QS level, and a Level 2 Progressive Coach helping to bring through the next crop of Port Macquarie surfers. He’s recently finished school and has been accepted into a Business degree, juggling study with line-ups, club rounds and coaching commitments.
Ollie represents the modern surfer: competitive, technical and equally comfortable in a jersey, behind the judging panel or mentoring younger groms.
More than a statistic
A grandfather, father and son all holding the same club’s Open Title might sound like a neat trivia fact, but for the Hudsons and for PMSRC, it runs much deeper than that. It’s about a family – and a club – that has backed each other for decades.
From Pete’s asymmetrical board at Town Beach in the 60s, to Wayne’s state and national campaigns, to Ollie’s modern-day club dominance, the Hudson name has been a constant thread in Port Macquarie surfing for more than half a century.
Whether this is the first time in Australia that three generations have all won the Open Title at the same boardriders club is still being explored. What’s certain is that it’s an incredible milestone for PMSRC, and a powerful example of what makes the NSW boardriders movement so special.
Surfing NSW congratulates Pete, Wayne and Ollie – and the entire Hudson family – on an extraordinary achievement and thanks them for everything they’ve contributed, and continue to contribute, to surfing on the Mid North Coast.
Here’s to many more heats, trophies and beach days under the PMBC tent.
