Competition Achievements to Date

1988 World Cup, Yamba NSW – Juniors
1989 Australian Titles, Gold Coast NSW – Juniors
1989 World Titles, Cornwall UK – Open
1991 Australian Titles Margaret River, WA – Open
1991 World Titles, Duranbah QLD – Open
1991 World Titles, Duranbah QLD – Juniors
1992 Australian Titles Emerald Beach NSW – Open
1995 Australian Titles, Cowaramup WA – Open
1996 Australian Titles, Cabarita QLD – Open
1997 Australian Titles, Emerald Beach NSW , Open
2001 Australian Titles, Gold Coast QLD – New Age
2004 Australian Titles, Caves Beach NSW – Seniors
2005 Australian Titles, Emerald Beach, NSW – Open
2005 Australian Titles, Emerald Beach, NSW – Seniors
2006 Australian Titles, Emerald Beach, NSW – Open
2007 World Tiles, Gisborne, New Zealand – Open
2008 World Wave Ski Tour, Reunion Island –  Open
2009 World Titles, Emerald Beach, Australia, Open
2009 World Titles, Emerald Beach, Australia, Seniors
2011 World Titles, Santa Cruz, Portugal, Seniors
2013 Australian Titles, Kingscliff Beach NSW, Open
2013 Australian Titles, Kingscliff Beach NSW, Senior
2013 World Titles, Santa Cruz, Portugal, Masters
2015 Australian Titles, Newcastle, NSW, Open
2015 Australian Titles, Newcastle, NSW, Masters
2016 Australian Titles, Kingscliff, NSW Open
2016 Australian Titles, Kingscliff, NSW, Masters division
2017 Australian Open, Yamba, NSW Open Division
2017 Australian Open, Yamba, NSW Masters Division
2018 World Titles, Pantin, Spain, Open
2018 World Titles, Pantin, Spain, Masters
2019 Australian Tiles, Yamba, Open
2019 Australian Tiles, Yamba, Masters

Contribution to Waveski Surfing

Appointed as National Coach, 1989 – 1992
World Titles Contest Director 2009
Australian Titles Contest Director, 1997, 2005, 2006
Coffs Harbour Open Contest Director, numerous years
Waveski Surfing Australia, President

Rees Duncan, local Coffs Harbour boy, began Waveski Surfing at the age of 11 and is now at 49. If you combine his open results with masters seniors, new age and juniors, Rees now has a record 19 titles to his name and 11 world titles (5 open, 2 Masters, 2 Senior and 2 juniors) plus a world tour title. He is also the only waveski surfer to win both open and juniors, and Open and masters divisions at one World titles.

Rees’s greatest memory in the sport of waveski surfing would be winning his world titles. The first in 1989 in Cornwall at the age of 17 in front of over 20,000 people including his biggest fan Nan Henry who was there to see him win his first world title. Another significant memory for Rees was winning the open and Senior world titles at Emerald Beach, Australia in front of his home support and family. The most rewarding was winning the Open and Masters divions in Spain. With his adult children and wife by his side. Rees defeated the defending open champion Virgil Humbert in the final coming Virgil score. Rees was 20 years older than Virgil

Even though Rees has many achievements in the sport, his biggest low was the World titles in South Africa in 1993 where the party side of Rees tore some knee ligaments on the dance floor and was he unable to compete in the competition.

What are the secrets of his success?? Rees credits his success to his family support. These days this comes in the form of his two sons Rees, Kye and wife Trish but believes his strengths originate from the physical and competitive training over the years from his Dad, Steve Bailey and co. One of the biggest keys to any juniors success would have to be the tremendous support from parents, his parents drove him everywhere to compete and he has memories of his father waking him at 5am to drive an hour to train twice a week before school and on weekends and the other mornings were spent doing physical training. Rees believes if it wasn’t for his Dad, he wouldn’t have had the physical capacity at such a young age. Obviously Rees Duncan Senior saw his son’s potential and was quoted in an old Surf Ski Quarterly early 1988 approaching Shane for sponsorship saying his son was “hot property” and was going to be the next world champion! Combined with an ability to psych out other competitors and an ability to generate lots of power and vertical surfing, Rees’s surfing is incredibly consistent and he has an amazing determination to put his body on the line.

Weaknesses?? Rees believes his weaknesses is injuries. He loves pushing the limits of the sport but this also increases the chance of injuries. He had years on ongoing shoulder injuries which peaked during the 2009 World Titles at Emerald Beach where he dislocated through the event.  

The element of waveski Surfing that Rees enjoys most is the competitions and the social side of catching up with old friends. However at times he can get frustrated by those in the sport that wants to have their say but don’t put their hand up to help. Other than waveski surfing, Rees keeps himself busy with being a mortgage broker, free diving, spearfishing, manufacturing RD Wavekis

Rees has achieved a lot so far and when asked what else he would like to achieve in the sport, he rattled off a few more goals, becoming the first combined Open and Grand Master world Champion. Outside of the competition life Rees tries his best to give back to the sport. He enjoys coaching other and helping all wave ski surfer no matter what their level or ability

Obviously this continuing theme of over achievement has a lot to do with why his words of wisdom to any waveski surfer starting in the sport are “Don’t give up, just keep going!”