Austrian Surf History

Are there any Austrian surfers at all?

Austria and surfing – at first glance, an unusual combination. But since the late 1990s, Austrian surfers have repeatedly proven that it's possible to compete at European and World Championships. Sometimes it's individual athletes, sometimes small teams – and every time they deliver impressive performances, even if the team wasn't complete. To answer the question, YES there are Austrian surfers and quite a few of them!

The history of Austrian surf competition is a story of individual champions, courageous efforts, and surprising successes. Podium finishes at the Masters, top-five results at the Junior European Championships, and a 17th-place finish at the Open World Championships demonstrate that talent, passion, and perseverance have existed for decades – even when structural support is lacking.

To make history tangible, the following tables show participation, placings, and team scores from Open, Junior, and Masters events. This shows how Austrian surfers have entered the international stage – step by step, wave by wave.

Open Division:

Year	Event	Location	Athletes	placement
1997	Eurosurf	Bundoran, Ireland	Philipp Lamprecht, Rudi Hajek, Martin Roll, Julian Hönig	–
1998	ISA World Surfing Games	Lisbon, Portugal	Holger Hassenpflug (65th), Michael Ehrnleitner (81st), Martin Roll (97th), Rudolf Hajek (113th), Beate O'Brien (Women: 41st)	Team: 27/44
1999	Eurosurf	Praia Grande, Sintra, Portugal	Holger Hassenpflug (33.), Philipp, Bernie, Thomas, Rudi, Ingrid, Beate, Ines, Martin Roll	Team: 11
2009	ISA World Surfing Games	Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica	Chris Schnitzer, Lazi Ruedegger, Steve Pressler, Lino Dilger (Open Men); Julia Kremser, Julia Hollnagel ( Open Women)	Team: 22/35
2017	ISA World Surfing Games	Biarritz, France	Jonas Bachan (17th), Matthias Piskernik (149th)	Team: 41/47
2019	ISA World Surfing Games (Olympic qualification)	Japan	Jonas Bachan	Team: 50/54
2023	ISA World Surfing Games (Olympic qualification)	El Salvador	Manuel Paulitsch (121.)	Team: 60/63

 

Juniors Division:

Year	Event	Location	Athletes	placement
2014	ISA World Juniors	Ecuador	Jonas Bachan (U16)	37th, Team: 28/32
2014	European Junior Champs	Azores	Jonas Bachan (U16)	5.
2015	ISA World Juniors	California, USA	Jonas Bachan (U18)	33., Team: 35/36
2016	ISA World Juniors	Azores	Jonas Bachan (U18)	65th, Team: 37/39
2016	European Junior Champs	Morocco	Jonas Bachan (U18)	4.

Masters Division:

Year	Event	Location	Athletes	placement
1997	Eurosurf	Bundoran, Ireland	Michael Ehrnleitner (Master)	6.
2003	Eurosurf	Gran Canaria, Spain	Holger Hassenpflug (3rd), Michael Ehrnleitner (6th), Martin Roll	–
2009	ESF Championships	Gran Canaria	Holger Hassenpflug (over 50?), Michael Ehrnleitner (over 60?)	–
2024	ISA Masters World Champs	El Salvador	Holger Hassenpflug (over 50: 9th), Michael Ehrnleitner (over 60: 9th)	Team: 17/28

Note: We've compiled this data to the best of our knowledge, but there may still be gaps. If you have any further information or corrections, please email us at nbsurfcrew@gmail.com

---

How does a surf contest actually work?

A surfing competition is similar to a sports tournament:

• Heats : Several surfers enter the water at the same time (usually for 20–30 minutes). Everyone tries to catch their best waves.

• Rating : The waves are rated by a jury based on criteria such as maneuver, difficulty, flow, and style (0 to 10 points per wave). The two best waves count toward the overall score.

• Advance : The best surfers from each heat advance until a final is surfed at the end. This determines the rankings.

The most important categories

• Open Division
  The "premier class" – open to all adults, both men and women. Each country may nominate up to three men and three women .

• Juniors
  The junior class is for surfers up to 18 years old . The goal is to introduce young talent to international competitions.

• Masters
  For experienced surfers aged 35 and older . Divided into different age groups (e.g., over 35, over 50, over 60). These often include former pros or long-time athletes who continue to actively participate in the sport.

Team ranking

In addition to the individual rankings, there is also a team ranking : the results of all athletes from a country are added together. Those competing with a full team naturally have a better chance – but Austria was often represented by only a few competitors.

Conclusion & Outlook

The history of Austrian surf competition shows that talent and passion are always there – even when the necessary structures are often lacking. Individual athletes have proven that they can compete internationally, even without full teams or continuous support.

The No Borders Surf Crew aims to address this very issue: We want to ensure consistent participation, full teams, and a visible Austrian presence at European and World Championships. We want to foster talent, introduce young surfers to international contests, and continue the tradition of the Austrian surf community.

But for that, it's crucial to know the history. This blog shows what steps have already been taken, what successes there have been, and how great the potential is if we build something together.

Be a part of it! Support the surfers, accompany the project, share the vision, and help ensure that Austria is fully, strongly, and visibly represented in international surf contests in the future. Every participation, every support, and every sharing of the story brings us a step closer to achieving this goal.