Jack Robinson crowned winner of South Western Times AJ ‘Tood’ Buswell Sports Star of the Year Award for 2025

Margaret River’s Jack Robinson was crowned the winner of the South Western Times AJ ‘Tood’ Buswell Sports Star of the Year Award for 2024 on Friday night. The surfer was revealed the winner in a room of sporting luminaries at the Bunbury Geographe Sports Awards at Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre. Robinson has now joined an illustrious list of multiple-time winners of the award, which he also claimed in 2022. Jockey Lucy Fiore, pole vaulter Nina Kennedy, footballer Ella Roberts, swimmer Alex Saffy and cricketer Sam Whiteman were the other nominated finalists for the award on the back of their own stand-out achievements for the year. Robinson was not able to attend the event due to competition commitments overseas on World Surf League Championship Tour, but said he was hugely thankful to be recognised as the winner. “I wish we could be there tonight, but we’re in South Africa right now,” he said. “I’m so proud to be from Margaret River and represent (Western Australia). “I’m looking forward to getting back home when I can soon.” Robinson was selected as the winner of the award on the back of a success-laden 2024 which saw him produce brilliant performances both close to home and on sport’s biggest stage. His two event victories on the 2024 WSL Championship Tour included his hometown Margaret River Pro in April, which he won for the second time inside three years. Robinson was rewarded for some excellent displays at Main Break with a place in the final against legendary American John John Florence, who he defeated to claim the 2022 title. And history repeated itself at Main Break, with Robinson recovering from a slow start to take full advantage of a pair of brilliant waves to beat out Florence’s two-wave total of 16.04 with a score of 17.27. The win in Margaret River was Robinson’s second on the 2024 tour, coming after he won the second event of the season, the Sunset Beach Pro in Hawaii, in February. He finished the championship tour season ranked No.3 in the world, earning a place in the one-day, winner-takes-all finals at Lower Trestles in California, where he lost his first match to Brazilian Italo Ferreira. In between his WSL exploits, Robinson was also selected to represent Australia at the Olympic Games in what was the second time surfing had been staged as an Olympic sport. At the Teahupo’o surf break in Tahiti — an island in French Polynesia more than 15,000km from the rest of the Games in Paris — an early defeat plunged Robinson into the elimination round, where he outpointed Peru’s Lucca Messinas to progress. Despite his lofty status in the world rankings, Robinson was forced to overcome Florence, compatriot Ethan Ewing and three-time world champion Gabriel Medina through the bracket to book his place in the gold medal match against local hope Kauli Vaast. The sometimes cruel nature of competitive surfing was on full display in a decider where the Tahitian took the early initiative, leaving the Australian to play the waiting game for worthy waves, which never came. But his silver medal was the best surfing result by an Australian in the sport’s short history at the Games, beating Owen Wright who won bronze at the sport’s debut in Tokyo in 2021. South Western Times editor Amber Lilley said the organisation’s lengthy association with the award was a tremendous source of pride. “Our team are out on the sporting field taking photos, writing reports, on all of these awesome athletes,” she said. “To have a night when we can actually come together and share and celebrate them, and share them with the rest of the community beyond just our pages is a really big privilege.” The award is named in honour of the patriarch of the region’s famous Buswell family, who had a long association with the South Bunbury Football Club as well as being a Bunbury Cup-winning thoroughbred horse trainer. Buswell family representative Griffin Mitchell said the award had huge significance for his family. “It is a great privilege to stand up here and carry this award,” he said. “I’d like to thank the City of Bunbury, and the South Western Times for being a sponsor of this award.”