Indigenous Australians celebrate their culture and achievements in NAIDOC week

For a rising star in Australian surfing, Summer Simon, it's a chance to join her Indigenous peers to celebrate their shared culture and love of the ocean. At just 17, Port Kembla local Summer Simon is already making waves in the Australian surfing scene.

Summer Simon (SBS) Source: SBS

Simon started competing when she was 11 years old and has won the open women's Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles four times. 

A consistent top finisher in competitions, she's been nominated for awards alongside some of Australia's biggest sporting names, including A-F-L players Charlie Cameron and Daniel Rioli.  

A proud Birpai woman, Simon paints her own Indigenous designs on her surfboards and says her connection to culture has been a significant part of her life growing up. 

Her feeling of pride was passed on by her father, Mark Simon. 

Simon says the Indigenous surfing community in Australia is like an extended family. 

Her father says it’s their shared experiences that draw the community together.