Poeti Norac dead at 24 – French surfing champion dies weeks after moving to Australia

The death of Poeti Norac (pictured) has prompted tributes to to 'a beautiful person with a radiant smile'. Photo / Instagram.

What caused the death of a French surfing champion who had only recently moved to Queensland's Sunshine Coast remains unclear.

Rising star Poeti Norac had moved to Australia a few months ago to continue her lifelong passion of chasing waves.

Poeti, from the Vendée region in France, started surfing with her father Bruno aged six in the seaside town Les Sables d'Olonne.

She specialised in longboard surfing after switching from shortboard, and had been competing in the discipline for 10 years.

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@oxbow_elle bikinis and warm water very soon 👙☀️🌊

A post shared by Poeti Norac 🐚 (@poetinorac) on Nov 26, 2019 at 1:35am PST

A finalist four times in France's national championships, she came second in 2018 and third in 2016.

She also won 10 victories in the Coupe du France.

A ceremony will be held to celebrate her life soon, the French Surfing Federation said.

"The surfing community has lost a family member, a beautiful person with a radiant smile, an artist on her board and whose enthusiasm radiated in the Vendée and everywhere else," the federation said.

It also hailed her as an "outstanding educator" who "transmitted her passion for surfing and the ocean".

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Salty and free 🍂 || 📸: @alex_s_heil for @oxbow_elle #surferswithattitude

A post shared by Poeti Norac 🐚 (@poetinorac) on Oct 24, 2019 at 12:42pm PDT