The Instinct Big Wave Challenge Expression Session was surfed in huge waves at Durban´s New Pier today, and saw New Pier local Tommy Lawson and St Francis Bay´s Stanley Badger sharing the laurels and splitting the R3000 winner´s cheque. Lawson, a member of the old guard of South African surfing, was a standout throughout the three hour surf session, continually snagging the biggest set waves and using all the experience gained in his lengthy surfing career to put on an incredible display in front of a massive crowd.

 With the swell topping the four metre mark Lawson was continually in the right position despite an incredibly strong side-wash, and his performance was enough to win him the "Man of the Swell" accolade and R1500. "It was heavy out there," said Lawson after leaving the water, "you don´t understand how much water is moving around out there. I´m buggared." Another standout during the Instinct BWC Expression Session was St Francis. Bay surfer Stanley Badger. Although not catching as many waves as Lawson, Badger did manage to paddle into what everyone on the beach agreed was the wave of the contest.

 Taking off late and behind the peak Badger raced his way around the foamball and did a small turn off the top. He then drove hard off the bottom of the wave and set himself up perfectly for a tube-ride. As the wave enveloped Badger, he looked way too far back to come out, and everyone assumed he had gone down. But still, the wave was so big and the barrel so big. Maybe there was a way he was still going inside. Then spray came spewing out the mouth of the tube and Badger emerged, arms raised triumphantly above his head.

"To be honest I can´t actually remember much of that wave," said an elated Badger during his acceptance speech. "I remember the lip pitching over me and blocking out the sun, and then the turbulence started rocking my board and I thought I was going down. I had spray in my eyes and could barely see and suddenly I felt the wave blow and the next thing I knew I was out in the sunlight again. I was so stoked. I raised my arms above my head and couldn´t stop shouting!"

 The judges felt that Badger´s ride was too good not to be rewarded and so the decision was made that the prizemoney would be split between Badger and Lawson.

 In a day highlighted by several horrendous wipeouts, half a dozen broken boards and some incredible surfing, it´s unfortunate that only two surfers are lauded for their performance. The overall standard of surfing and the guts displayed by all the competitors were the true highlight of a great day.

Images shot during the contest are available from Atoll Media Services.
Contact Barry Tuck: bazza@zigzag.co.za