Billabong Welsh National Championships 2003

Welsh Surfing Federation
Freshwater Bay, Wales
3 - 5 May 2003

Hot action all weekend as national titles were on the line

This year’s Welsh National Championships were held at Freshwater West on 3rd/5th May. The contest started at Freshwater West on Saturday in 2-3 foot surf with a howling south-westerly wind.

We ran the first rounds of the Cadets and finished the finals of the Youth and Grommet divisions. Unfortunately due to the strength of the winds we finished earlier than we would have liked and abandoned plans to run anything else that day.

On Sunday the surf was around 4-6 foot and we ran the Open first round but due to the big swell and the dropping tide the judges were unable to see so we moved to Manorbier Beach where conditions were around 2-3 foot. We finished the Cadets, Open Bodyboard, Junior Bodyboard, Junior Longboard and Junior Girls.

On Monday the swell had dropped along although it as still windy and the contest was completed at Freshwater West finishing at about 17.30.

There were some standout performances throughout the weekend apart from the finals – some of those deserving a mention are Gemma Harris in the Open Bodyboard, Colm Garrett, Nick Swinnerton, Craig Aubrey and Mark Vaughan in the Open, Craig Bright and Glen Welsh in the Cadets.

Mark Griffith retained his title in the Bodyboard, Eliot Dudley (more usually seen on a Longboard) took the Juniors, Harry Cromwell was Cadet Champion while Glen Welsh won the Youth. Dan Harris won back his Longboard title that he took in 2001 and Nick Dowrick took the Junior Longboard title from Eliot Dudley. Matt Stephens won the Seniors while Cat Thomson defeated Chris Griffiths in the Masters. Luke Cromwell was Under 20 Champion and Jack Crisp won the Grommet category. We have a new Women’s Champion with Vicky Travers taking the title and Jaydene Kerton took the Junior Girl trophy. Greg Owen blitzed the Open final and won back the title he held in 2000.

The WSF would like to thank Billabong for their continued support, Globe shoes, Point Braek Surf Shop, Bear, Urban Lifestyle, PJ’s Surf Shop, Billabong and Gower Surf Company for donating prizes, all the judges, Daisy for tabulating, Huw John, Andy, The Speculation Inn, Dean Gough, Snack Attack and anyone else who helped.

RESULTS SHOWN BELOW

OPEN            
    1    GREG OWEN    WELSH COAST
    2    CHRIS SEAGE    WELSH COAST
    3    JEREMY EVENS    
    4    CHRIS FRENCH    LANGLAND BOARDRIDERS

JUNIOR (under 18)            
    1    ELIOT DUDLEY    
    2    SAM BURKETT    GOWER BAYS
    3    TOM CALCUTT    GOWER BAYS
    4    RHYS MORRIS    GOWER BAYS

WOMENS SURF            
    1    VICKI TRAVERS    PEMBS
    2    KARI KNUTSEN-REES    GOWER BAYS
        ISOBEL PULLEN    
    4    ANNE GALLAGHER    

LONGBOARD            
    1    DAN HARRIS    ABERAFAN
    2    ELIOT DUDLEY    
    3    CHRIS GRIFFITHS    
    4    COLIN BRIGHT    CHANNEL COAST

SENIOR(OVER28)
                 1    MATT STEPHENS    LANGLAND BOARDIDERS
    2    MARK VAUGHAN    CHANNEL COAST
    3    JAMIE BATEMAN    CHANNEL COAST
    4    JEREMY EVANS

     MASTERS(OVER 35)
                 1    CAT THOMSON    LANGLAND BOARDRIDERS
    2    CHRIS GRIFFITHS
         3    CHRIS FRENCH    LANGLAND BOARDRIDERS
    4    COLIN BRIGHT    CHANNEL COAST

OPEN BODYBOARD            
    1    MARK GRIFFITHS    ABERAFAN
    2    GEMMA HARRIS    ABERAFAN
    3    NICK DAVID    
    4    KEITH USHER    GOWER BAYS

JUNIOR BODYBOARD            
    1    LOUIS WELSH     CHANNEL COAST
    2    MATTHEW JEFFRIES    CHANNEL COAST

WOMENS BODYBOARD            
    1ST    GEMMA HARRIS    ABERAFAN

CADET(UNDER 16)            
    1    HARRY CROMWELL    PEMBS
    2    SAM BURKETT    GOWER BAYS
    3    RHYS MORRIS    GOWER BAYS
    4    TOM CALCUTT    GOWERBAYS

             YOUTH(UNDER 14)
    1    GLEN WELSH     CHANNEL COAST
    2    TOM MORAN    
        ROBERT WEBSTER-BLYTHE
         4    MAX TUCKER

     GROMMET(UNDER 12)
    1    JACK CRISP
         2    SASHA GRIFFITHS    
    3    MAX TUCKER    

JUNIOR LONGBOARD            
    1    NICK DOWRICK    GOWER BAYS
    2    ELIOT DUDLEY    
    3    HUW WILLIAMS    
    4    ADAM MAPHLIN    

JUNIOR GIRL            
    1    JAYDENE KERTON    
    2    ALYSSA PODESTA    CHANNEL COAST

UNDER 20            
    1    LUKE CROMWELL    PEMBS
    2    STEPHEN PHILLIPS    CHANNEL COAST
    3    CHARLIE SIME
         4    CHRIS PARRY

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