Western Australia crowns school surfing champions

Brownes Chill WA School Surfing Titles
Presented by SunSmart

Surifng Western Australia
Various locations in Western Australia
August 2012

Margaret River Senior High 2012 Champion Surfing School

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 27 August, 2012 : - - Competitors for the Brownes Chill WA School Surfing Titles Finals were greeted by perfect conditions with clean 2-3 feet waves (1.5 metres) which suited the South-West surfers who dominated this year’s competition.

The State Final was the conclusion to a two-week long state-wide search for WA's best school surfing talent, with Margaret River proving difficult to beat winning four out of eight divisions and taking out the title of Champion Surfing School for a record seventh consecutive year. 

Trigg Beach transformed into a battlefield as 26 high schools from as far north as Kalbarri and as far south as Albany and everywhere in between converged for their chance to represent WA in the upcoming Australian Junior Titles to be held in Nubeena Beach, Tasmania in December.

Surfing Western Australia Event Manager Justin Majeks said that the event has been a great opportunity for schools and students to compete in a fun, safe and enjoyable environment. “To see so many kids from right across WA come together at once, representing their school was truly awesome. It's clear that this generation of kids are pushing the sport in the right direction... To see over 110 metro and regional competitors all participating gives me a real buzz." He said.

Standout surfers for the event were Margaret River’s junior pairing of Jacob Willcox and Shaun Manners who provided the day's highlights with some electric surfing. Manners threaded some amazing tube rides and Willcox was the only surfer to claim a perfect 10 point ride on route to the win.

The duo displayed futuristic moves and smooth flowing styles which was the difference as Margaret River went on to defeat Lachy Ross and Austin Taylor from Denmark Senior High in second with Fletcher Cremasco and Riley Hole from Kalbarri District High in third place.

“I'm just really happy to have the chance to surf with Jacob at the National Titles, the waves were really fun today which made a big difference,” said Shaun Manners after the final.

Margaret River's Josh Burke and Harry Wise were pushed in the senior boys surfing final by Peter Dwyer and Mitch Corbett from John XXIII College in Mount Claremont. Burke and Wise adapted to the afternoon conditions best and the duo will now head to Tasmania in December to take on the best U19 schools teams in the country.

Sister act Hannah and Ella Massie (Margaret River) took out the Senior Girls Surfing division from MacKillop Catholic College's Marie Bradley and Abbey Thomas in second with St Mary's pairing of Maddi Sharpless and Nicola Tate in third place. "This is the stuff all sisters dream of doing, winning surfing events and getting to go away to compete together is going to be so exciting." Hannah Massie said.

It was another South-West school that went on to win the Junior Girls Surfing divisions, with Mackillop Catholic College in Busselton showing their class as Eliza Greene and Maleeka Gasbarri defeated Emi Campbell and Ruby Adams from Denmark Senior High School.

In the bodyboarding divisions, Mandurah Catholic College's Davis Blackwell and Billy Jones out-shone Christchurch Grammar School's Dave Barclay and Beau Christian winning a closely fought affair in the Senior Boys Bodyboard Final, while for the Senior Girls Prendiville College defeated Mackillop Catholic College.

In the Junior Boys Bodyboard final Peter Moyes Anglican School team members Blake Gerrard and Matt Roberts defeated Prendiville College's Josh O'brien and Nathan Hutchins. Margaret River Senior High's Molly Ryan and Indi Nikulinski defeated Prendiville College in the Junior Girls Bodyboard Final.

The 2012 Chill WA School Surfing Titles is Surfing WA's biggest participation based event and saw over 45 metropolitan and regional high schools enter over 250 teams and more than 600 students pull on coloured rash vests in an event which has seen the sport of surfing and physical activity promoted to new and existing schools right across WA.

As surfing and bodyboarding continues to grow in popularity, more and more high schools are incorporating the sport into their outdoor and physical education programs. In turn, the standard of competition at the Chill WA School Titles has increased as more and more students are ditching the traditional school sports of football and netball and have been picking up surfboards and bodyboards and taking part in a truly unique inter-school sporting event.

Attention now turns to a series of training weekend in the coming months to best prepare the WA Junior Surfing Team for the upcoming National Titles in Nubeena Beach Tasmanina in December.

School Titles Final Results:
Champion School: Margaret River Senior High
Runner Up School: Mackillop Catholic College
Third Place School: Prendiville College    
 
Senior Boys Surfing:
Champion School:      Margaret River Senior High (Josh Burke & Harry Wise)
Runner Up School:     John XXIII College (Peter Dwyer & Mitch Corbett)
 
Senior Girls Surfing:
Champion School :     Margaret River Senior High (Hannah & Ella Massie)
Runner Up School:     Mackillop Catholic College (Marie Bradley & Abbey Thomas)
 
Junior Boys Surfing:
Champion School:      Margaret River Senior High (Jacob Wilcox & Shaun Manners)
Runner Up School:     Denmark Senior High (Lachy Ross & Austin Taylor)
Third Place School:    Kalbarri District High (Fletcher Cremasco & Riley Hole) 
 
Junior Girls Surfing:
Champion School:      Mackillop Catholic College (Eliza Greene & Maleeka Gasbarri)
Runner Up School:     Denmark Senior High (Emi Campbell & Ruby Adams)

Senior Boys Bodyboarding:
Champion School:    Mandurah Catholic College (Davis Blackwell & Billy Jones)
Runner Up School:  Christchurch Grammar School (Dave Barclay & Beau Christian)

Senior Girls Bodyboarding:
Champion School:      Prendiville College (Tarnica Golisano & Jorja Murphy)
Runner Up School:     Mackillop Catholic College (Remy Bernhardt & Amalia Lambert)
Third Place School:    St Stephens Duncraig (Lisa Hindmarsh & Chantelle Herman)
 
Junior Boys Bodyboarding:
Champion School:       Peter Moyes Anglican School (Blake Gerrard & Matt Roberts)
Runner Up School:      Prendiville College (Josh O'Brien & Nathan Hutchins)
Third Place School:     Ocean Reef Senior High (Bailey Holmes & Jesse Franklin)

Junior Girls Bodyboarding:
Champion School:      Margaret River Senior High (Molly Ryan & Indi Nikulinski)
Runner Up School:     Prendiville College (Ruby Cunnigham & Ashlen De Prizio)

www.surfingwa.com.au
www.schoolsportwa.com.au/Sports/Surfing.htm

Source: Surfing Western Australia

Author: Justin Majeks / Nick Woolacott

Tags: Surfing Western Australia, Brownes Chill, Milk, Junior Titles

Events: Surfersvillage