Michael Peterson & Dave Reardon-Smith : photo Steve Robertson

Rip Curl MP Classic

Men’s Open Speciality Event
Coolangatta Region, Queensland.
4 - 5 February 2006

DAVE REARDON-SMITH WINS RIP CURL MP CLASSIC & EARNS SPOT IN RIP CURL PRO TRIALS AT BELLS BEACH

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 5 February, 2006 : - - At the exciting climax of two awesome days of surfing in the Rip Curl MP Classic presented by Malibu, Dave Reardon-Smith (Yaroomba, QLD) has outclassed a strong 96-man field to win this year’s contest and end reigning three-time champion Shaun Gossman’s stranglehold on the title.

Great 4ft surf lined the Gold Coast’s Duranbah Beach all weekend and allowed the large contingent of Australian and International surfers to contest the fifth-annual event in ideal conditions.

For Reardon-Smith (age 27), consistency proved to be the key throughout the money rounds and when it came to the final four-surfer showdown, his explosive surfing proved too strong for Jai Boyce (West Tweed, NSW), Julian Wilson (Coolum Beach, QLD) and Scott Wildin (Tweed Heads, NSW).

Reardon-Smith’s final two-wave combined heat score of 15.66 points included an 8.83 single wave score – an awesome effort on the back of the perfect 10 he scored in his semi-final. Boyce finished a close runner-up with 15.36, Wilson in third with 15.07 and Wildin fourth with a score of 14.07.

The win scored Reardon-Smith a tidy cash prize and a unique spot in the Trials event of this year’s Rip Curl Pro Surf & Music Festival being held at Victoria’s Bells Beach this April.

“I am so stoked about today and can’t wait for the Rip Curl Pro Trials at Bells,” said the Yaroomba surfer straight after the final. I actually thought I was in third and needed another good wave, but when I came in I heard them announce that I won, so I’m just stoked. I had a slow start in the final and was worried at the half way mark that I had used up all my big scores, but in the end I did enough.”

A surprise missing part of the four-man final at the end of the day was reigning MP Classic champion Shaun Gossman, who looked strong as the event favourite all weekend. The 23-year-old’s luck ran out in the semis though when Reardon-Smith and Boyce went point crazy.

“I’m pretty disappointed. I had a pretty bad heat and was kind of unlucky, but that happens and I guess some other lucky guy gets to win it this year,” said the South African expatriate and recent Australian citizen. I’m actually pretty annoyed about the hassling that was going on – it was rough out there. The guys obviously wanted to try and prove something by hassling me, but when you do that you kind of put yourself out and that’s what happened to Beau [Emerton].”

“I really wanted to win the contest, but it’s a heat and I guess I’ll forget about that stuff tomorrow. I’ll be back next year for sure.”

The Rip Curl MP Classic presented by Malibu is held on the Gold Coast in honour of legendary surfer of the 1970s, Michael ‘MP’ Peterson. MP was the epitome of a surfing hero during his era, ruling Queensland’s famous point breaks and dominating the professional competition scene.

A mental illness ended MP’s surfing career prematurely, but he has remained associated with Rip Curl ever since and is proud to be involved with this Surfing Queensland specialty event.

Rip Curl co-founder Doug ‘Claw’ Warbrick has been spending time onsite at D’bah with MP throughout the weekend and is rapt with how the event stepped up in its fifth year.

“The standard of surfing has been really high - I think higher than we’ve seen in the past few years,” said Warbrick. “I’ve seen a lot of radical and progressive surfing and the whole field has really stepped up this year. I think the conditions have been terrific – there’s been very good waves, with plenty of size and punch, which have allowed the guys to do the big moves that score best and get barrels."

“I think there is something really special about this event,” he continued. “Michael, of course, comes from Coolangatta and he broke a lot of boundaries in his own surfing and set new standards in competition. He was probably one of the very first to display modern and aggressive fast surfing. He started it all, right here in Coolangatta, so I think it’s really appropriate that we’re holding an event here in his honour. He comes down here every year and it’s fabulous to have him on the beach.”

With new presenting sponsor Malibu’s contribution this year, the event also swelled in stature and became part of Surfing Australia’s High Performance Camp Training Program for 2006. All of the young surfers involved in the Australian Junior Squad Trials at Casuarina Beach this month were entered into the event, with their results contributing to the final judging criteria. Wilson was obviously the standout squad member, but NSW trio Davey Cathels (Narrabeen), Matt Wilkinson (Copacabana) and Owen Wright (Culburra) also impressed – all of them making the quarter-final round.

The outstanding level of Australian junior surfing was further illustrated in Saturday’s Malibu Expression Session, where Wilson and Wright won ‘Best Overall Surfer’ and ‘Best Maneuver’ awards respectively. Current ISA Girl’s World Junior Champion Steph Gilmore also surfed in the Malibu Expression Session after being personally invited by MP last week.

Wilson was arguably the standout surfer all weekend, also taking home the three highest heat totals of the event – the highest being 19.27 out of a possible 20 points.

Rip Curl MP Classic presented by Malibu Results
1. Dave Reardon-Smith - 15.66
2. Jai Boyce - 15.36
3. Julian Wilson - 15.07
4. Scott Wildin - 14.07.

Malibu Expression Session Results
‘Best Overall Surfer Award’ - Julian Wilson (Coolum, QLD)
‘Best Maneuver Award’ - Owen Wright (Culburra, NSW)
Malibu made a $500 donation to ON TRACK Community Program - a non-profit organisation which provides support in the areas of Mental Health.

The Tracks Magazine Best Barrel award was won by Jai Boyce (West Tweed), who scored a deep tube ride in his ‘Round of 32’ heat win.

RIP CURL MP CLASSIC FAST FACTS
What: Rip Curl MP Classic
Dates: February 4th & 5th, 2005
Location: Mobile event on the Gold Coast, Queensland
Entry: c/o Surfing Queensland by phoning (07) 5520 1165
Status: Men’s, Open to all ages
Surfing Australia Rating: Specialty Event
Prize Money: $10,000
Sponsors: Presented by Malibu with media partner Tracks magazine
Competition History: The first MP Classic was held in February 2002, staged by the Kirra Surfriders club to celebrate the great association MP had with Kirra Point and to honour their most famous life member.
Past Winners: 2002 - Shane Bevan, Kingscliff, NSW; 2003, 2004 & 2005 - Shaun "Goose Man" Gossman, South Africa/Gold Coast Qld
Big names: There will be plenty of great surfers at the event. Keep an eye on Gossmann and 2002 winner Shane Bevan, Kingscliff’s Shane Bevan and locals Samba Mann and Dave Reardon-Smith.

www.ripcurl.com

Previous reports:
# 1 : Rip Curl MP Classic set to score great waves at w/end 
# 2 : Shaun Gossman out for 4th win at Rip Curl MP Classic

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Steve Robertson

Dane Sharp
dsharp@ripcurl.com.au

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