Otago Surfing Championships

Dunedin surfers dominate Otago Champs

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 12 February, 2006 : - - Surfers from the Dunedin club, Southcoast Boardriders dominated the championship titles at the Otago Surfing Championships held on the Dunedin Coast over the weekend.

Strong northerly winds and a heavy easterly swell proved to be testing for competitors at Blackhead for Saturday’s elimination rounds however the 1 – 1.5m waves and brilliant sunshine at the Spit, Aramoana were excellent for Sunday’s finals.

Brian “Jock” Benfell, one of Dunedin’s foremost boardriders during the 1970’s, returned to Dunedin from Melbourne in Australia to duel with his old mates and win the Legends (Over 50) division. In other age divisions some competitors batlled out multiple finals with Mac Wilson surfing in the Open Men, Senior and Masters finals to claim the Senior (Over 28) Championship title. Richard Ayson, Otago Open Men’s Champion in 1990, 1993 and 1994, revelled in the conditions to take out the Masters title and finish runner-up to Mac Wilson in the Seniors.

Hayley Coakes produced her best performance to win the Women’s ahead of Tash Civil’s powerful turns and the experience of Nicola Jones while 15yr old Leroy Rust showed a lot of potential to take out both the Cadet and Junior titles.

Defending champion Nat Parsons pulled the big moves to win the blue riband Open Men’s division from 2001/2002 champ Brad Melville. Mac Wilson continued his consistent performance to finish in third place with Simon Dickie fourth.

The Southcoast Boardriders club is celebrating it’s 40th. Anniversary this year and the successful 2006 Otago Surfing Championships was a great way to start a year of celebrations.

Results: 

OPEN MEN                                     WOMEN                                    LONGBOARD

1.         Nat Parsons                                1.         Hayley Coakes                         1.         Simon Dickie

2.         Brad Melville                                2.         Tash Civil                                 2.         Neville Lewis

3.         Mac Wilson                                  3.         Nicola Jones                            3.         Tony Clyne

4.         Simon Dickie                                4.         Katie Buxton                            4.         Grant Godbaz

CADET                                       JUNIOR                                                   SENIOR

1.         Leroy Rust                                  1.         Leroy Rust                                1.         Mac Wilson

2.         Tom Bracegirdle                          2.         Luke Grubb                               2.         Richard Ayson

3.         Ben Bennett                                3.         Robert Ratten                            3.         Brad Melville

4.         Geordi Dearns                             4.         Corey Westhead                      4.         Justin Summerton

MASTERS                                               SENIOR MASTERS                              LEGENDS

1.         Richard Ayson                            1.         Mark Stevenson                       1.         Brian Benfell

2.         John De Graaf                             2.         Mark Richardson                      2.         Graham Dickie

3.         Mac Wilson                                  3.         Chris McLeod                           3.         Tony Clyne

4.         Justin Summerton                        4.         Steve Clark                              4.         Pat O’Neill

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Pat O'Neill
p-oneill@xtra.co.nz@xtra.co.nz

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