State Longboard Series '06 gets underway at Yallingup
Claire Finucane : photo courtesy Surfing Australia
State Longboard Series2006
Surfing WA Yallingup Australia 8- 9 April 2006
Former State champ returns to competition while new kid on the block looks set to shake up ratings
Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 10 April, 2006 : - - It was like stepping back into the 60’s at Yallingup Beach over the weekend as 100 of the states top long boarders congregated to contest the first of 3 long boarding state rounds. A record number of participants were aiming to do their best at the first round with the National titles to be held at the same beach towards the end of the year, competitors were amping for a good result.
Local favorite Justin Redman (Dunsborough) was a noticeable absence from the event. Multiple state title winner and fourth at the world title in Brazil a few years ago, Redman had to pull out of the due to a knee injury. “I’ am really disappointed about not having been able to compete in the event, I really wanted to do well as the National titles will be held here, on my home break, but with the ligament damage I have done to my knee, I just couldn’t compete” said Redman.
In the open womens division Claire Finucane (Melville) returned to competition after a one year break. Finucane who has been crowned the overall state womens champion for the last three years (apart from last year) also has the prestigious title of 2001 national Australian champion and she showed the spectators, judges and competitors why.
Her smooth flowing style and powerful manoeuvres gave the other competitors a reality check, but new kid on the block, local girl Crystal Simpson from Yallingup was constantly reminding Finucane that a time is coming for a changing of the guard.
The two battled it out for first place, but Finucanes contest savy won over relative Simpson to give her victory with Arlene Nagtzaam (Yallingup) placing third and Sam Vanderford (Scarborough) fourth.
The much anticipated open mens final was left wide open with the absence of Justin Redman. Jarryd Foster (Yallingup) flew the flag for the local contingent, but only just, as Jason Belcher (Woodvale) left no room for error.
Belcher consistently pushed Foster as the two put on a display of new and old school moves for the judges that had the two tied during the final 7 minutes of the heat.
Foster picked off a long peeling wall and basically wrote his name on the wave face with a series of top to bottom manoeuvres on the long left hand peeling wall to cement a win by just 0.16 of a point ahead of Belcher, 1.42 points ahead of Brett Merrifield (Yallingup) in third and 2.23 pts in front of Michael Corbett (City Beach) in fourth.
In one of the closest long boarding finals seen for some time even the finalists did not know who had won.
“That was a pretty close final. I knew Jase had been racking up some points and it kind of went quite for a while out in the water. I saw this lump starting to loom and knew I had to get it, and for the wave to just keep walling up was an added bonus. I’m pretty stoked to win here at Yalls, it’s just a pity the waves weren’t as good as Saturday, but you get that surfing in competitions”, said Foster.
With seventeen and half hours of surfing to be run over two days the pressure was on, not only with the judges and competitors, but also the officials. Added to this a total of 11 divisions had to be surfed in the two day event. Contest director Ray Barker from Margaret River also announced his retirement as contest director to be concluded at the end of this year.
“I have had so much fun at these events and I thought it was about time to hand the reins over to some new blood. All I want to do is go surfing”, said Barker. Barker a high school teacher from Margaret River will leave a hard act to follow as his regimental approach to making the events run smooth and like clockwork will be a dubious task for anyone to match.
In the other division on offer Grace Clifford from Cottesloe took out the under 18 girls with Chris Churack (Dunsborough) winning the under 18’s boys. In the O’Fysh’l fins under 21 final it was Jarryd Foster who again had a win just pipping Michael Mc Cormick from City Beach, while Kevin Anderson (North Fremantle) nearly comboed the pack in the under 40’s final for an easy win.
Sam Vanderford (Scarborough) and Arlene Nagtzaam (Yallingup) had a close encounter, but not of the third kind. The two surfed to a frenzy constantly matching each others and catching anything that resembled a wave. As the final siren sounded Vanderford had done enough to relegate Nagtzaam into second place to win.
Yallingup local identity Bob Monkman had an easy win over Mick Marlin (Mandurah) after Marlin received an interference call on Monkman in the over 55 mens. The two who have a friendly rivalry in the water were amazed at just how close it could have gone either way.
In the over 45 mens Peter Collison from Mandurah just snuck in front of Barrie Mc Kinnon (Kallaroo) by just 0.04 of a point to win the final while in the over 50’s final former world professional short boarder Chris Fulston (Yallingup) took out fist place in the over 50’s division ahead of Dunsboroughs Gary Tucker.
David Ellis from Bussleton had a win over Yallingup local Kevin Merrifield in the over 60’s men with Adam Lane (Dunsborough) sending David Barlow (Greenwood) into second place for a win on the over 35’s division.
The action will continue to hot up in the next round to be held on 3rd – 4th June at Coronation Beach in Geraldton, as all competitors are more than keen to represent WA on their home soil at Yallingup later this year.
The Coca Cola Junior Surfer award is presented to one junior surfer within each discipline, who has demonstrated their ability and sportsmanship. Ryan Wright from Geraldton and Grace Clifford (Cottesloe) were the proud recipients of the award for the first round.
Proudly supported by: Sunsmart, O’Fish’L Fins, Lumeah Limestone, Yallingup Beach Holiday Park, Coca Cola, 92.9, Surfing WA
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