Ben King Memorial Classic

Presented by Ocean & Earth
Byron Bay NSW
14 - 16 April 2006

HIGH SCORES FROM AUSTRALIA’S BEST SURFERS

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 16 April, 2006 : - - Yerin Brown took the win and local grommets were in great form for the final day of the Ben King Memorial Classic. In the 31st year of the Byron Bay Easter Classic the event was renamed after the sudden passing of Byron Bay Boardriders President and local legend Ben King. Competitors put on a magnificent display for spectators in 1 to 2 metre beach breaks at Broken Head south of Byron Bay, with the finals of all divisions completed today. 

Brown dominated the 20 minute final, leading from start to finish, his first wave an 8.77, his second an 8.00 to leave the other finalists chasing his score for the rest of the final. Brown surfed fast and loose in the sometimes bumpy conditions, his vertical and sometime sliding attack rewarded by the judges. Local 17 year old grommet Ellis Ericson scored 2nd place, upsetting some top Open surfers on the way to the final, and although he did not make the junior final his performance in the Open final was one of a much more experienced surfer. Gold Coast surfers Damon Harvey and Dane Hamilton placed 2nd and 3rd, not able to find the waves the local lads were dominating on their home turf.

Brown and Hamilton eliminated former WCT surfer Luke Hitchings in the semi-finals, but Hitchings still picked up the award for best manoeuvre and highest scoring wave for his effort in the quarter-finals, Yerin Brown also picked up the best tube award. 

Point Lookout surfer Lincoln Taylor grabbed a win in the Junior Men division, his first wave putting him in sight of a win, but he did not find a second solid wave to seal the final until the later part of the heat. Kingscliff surfer Cameron Gleave took second place and the award for best air.  

In the Cadets the Byron Boys took control, Garrett Parkes winning in dominant fashion scoring 18.04 out of a possible 20 points, his good mate and son of Ben King, Kurt, grabbed 2nd place. Parkes also place 3rd in the Junior division taking on the older surfers with ease. 

In all nine divisions were surfed from the fleas (Under 12) to
Legends (Over 50’s), Byron local and good friend of Ben King, Neil “Freddo” Cameron won the Legends and placed fourth in the Masters to have a great event, the older “Energizer Bunny” surfing many heats on his way to the two finals. 

The beach observed a 2 minute silence in respect for King just before the Open final, and after such a brilliant event it is sure to continue for many years.

Results Ben King Memorial Classic 

Open Men
1st Yerin Brown              Byron Bay                                 16.77
2nd Ellis Ericson              Byron Bay                                 14.20
3rd Damon Harvey           Coolangatta                               13.00
4th Dane Hamilton           Currumbin                                 11.27

Junior    Men
1st Lincoln Taylor            North Stradbroke Island              16.00
2nd Cameron Gleave        Kingscliff                                   12.30
3rd Garrett Parkes          Byron Bay                                 12.03
4th Madison Williams      Coffs Harbour                             11.50 

Legends
1st Neil Cameron            Byron Bay         12.84
2nd Mick Birch                Byron Bay         12.67
3rd Chris Bourke             Byron Bay         8.34
4th James Dodds            Byron Bay         6.83 

Senior Men’s (Over 28 Years)
1st Matt Hurworth            Cabarita            14.90
2nd Dean Hall                 Miami               12.77
3rd Ant Mikkelides          Byron Bay         11.40
4th Michael Norman        Casuarina          11.40

Masters (Over 40 years)
1st Max Perot                 Lennox Head                 16.70
2nd Mick Savage            Byron Bay                     15.50
3rd Mark Traucneiks        Palm Beach                  13.04
4th Neil Cameron            Byron Bay                     11.00 

Cadets (Under 16 years)
1st Garrett Parkes                       Byron Bay                     18.04
2nd Kurt King                              Byron Bay                     13.93
3rd Thomas Woods                     Burleigh Heads              10.93
4th James Woods                       Burleigh Heads              8.50 

Fleas (Under 12 years)
1st Sol Bailey                             Byron Bay                     15.50
2nd Angus Steeles                      Lennox Head                 10.33
3rd Dylan Hunt                                                                9.50
4th Jonah Lloyd                                                               4.83

Open Women
1st Carly Smith                           Byron Bay                     14.66
2nd Jenny Boggis                        Byron Bay                     10.70
3rd Lisa Blackmore                     Mermaid Beach             10.06
4th Charni Deane                        Minni Waters                 7.30 

Junior Women
1st Aurora Ericson                      Byron Bay                     12.8
2nd Bridey McNeven                    Tugun                           10.46
3rd Lyla Wright                           Lennox Head                 8.23
4th Isabella Spingis                     Lennox Head                 4.60


Previous report:
Ben King Memorial Classic draws some of top Aussies


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Terry “Tappa” Teece
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