SURF CLUB: DEC 3
The 6th and final surf club of the season went ahead on Saturday in head high, washing machine conditions at Clarks Beach.
Most surfers were riding shortboards or midlengths with a variety of fin configurations and plenty of legropes. Surf Club rules around equipment are very loose, you won't see surfboards being measured or weighed around here! The judging criteria is all that matters, rewarding surfing that is critical and classic, performed with speed, power and flow.
The waves were all over the place and a strong sweep had competitors fighting a losing battle against the current and slowly drifting down the beach. It was almost impossible to maintain position and the real challenge was getting in the right spot for a quick corner. The mood on the beach was high despite the odd rainshower and head judge Joe Hoffman kept the judging tent on track while competitors took turns judging each other's heats.
The womens division was short and sweet with two heats and a final. Standouts were Gabi and Cass who both managed to snare a few longer rides but it was Mia who took the event out, sniffing out some decent waves among the closeouts and styling through some nice turns on an original 70's midlength displacement hull.
The mens division saw some flashes of brilliance among the closeouts. The judges were treated to Kai Ellice-Flint getting vertical one minute and flying off the lip the next, some air drops and hot turns from Will Jones, John Wolfson lighting up some sandy barrels down the beach, Myles ready to explode off the top whenever he lucked into a decent one and Zac Arena Foster always in the spot, scoring some nice waves throughout the day. However it was Andy who took out the Mens division, picking off some great waves on his Acid 2020, finding a few barrels and landing some massive board-snapping floaters.
By around 2pm the comp was wrapped and it was back to Wild Things. Gabe from Postcard did a stellar job with the BBQ while everyone knocked back a few beers from Gage Roads Brew Co.
Surf Club #6 Results
Mens
1st Andy Findlay
2nd John Wolfson
3rd Zac Arena Foster
4th Will Jones
5th Myles Doughman
Womens
1st Mia Francis
2nd Gabi Streader
3rd Cass Hurrell
4th Eleanor McCready
After the presentation it was time to announce the season winners. In the mens division, not many consistently made it to the final. Myles Doughman made 3 finals and took out the win at the first surf club away event to win by a large margin. Meanwhile in the womens, Cass Hurrell was unbeatably consistent, having made it to the final in every single event. We were stoked to have these 2 humble legends take out the first season - both embody the spirit of the club, bringing along big smiles and generous natures wherever they go.
End of Season Ratings
Mens
1st Myles Doughman
Womens
1st Cass Hurrell
The next Surf Club meet (#1 of the 2023 Season) will be held on Saturday January 29, save the date! We will be more organised next year, with comp entry fees required to be paid prior to each event. More dates and details on the Surf Club info page, make sure you head over there and register for the 2023 Season :)
Photos by Wild Things, @byronwaves, @moonbiscuit
