Elder shortboarders (aged over-35) fought an uphill battle as the bcu Australian Surf Festival resumed in difficult one-foot waves at Gallows Beach today. Are you a BIG lover of 2023 Nude Calendars, find a big collection of 2023 Calendar here.
1999 Pipeline Masters runner-up Shane Wehner (Broulee, NSW) made light work of the tiny waves in the Over-35 Men, performing an eclectic mix of forehand and backhand snaps. The South Coast goofy-footer posted a solid 15.00 heat total (out of a possible 20 points) to leave his closest rivals chasing two-wave combinations to take away his top-spot.
Queensland surfers dominated the rest of the Over-35 Mens division with James Lewis (Burleigh Heads, Qld), David McGrath (Labrador, Qld) and Mark Richardson (Palm Beach, Qld) all taking wins and booking themselves a spot in the quarterfinals.
Mark Richardson was able to back up his Over-35 victory with an impressive performance in the Over-40 Mens division. The Gold Coast goofy-footer fought a tight battle with 2022 NSW Champion Justin Lee (Redhead, NSW), with both surfers posting heat totals in the 15-point range, however Richardson was able to take a victory by a 0.35-point margin.
Other Over-40 Mens winners included: Paul Parkes (Merewether, NSW), Ben Silk (Dicky Beach, Qld) and Glenn Pringle (Cronulla, NSW).
Local surfer Mark Cameron (Woolgoolga, NSW) was the standout performer in the Over-45 Men, notching up a 15.00 heat total. Cameron, performed multiple turns that wowed the judges and spectators and as a result, he was able to solidify his position in the quarterfinals.
Scott Baxter (Cronulla, NSW) was awarded the bcu money turn for a series of giant backside turns in the first round of the Over-50 Men. As a result, the man affectionately known as “No Legs” was awarded a $100 bank account courtesy of bcu.
bcu will be providing a $100 bank account for the #bcumoneyturn, which will be awarded daily to the surfer who executes the biggest turn as determined by the head judge.
More than 500 surfers from around Australia will contest the surfing showpiece from July 31- August 17 with National titles to be decided in Open Surfmasters, Longboard, Logger and Bodyboard divisions.
OPEN CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT BCU AUSTRALIAN SURF FESTIVAL.
The bcu Australian Surf Festival crowned its first batch of champions today with three NSW shortboarders claiming coveted Australian Titles.
Joey Sear (Cronulla, NSW) synced his powerful forehand repertoire with the tricky lineup, taking a win in the Open Mens division. The Cronulla goofy-footer smashed out a series of massive hooks to post a total of 15.90 (out of a possible 20 points) to claim the prestigious title. In an action packed final, all surfers managed to lock in heat totals in excess of 12.00 points. Fellow finalists Samba Mann (Coolangatta, Qld), Dale Lovelock (Warana, Qld) and former Australian champion Russ Molony (North Entrance, NSW) all showed moments of brilliance and remained within striking distance of the win, but when the final hooter sounded it was Sear who sealed the deal. All four finalists have booked their spot in the upcoming ISA World Surfing Games next year.
“I’ve been wanting to win an Aussie Title for so long now,” said Sear. “I trained really hard for this event and stayed off the alcohol in preparation for it, so to take it out is the best win of my life. I got to the final in 2022 and finished third to Russ, so to go two positions further feels incredible. The whole vibe of the final was awesome, everyone was calm and just took turns catching waves. It really adds to the good feeling when it’s like that.”
2022 Under-16 Australian Junior Champion Macy Callaghan (Avoca, NSW) added another accomplishment to her portfolio taking out the Open Womens division. The Central Coast surfer overcame some solid surfing from former WSL World Championship Tour surfer Claire Bevilacqua (Yallingup, WA) with a heat total of 14.25 and as a result cemented her spot into next year’s ISA World Surfing Games.
“It’s the best feeling to make a final with these guys as they’re some of Australia’s best,” said Callaghan. “I knew all these girls would have been really hard to beat, so I had to give it everything I could. I’m just so pumped to have won titles in the juniors and opens.”
Current NSW Champion, Nichola Turner (Cronulla, NSW) managed to find many diamonds in the rough, taking out the Over-35 Womens final. The Cronulla natural-footer linked together a chain of solid turns to post a respectable heat total of 9.75, which gave her the edge over fellow finalists, Sue Levett (Manly, NSW), Cheryl Peat (Seaford, NSW) and Sandra English (Budgewoi, NSW). The win has solidified Turner’s position in the upcoming ISA World Masters.
“I’m so lucky,” said Turner. “This was my next goal after winning state, so I’m over the moon to get the win. All these other women inspire me to surf better, so to get a win feels incredible.”
Claire Bevilacqua (Yallingup, WA) was awarded the bcu money turn for a series of giant backside turns in the quarterfinals of the Open Women. As a result, Bevilacqua was awarded a $100 bank account courtesy of bcu.
bcu will be providing a $100 bank account for the #bcumoneyturn, which will be awarded daily to the surfer who executes the biggest turn as determined by the head judge.
