With the 2018-19 13th Beach Boardriders screaming to the finale and with no back up dates prior to the presentation night and with very poor, wet and onshore conditions on offer, contest Directors had the unenviable decision of which break to run the senior event at.
Further with a number of divisions being decided on the placings in this last event it was a huge decision that rested on their shoulders. After assessing all options it was decided to hold the event at Cylinders.
13th tradition dictates that results for the final comp of the season sponsored by Monsta Surf are held back until the presentation night, so only finalists will be mentioned and not their placings.
Once again in the Masters Division we saw Greg Bassett dominate as he has all season. And with a little over three points separating the next five surfers the minor places in the aggregate points will be very close. Craig Lloyd, Mark Hutson, Jeremy Slattery Trevor Sopovski and Shane Vincent are all in the mix.
This year the Senior Men’s Division has been the closest for many years with no one really taking a significant lead in the aggregate points tally. All of this competition’s finalists, Shaun Todd, Christian Pritchett, Tim Edwards and Dave Smith are all in with a chance.
Open B saw a very tight contest in the tough conditions with none of the surfers able to take a significant lead, Sam Magasic, Justin Lowe and Samuel Blackburn battled for the top position and Lars Planke and Matt Seehusen were left hunting for good scores.
The race for the Open A Title has been close all year and results in this final event will not only determine the Club Champion but also who will take out this year’s prize of a trip to the Mentawais thanks to the great team at Surf In Mentawais.
Last year’s winner Shaun Todd is in the tightest of battles with Josh Johnson-Baxter. Both surfers made the final along with Michael Crapp and Jasper Blair.
The Grom Divisions fared much better on the Sunday with favourable conditions at Ocean Grove Main Beach. Again with many titles being decided on the results of this event there was a strong member turn out and the competition was fierce.
The Under 14 Boys final was an epic event, with Jet Lamperd, Isaiah Norling, Taz Higging, Otis Cotter and Jack Bassett going wave for wave and producing scores in the good to excellent range. This talented group of young guys surf with style and skill rarely seen in this age group and are to be congratulated on their efforts.
Max Bassett, Jerry Kelly, Taj McPhee, Finbar Crapp, Brodie Scott and Macklin Pritchett all made the Under 12 Boys Final and surfed to a very high level with very little separating them when the final hooter sounded.
The Under 12 Girls have made great progress in their surfing over the season and this final event showcased that progress. Dahlia Feldman, Ruby Edwards, Teagan Evans, Andi Beardsley and Kaia Martin displayed great skills and awareness in their tight final.
With many of the Under 10s in their first season of competition, they too are making steady progress in their surfing ability and the all-important surf awareness knowledge. The season final for this division was made up of Cove McPhee, Kia Pritchett, Felix Todd, Kia Coleman, Jackson Collier and Josh Beardsley.
As with the Under 10 Boys, for most of the Under 10 Girls this is their first competitive season. They too are making rapid progress with their surfing ability and are progressing extremely well. In the last final in this division Alexi Feldman took on Arrabella Amos, Lilly Sopovoski, Iluka O’Loughlin, Addison Lawless and Lalani Robinson.
Loads of fun was had in the Under 8 Mixed Expression Session which saw Alby Nuzum, Bay Lamperd, Luke Sopovski, Lachie Collier, Pat Edwards and Malia O’Loughlin catch a heap of waves.
Unfortunately due to the extreme cold weather, numbers in the Under 6 Mixed Division were down on previous comps. That didn’t stop Phoebe Todd and Ashton Edwards having a blast in the water and catching some ripping waves.
All members are reminded that the club presentation will be held on Saturday 1 June. For all the details check our social media outlets.
Finally 13th Beach Boardriders would like to send a huge thank you to all our sponsors, committee members, helpers and parents for making this a fantastic year for the club.
See you in the surf.
Gaz
