A stellar week of weather, waves and surfing, but it couldn’t last. Fortunately for competition, it wasn’t the waves that packed in, but a severe low pressure system caused the heavens to open.
Fortunately, the beach bar gave spectators a dry sanctuary from which to view the non-stop finals.
Nic Jones started a fantastic day of competition, dominant in the Under 18s division. Again opting for traditional equipment, the dynamic young surfer from Maroochydore matched his classic noserides with some more modern turns and was unstoppable, claiming the title convincingly. He returned to the water for the Men’s Open, sponsored by shapers, Classic Malibu. Tough competition from Nick Farago, Beau Nixon, Lawrence Harkness Oscar Lalor and Matt Mulder in the six-man heat didn’e deter Jones, an early 8.25-point wave placing him in a commanding position from the outset.
Sliding through the rain: an outstanding double-win for local Sunshine Coaster, Nic Jones
From only two waves surfed for the remainder of his heat, Jones registered another high score to make his win indisputable, Jones delighted at the double individual win.
The under 18 girls final saw six competitors pitted against each other, each of whom have been outstanding in their heats throughout the week. But opening her heat with a solid score, it was Kimberley Norman who showed form from the start. A huge heat of waves kept the judges frantically working, with 34 waves registered in 20 minutes.
Norman remained in the lead for a very well-earned victory.
The structural integrity of the judges’ tower was in question, a deluge unleashing upon the Sunshine Coast. But with staff desperately working under their feet, the judges and commentators carried on regardless as the age divisions took their turns in the glassy First Point waves.
Taiwanese surfer BayBay Niu, the only international finalist in the John Madill Toyota Senior Ladies final struggled to collect a high score, but of her eight waves, Peppi Simpson led the charge to be the one holding the trophy.
Of the men’s senior divisions, it was Eric Walker and Geoff Fanning, in the Men’s Over 60s and Over 50s respectively, who shone through the downpour, Walker in particular answering the challenge with a superb score.
David Hayes’ challenge was significantly greater, having to fight for every point and to move from last into first place when the horn sounded. A Valiant effort well justifying his rise to glory.
Contest director and winner of the Global One Design Challenge, Alan Atkins, was so enamoured with his Modern Old Skool Model that he decided to take one home for himself! Many years of competitions organized, judged and surfed in, this one of his very rare victories.
The Gents of the GSI One Design, led from the water by the directors - Alan Atkins, contest director (right) and Phil Jarratt, festival director (right)
The Smorgasboarder Magazine Family Challenge took place amid the confusion of having to temporarily move the judges and use pen and ink to clock their scores, and with no running scores for commentators, it was anyone’s guess who was leading. But Australian Longboard Champion Dane Wilson led his father to victory, two immense scores taking the pair into victory over Oscar and Bruce Lalor in second and George and Glen Cunningham in third.
Nic Jones was again a winner, this time in the Classic Malibu Clubs Competition. Again doing his sponsors proud, he led his Alexandra Headland club up into first, an unrelinquished position, despite a frantic tussle for second, the Deus Bali team, featuring Thomas Bexon, Matt Cuddihy and Jared Mell, finally taking the silver in the dying seconds.
Matt Cuddihy seemed to have passed out in the lineup, not scoring a single wave until inside the final five minutes – but what a wave. Another in the dying seconds was too close to call, but once scores were collated, his was the win over very prestigious company.
A surprisingly low-scoring Harrison Roach couldn’t match the astounding finless skills of Fred Branger, Branger using the rail of his board to rise and fall across the clean waves for some uniquely long rides. Branger’s two highest scores gave him a substantial win and a very wide grin.
The Golden Breed Noserider is always the event’s largest draw card, and this year, despite the continuing showers, was no exception.
Having registered some inordinately lengthy tip time all week, Harrison Roach entered the event firm favourite, but whether through complacency or simple bad luck, he was unable to deliver that potential.
The big scores cme from the twinkle-toed Zye Norris, another superb nasal navigator. Zye’s combined score over forty seconds of noseriding time.
“It was the first of the few years I’ve been entering the noserider that I made it into the final,” said Norris after his heat. “I was just happy to be there and then I ended up getting the first. I think having surfed First Point in the last couple of weeks gave me a little bit of an advantage. I’ve always looked up to Harrison [Roach], so beating him was a bit weird! It was good though, I almost feel like I should apologise to him. I wouldn’t say he has coached me, but he has helped me a lot through surfing and especially noseriding.”
The final contest of the day was the Laguna Bay Logger Pro, an excellent first year for this event, both in terms of response from the crowd and caliber of surfing.
And finally, Harrison Roach had his time to shine. An outstanding traditionalist, Harrison, piloted his traditionally styled board to a superb victory, ousting fellow local Matt Cuddihy to take the final gold medal of the 2012 Noosa Festival Of Surfing – another golden event for the 21st annual festival and more than a little inspiration for next year.
As the rain eased to a slow drizzle, the contestants gathered in the beach bar to tlak waves, collect trophies and enjoy the music of Tim Gaze and Peter Howe and later, the surf-rocking Otchkies.
(photo credits: Geoff Fanning / Noosa Festival Of Surfing)
