RAY GILL
MEMORIAL BODYSURFING CONTEST -
presented by
BODYSURFING AUSTRALIA Inc.
8TH MAY 2005

Mother's Day, 8th May 2005 - saw 48 of Australia's Best Bodysurfers get stuck into the waves at beautiful Avalon Beach for the Innaugural Ray Gill Memorial Bodysurfing Contest.

The conditions looked bleak for the preceeding days with a complete lack of swell, but "we-know-who" served up a consistant two - to three foot swell for the entire day that even saw the sun come out around 11am when forecasts all week had predicted rain.

Ray Gill's family scattered flowers into the surf in memory of Ray before the first heat hit the water.

The heats were run from 7am when the tide was still pushing in and the wind was only puffing lightly from the southeast. This allowed clean faces and the early Bodysurfers show their skills and delighted the crowd with some skillful and athletic manuveres using speed from handboards (that were optional for this event) or more conventional "freestyle" techniques.

Eventual winner, Ben Player, from Avalon, stamped his authority early pulling off one of his trademarked 'belly 360' manuveres in his heat and setting the benchmark for the high scores in this contest.

The field was a mixture of age and experience and youth and enthusiasm that saw two former Australian Champions from the late 80's, Alex Deura and David Lonsdale, both from Wollongong, edge their way through the heats, quarters and semi finals with a stylish display of wave selection and high body positioning, sliding fast across the face of waves and sitting back inside the barrel at any given opportunity.

It was also the day of the newcomer with two young Avalon locals - Mitchell Dick (18 yrs) and Sam Gill (19 yrs, son of Ray) shining at their first ever Bodysurfing Contest, both using handboards, a more traditional and older style requiring strength and skill and giving the Bodysurfer a faster planing surface to carve turns, get further back into the tube and even stall in the section. The young pair caught most of the bigger sets and forged their way to the finals only to see Sam fall short of a Grand Final place finishing a close 3rd in his semi but Mitchell was luckier and made it through to the Grand Final.

The waves for the Grand Final made the Bodysurfers wait and it was choice between sitting outside for the left hand sets or staying inside at the more consistant shore break to clock up points. The six person Grand Final was a tense battle between Ben Player and veteran arch rival and good mate, Don McCredie, also from Avalon, and the pair payed close attention to each other's position for the entire heat. Young Mitchell Dick did nothing wrong and was always in position to select one of a handful of winding lefts that made their way into the contets area. His reverse spinners were controlled and stylish and his fitness showed in the 20 minute Grand Final.

The other three Grand Finalists, Alex Deura, David Lonsdale and Rod Allan choce to stay in closer and get their quota of wave scores, but it was the set waves from outside that got the judges highest points.

In the Women's Final, Salley Colley from Avalon, in her first contest, scored highest with her good wave selection, choosing the logest walls and doubling any of her opponents rides. Petra Playfair gave the other three contestants at least 4 minutes start by being late for the Final and tried hard but still couldn't match Sally's long rides and high scoring spin manuveres.

RESULTS Ray Gill Memorial Bodysurfing Contest Avalon Beach 8th May 2005

Open Final
1st - Ben Player, Avalon
2nd - Mitchell Dick, Avalon
3rd - Don McCredie, Avalon
4th - David Lonsdale, Wollongong
5th - Rod Allan, Avalon
6th - Alex Deura, Wollongong

Women:
1st - Sally Colley, Avalon
2nd - Petra Playfair, Avalon
3rd - Sybil Walsh, Curl Curl
4th - Mandy Zieren, Avalon

• ENGIN The Broadband Phone Company.
• BSC (Bodyboarders Surf Co. Narrabeen)
• HYDRO
• SPERLING Ent.
• Beach Without Sand
• Circuitry Fitness
• iOSHVA