Hydro-Bodyboarders Surf Co.
BODYSURFING Challenge Nov. 28th 2004
presented by
BODYSURFING AUSTRALIA Inc.

Ben Player maneuvers his way to victory.

Bodysurfing enthusiasts headed for Narrabeen Beach, on Sydney's Northern Beaches early yesterday (Sunday Nov 28th ) morning for the first Bodysurfing Contest in Australia to be held for ten years.

Thirty two of the country's best Bodysurfers came from as far as WA, QLD's Sunshine Coast and up and down the NSW coast to test their skills at what is some times described as a cross between synchronized swimming and the winter Olympics luge event.

Conditions saw a day already warming for a hot one, and the waves, although dropping in size from a mid-week swell, were a tidy 2-3' from the north east with no wind presenting glassy faces on the walls of the long peaks.

In the first few heats, the sandbank in front of the contest area was filling up fast with the in-coming tide and saw a series of set waves regularly offering sections of up to 50 metres on lefts and right handers, and some Bodysurfers holding right through to a womping shorebreak where a maneuver was critical before eating the sand.

Spinners, reverse spinners, dolphin take offs, tube riding and el rollos were some of the maneuvers that scored high with the judges where contestants in the four person heats donned bright coloured neoprene cap and a matching lycra vest, clearly defining themselves for the crowd.

As the heats and quarter finals concluded, the 2 semi finals consisted of six men and two women who had Bodysurfed sensationally to beat the blokes in their quarter finals and earn a place in the semis.

In this first ever mixed event, Kira Llewellyn from Maroochydore on Queensland's Sunshine Coast and Petra Playfair from Avalon showed exceptional skills and fitness to challenge the likes of former Surf Life Saving Greats Darren Bogg, now from Avalon, Sean Kenny from Narrabeen and eventual winner, Ben Player from Avalon.

The ladies missed out on a finals spot that was dominated by the more aggressive men. By the time the final was in the water, the swell had slowed down in its wave frequency and meant tactics of waiting or chasing, lead to a "Mexican Stand-off" for up to 2 minutes at a time.

56 year old Mick Fay from Avalon made it through to the final with his consistent elegant spins, back sliding and his patience to stay in one spot and wait for his waves.

His other rivals were Robby Gray from Port Macquarie, Sean Kenny and Ben Player.

Ben Player's first wave was a gem that saw him complete a rare "belly three-sixty" maneuver, pull into the tube, come out - and then hold on to power across the face of the wave and show his amazing controlled "spinner" technique to the hooting crowd.

The other three finalists picked off as many breaking walls as possible but nobody could catch Ben Player's high scoring wave that doubled, when, on his second wave of the heat he climbed high up the face of what looked to be a three foot close-out barrel and completed an "el-rollo" which saw his whole body go over the falls only to land precisely flat, back on the water with momentum, and continue Bodysurfing the face with several controlled spins and stylish riding to the sand. That was it - Ben had won it.

Sean Kenny fought gallantly to the end showing his fitness as a former endurance iron-man and Robby Gray scrambled onto anything that moved or resembled a wave with a tube, but it was Ben's day and not even the vast experience of Mick Fay, who won his last contest in 1989, could match the dynamic performance of the this year's champion.

Results:

• Ben Player, Avalon
• Sean Kenny, Narrabeen
• Robby Gray, Pt. Macquarie
• Mick Fay, Avalon

• Kira Llewelyn, Maroochydore
• Petra Playfair, Avalon
• Mandy Zieren, Avalon
• Liz Whyte, Bilgola