Newcastle Bodysurfing Experience
3rd Annual HYDRO/BSC Bodysurfing Challenge
Queenscliff Beach, 3rd March 2007 Conditions: 2 to 3 foot ENE swell with no wind in the morning turning light northerly at about 8 knots by early afternoon contest photos here Bodysurfing Contest Wrap & Results"Tyroll" Tops Spinning Speedster and Young Lady Shines.
Saturday 3rd March 2007 was the date for the previously postponed Bodysurfing Contest at Queenscliff Beach, NSW. The 3rd Annual HYDRO/BSC Bodysurfing Challenge was held in 2 to 3 foot ENE swell with no wind in the morning turning light northerly at about 8 knots by early afternoon.
Several newcomers at their first ever bodysurfing contest made their way through to the finals, eliminating many more experienced competitors in the early rounds. Bryn Russell from Curl Curl and Brett Lee from Newcastle ripped through the preliminary heats with Lee emulating his namesake of Australia's fast bowling fame, with some lightening speed long rides and many controlled maneuvers appealing to the judges high scores right throughout the day.
Bryn Russell's powerful style and bigger wave selection also caught the eye of the judges and spectators - advancing him to the final four.
Also in an upset of each of her heats right throughout the day, Eilish Sheerin, from Avalon, at only fourteen years of age, severed it up to her more senior male competitors by winning through from the Junior event and three more rounds to make history and become the first ever female in an Open Bodysurfing Final in Australia.
From the onset of the event at 7am and mid tide going high, the wave frequency was at optimum for contest bodysurfing, but as the tide turned and ran out towards early afternoon the light NE wind and shallowing banks made wave selection more difficult as the finals approached.
By the time the Women's, Master's, and Handboard divisions finals had been run, the time between sets had increased making the wait for a heat-winning wave even longer as the last four in the Open Event set out for their Final.
Brett Tyack from Dee Why, in his fourth straight Open Division Final since entering his first contest at the corresponding event last year, and wearing the orange colours, showed incredible patience letting many smaller waves go past. One such wave was picked off by Brett Lee in the blue strip and he wound his way with four controlled spinners on the green wave face to outside the competition area right through the flags. At that stage Lee looked like a clear points winner with the other two competitors fighting out amongst some larger waves but lacking any distance to enable many maneuvers.
Tyack was still waiting for his second wave and it was obvious he was looking for one big maneuver and by that stage Lee had clocked up nine of his ten maximum rides. The super-fit Newcastle Bodysurfer, Lee, had concluded his ten wave count and had to leave the water after only 15 minutes of the 30 minute final. This left three which was soon two after Bryn Russell also clocked up his wave count and exited.
Young Eilish Sheerin still had one wave to go while Tyack, the former Iron-Man, was only half way through his tally and was soon alone for the last five minutes looking for what would finally sway the judges to score him the highest wave score for the major event.
It was the one maneuver on a larger wave that took Brett Tyack to number one on the score sheet. He had taken his time, chosen his wave to perfection and performed yet another "Tyroll" where a complete forward roll landing flat and continuing to bodysurf along the wave face was judged a higher score by the panel of three.
OPEN
1 Brett Tyack, Dee Why
2 Brett Lee, Newcastle
3 Eilish Sheerin, Avalon (14 yrs ) 1st woman in Open Final!
4 Bryn Russell, Curl Curl
HANDBOARD
1 Don McCredie, Palm Beach
2 Anima Sarasvati, Wollongong
3 Nick Perry, Belrose
4 Kevin Schwager, Newcastle
MASTERS
1 Greg Mayers, Newcastle
2 Danny White, Queenscliff
3 Ian Neuss, Annandale
WOMENS
1 Maree White, Queenscliff
2 Jemma Burtonwood, Newcastle
3 Sybil Walsh, Cromer
JUNIORS
1 Eilish Sheerin, Avalon
2 Jack Sheerin, Avalon
3 Kieren O'connell, Elenora Heights
OVER 60 (Legends) HANDBOARD
1 Bob Jones, Clontarf (70 yrs)
2 Col Ambrosoli, Harbord (66 yrs)
3 John Cramsie, Mosman (66 yrs)
4 Graeme (Lad) Thompson (73 yrs)
Sponsors:
HYDRO
BODYBOARDERS SURF CO, Narrabeen
SPERLING Enterprises
O'NEILL
RUCIAK.COM
BODYSURFING AUSTRALIA INC.
Download the poster as a PDF (1 Meg)
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