Newcastle Bodysurfing Experience
Ray Gill Memorial Bodysurfing Contest 2006
Avalon, 30th April 2006 Conditions: 3' offshore outside bank – 2-3’ inside shorebreak contest photos here Weather forecasters couldn’t have been more wrong when predicting Sunday 30th April’s conditions where 50 of Australia’s best male and female Bodysurfers assembled at Avalon Beach before 7am for the 2nd Annual Ray Gill Memorial Bodysurfing Contest. The waves had been 6 to 8 feet the previous day and ‘out-of-control’ 8 feet plus the day before – but the swell had abated and organizers were blessed (by Ray as we all know) with consistent 3 foot waves breaking both right and left and an outside bank right in the middle of the beach. For the first time since the early 90’s - Bodysurfing Australia Inc. divided this contest into seperate divisions with Juniors, Open Mens and Womens, Masters and Open Handboard. For this event the Handboard was a particularly special division as Ray Gill was a noted Handboard surfer who also made his own craft and the trophy for this division was donated by his family consisting of a mounted Ray Gill Handboard – the last one ever used by Ray. There were several early standouts in the heats and for a few newcomers the conditions were not easy while fighting against the rip was not recommended either side of the break. In the Junior’s Women final – once again for her second time since winning her 1st contest at Narrabeen in February – Eilish Sheerin from Avalon showed that she has the skills and fitness to upset the Open Women’s event soon with a fine display of waveriding scoring high with controlled maneuvers and some great tubriding. She beat her good friend Bronte Stutchbury also from Avalon who also got amongst the sizeable waves breaking on the outside sandbank. In the Junior Men’s it was last year’s Open Men’s 2nd place getter – Mitchell Dick, also from Avalon who used his all-round surf skills to outscore Jack Sheerin who, in his first Bodysurfing event very impressive and chose his wave selection well. The Women’s Division was a quality field showing no fear amongst the larger set waves that loomed out the back with all bodysurfers getting plenty of waves on the outside bank and displaying some awesome maneuvers for the conditions. Newcastle’s Jemma Burtonwood took out the Women’s Division from Kerry Hunter – the winner from Narrabeen’s Contest – and powering into 3rd place was Beena Chaugule from Bondi. Mick “Snake” Fay showed his superior skills, fitness and of course – experience to take out the Master’s Division. Mick – who at almost 58 years old blitzed the field of the over 50’s and scored one of the highest individual wave scores of the day. The rest of the field was extremely tight with Greg Mayers from Newcastle finishing 2nd on a countback from Ian Neuss. In the Handboard Division – it was a very popular win when Sam Gill – son of Ray – took out this Innaugural Division with a cracking display of big maneuvers and carving bottom turns enabling him the speed to hit the lip on many occasions and pull off el rollos while also performing controlled spinners right in the section. Sam’s good mate – Hendrik van Sanden came in 2nd and Mick Parkhill from Narrabeen was a very close 3rd on a countback. The last Final of the day was the Open Men’s Division & the swell had held up as the wind dropped completely leaving all four bodysurfers some great waves to choose with smooth faces for controlled maneuvers and some nice open barrels. Peter Sperling, Brett Tyack, Mitchell Dick and President of Bodysurfing Australia Inc – Don McCredie, all shared equal wave counts for most of the final with McCredie snaffling 2 of the larger set waves and scoring high with some fast spinners & long tubes. Brett Tyack chose to wait for the right waves and Sperling and Mitchell Dick picked off several medium sized waves each as the clock wound down. But it was with less than 30 seconds to go when Tyack spotted a set wave outside and swam frantically for the optimum takeoff position – made it onto the face and proceeded to perform his now Patented “Tyroll’ maneuver – completing a forward somersault, landing flat and continuing along the wave face until being shutdown in the tube. Tyack’s incredible high scoring maneuver got the nod from the judges in the ‘best two waves’ format and sneaked past McCredie’s highest scoring wave to take the coveted Ray Gill Memorial Trophy. RESULTS: Open Men 1st Brett Tyack - Narrabeen 2nd Don McCredie - Avalon 3rd Mitchell Dick – Avalon 4th Peter Sperling - Coogee Handboard 1st Sam Gėll - Avalon 2nd Hendrick van Sendan - Avalon 3rd Mick Parkhill – Narrabeen 4th Steve Davis-Raiss - Avalon Masters 1st Mick Fay - Avalon 2nd Greg Mayers - Newcastle 3rd Ian Neuss – Annandale 4th Peter Stutchbury – Newport Womens 1st Jemma Burtonwood - Newcastle 2nd Kerry Hunter - Lindfield 3rd Beena Chaugule - Bondi Junior Men 1st Mitchell Dick - Avalon 2nd Jack Sheerin - Avalon Junior Women 1st Eilish Sheerin - Avalon 2nd Bronte Stutchbury – Newport Check the BODYSURFING AUSTRALIA INC. website for images of the contest and details on the upcoming 2006 Newcastle Bodysurfing Challenge. www.bodysurfing.com.au Huge thanks to our great Sponsors: ENGIN The Broadband Phone Company SPERLING ENTERPRISES BSC – BODYBOARDERS SURF CO. NARRABEEN AVALON SLSC HYDRO BODYSURFER VIEW SWIM GEAR RUCIAK IOSHVA KICK AAS! LIGHTSOUNDS CHATSWOOD BAYWASH THE ULTIMATE CAR WASH BEACH WITHOUT SAND, NTH AVALON ESPRESSO 6 CAFE And even More Sponsors! SPOT MUSIC, AVALON JOHNSON BROS. MITRE 10 HARDWARE, AVALON BEACHGENERAL, AVALON NEW WAVE HAIR DESIGN, AVALON CIRCUITRY, Complete Fitness Training, AVALON The CHELSEA TEA HOUSE, AVALON
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