Newcastle Bodysurfing Experience
The 3rd Annual RAY GILL Memorial BODYSURFING Contest
Avalon Beach, Australia - Sat. April 28th 2007 contest photos here RESULTS AND WRAPAs far as weather predictions go - they were wrong - and we were glad. As if all prayers were answered at the same time - because there were many - the morning of Saturday April 28th, 2007 suddenly became very still, the rain stopped, the clouds stayed out at sea and the wind abated. Oh yes - the waves - they were glassy, barrelling and 2-4' from the south east. Ray's spirit was at Avalon Beach.
The 3rd Annual RAY GILL Memorial BODYSURFING Contest was away on time and in all five divisions the Bodysurfers enjoyed waves of quality as the smooth conditions allowed controlled maneuvers and much more tube time.
With last year's winner Brett Tyack out of action, the Open Division heats were fought tightly by Newcastle's Brett Lee, who's style and fitness grabbed the first heat from Anthony Schwager who's long tube riding tipped him past Leighton Mayers, the new young-gun Novacastrian, a close 3rd.
The next 2 Open Division heats went to Gary "Gazza" Campbell from Avalon and Adriel Young from Bondi with the 'Gong's Veteran - David Londsdale and Bodysurfing newcomer, Sean Cunningham from Beacon Hill finishing 2nd place respectively.
This years contest saw a team of 5 young ladies take to the surf in the Under 14 Women's event. Guided by several of the fathers and Bodysurfing Australia members - Pascall Lamy, Anya Davis-Raiss, Alex Johnson, Kahli McCredie and Elisa Gill braved the large set waves as the tide was running out quickly on the sandbank at the centre of the contest area. These girls were confronted by many larger waves in their heat - and straight out final - and all performed valiantly in their efforts catching what they could and 'hooting' and yelling encouragement to their mates. what these girls lacked in style and power - they made up for in sheer enthusiasm. The crowd was almost as stoked as the girls and they received a rousing cheer when they made it back onto dry land.
The Handboard Division had as many heats as the Opens at this year's "RAY" - as it was a specialty of Ray Gill to use a handboard as his chosen craft while Bodysurfing Avalon's ever changing surf conditions. Ray also made his own handboards and his most prized and last bodysurf craft is now part of the perpetual trophy for the division at his memorial contest. His son, Sam, had the "Ray" Handboard mounted before the 2006 event and also went on to win the first Handboard Division in the event memorial to his dad.
This year Sam had to settle for 3rd place in his chosen Handboard divison behind 2nd placing Handboarding veteran, Kevin "Slogger" Schwager from Newcastle and winner, Bodysurfing Australia's President, Don McCredie from Palm Beach.
The Masters Division was won once again by Avalon Bodysurfer Mick "Master" Fay who is consistently racking up a wall of trophies, taking his division from Bondi's Peter O'hara with Graham Eagleton from the Central Coast and Queenscliff SLSC President, Danny White, in 4th place.
The Women's Division saw Iron Woman - Naomi Flood, from Bilgola, in her first ever Bodysurfing Contest take the final with a powerful display and great wave selection - but only pipping Newcastle's Jemma Burtonwood and young Eilish Sheerin from Avalon. These three are set to take women's Bodysurfing to a new level with their 'no-fear' approach to big waves - and will no doubt fight out all future contests between themselves and would easily make the World Championship Final for their respective categories.
As the quarter and semi finals of the Open Division approached the 'seeded' Bodysurfing Stars joined in with the qualifiers and two-time finalist, Mitchell Dick, from Avalon, Grant Schofield from Newcastle, Peter "Big Wave" Sperling and 'wildcard' entrant - Former World Surfing Champion - Barton Lynch, revelled in the still glassy conditions and ripped into the larger waves - scoring many barrels and long spinning maneuvers plus several 'dolphin-underwater' takeoffs were seen in each heat.
When the Final four was decided it was Mitchell Dick - the Avalon Wonder-Kid - once again in the final up against Peter Sperling and the two veterans from the 'Gong - David Londsdale and Alex Deura- who last won an event Final in 1988 at the Tamarama 'Superwave' Bodysurfing Classic.
It was Deura's first wave - a classic tube that he came out of and then linked 3 spinners and a reverse together using the entire crtical section for all it had - that scored the highest of the heat from all 3 judges and clearly put him in the lead for the entire final. For the rest of the 25 minute final, all four Bodysurfers chose similar wave sizes and went head-to-head with judges scores and the 2nd to 4th placings were within 2 points from each other.
But it was Alex Deura's day and he deserved the Ray Gill Trophy of which was once again donated back to the Gill Family.
Just before the presentation held at Avalon SLSC around 4pm - a huge rainbow covered the eastern sky from end to end over Avalon Beach.
RESULTS:
OPEN Division:
1st Alex Deura, Wollongong
2nd Mitchell Dick, Avalon
3rd Peter Sperling, Coogee
4th David Londsdale, Wollongong
HANDBOARD Division:
1st Don McCredie, Palm Beach
2nd Kevin Schwager, Newcastle
3rd Sam Gill, Avalon
4th Steve Davis-Raiss
MASTERS Division:
1st Michael Fay, Avalon
2nd Peter O'hara, Bondi
3rd Graham Eagleton, Wagstaff
4th Danny White, Queenscliff
WOMEN'S Division:
1st Naomi Flood, Bilgola
2nd Jemma Burtonwood, Newcastle
3rd Eilish Sheerin, Avalon
4th Maree White, Queenscliff
5th Petra Playfair, Avalon
6th Sybil Walsh, Cromer
JUNIOR WOMEN Division:
1st Pascall Lamy, Avalon
2nd Alex Johnson, Avalon
3rd Anya Davis-Raiss, Avalon
4th Kahli McCredie, Palm Beach
5th Elisa Gill, Avalon
Check the BODYSURFING AUSTRALIA INC. website for images and video of the contest and details on the upcoming 2007 Newcastle Bodysurfing Challenge - Sunday 27th May.
http://www.bodysurfing.com.au
Huge thanks to our great Sponsors:
ENGIN The Broadband Phone Company
YOKKI & IOSHVA
SPERLING ENTERPRISES
BSC - BODYBOARDERS SURF CO. NARRABEEN
AVALON SLSC
HYDRO BODYSURFER
VIEW SWIM GEAR
RUCIAK SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS
LIGHTSOUNDS CHATSWOOD
BAYWASH THE ULTIMATE CAR WASH
BEACH WITHOUT SAND, NTH AVALON
ESPRESSO 6 CAFE
SPOT MUSIC, AVALON
JOHNSON BROS. MITRE 10 HARDWARE, AVALON
BEACHGENERAL, AVALON
CIRCUITRY, Complete Fitness Training, AVALON
The CHELSEA TEA HOUSE, AVALON
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