The 2016 surfing club season has kicked off with a solid start and plenty of waves.
Sandshoes Boardriders got the ball rolling with their first contest of the season at their home break with first claim in the opens going to two-time champ Jarrod Horner.
Brett Daintry was first in the inaugural over-40s division, Dion Earle was in command in the juniors and Charlie Chegwidden reigned supreme in the supergroms.
Further south at Garie Beach, they had to cancel their first point score contest and reschedule it for February 20.
Garie Boardriders historically hold most of their contests before and after winter when the southerlies cause havoc and they need a fire to warm up.
Cronulla surfers copped the brunt of the southerly weather pattern that hit our shores last week.
The weekend saw big wind-affected waves with the early morning the only real pick with some young surfers taking on Cape Solander.
Swellnet forecasts this week’s surf conditions to continue fading slowly.
A second pulse of 3ft southerly groundswell is then due to break, this time with a longer swell period with early morning off-shores.
Some of the world’s best surfers will call Avoca home this week as they contest the inaugural Central Coast Pro World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series 1000 event from February 9-12.
This QS event will form the third of four stops on the recently announced NSW Pro Surf Series.
WSL World Championship Tour surfer and Avoca resident Adrian “Ace” Buchan is happy to be competing on home turf.
“It’s such a nice feeling to be staying at home and competing on the beach I grew up surfing,” he said.
An exciting finals day at the inaugural Telstra Stores Tweed Coast Pro saw West Australian duo Jacob Willcox (Margaret River, WA) and Mikaela Greene (Yallingup, WA) claim event wins in challenging two-foot surf at Cabarita Beach.
In local results, Elouera’s Connor O’Leary has picked up where he left off last year where he was unlucky not to qualify for the World Tour.
After two events O’Leary is in seventh place on the Australasia QS thanks to his second place in the CARVE Pro.
Cronulla’s Paris Whittaker is the highest ranked women in 36th place.
In another of my favorites,The International Surfing Association (ISA) has welcomed the Sierra Leone Surfing Association as its newest Member Federation, further driving the global expansion of the sport, particularly on the African continent.
With innovation and youthful energy at its core, Surfing has a unique ability to connect with young people around the world. The ISA is committed to continuing the rapid growth of Surfing by providing more opportunities and better access to equipment and facilities for young people. As Surfing continues on its path towards Olympic inclusion, the sport's consistent growth and reach amongst young people will continue to underpin the ISA's strategy for global development.
A newly founded body, the SLSA is situated at the Bureh Beach Surf Club on the west coast of the country - a central hub for Surfing in Sierra Leone. The club offers surf lessons and board rentals to aspiring surfers with 100% of proceeds being used to develop the local community and employ local staff.
Continuing with this development, Blind Brazilian surfer Derek Rabelo will be in Cronulla to share his inspirational story this Sunday.
Derek’s story of intense perseverance despite a physical disability is eye opening!
Entry is free from 6pm at 15 Cawarra Road, Caringbah.