Sandshoes surfer Jarvis Earle is representing Sydney's southern beaches and battling it out for another Australian title in the Surf Dive ‘n' Ski Australian Junior titles which started this week on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula.
The young blonde Cronulla goofy-footer is the reigning under-14s boys Australian champion and will step up to represent the Sydney southern region, tackling the under-16s boys division.
Jarvis had to do it tough on day one of the titles which saw round one of both girls and boys under-16 and 18 divisions completed at Middleton Bay.
The shifty Middleton sandbank and strong winds made for challenging conditions as a forecast rise in swell came up throughout the day.
Jarvis couldn't find a second wave in his first round heat finishing in fourth position and was sent to surf through the repercharge heats.
He came out firing and left nothing in the tank, posting the highest score in the heat moving into the second round.
Meanwhile in Hawaii, clubmate Connor O’Leary smashed his way through to the fourth round of the Vans World Cup at Sunset Beach posting an excellent nine-point ride in a dominant back hand display to take the heat win.
“I don’t get many opportunities to surf out there and when I do it’s really crowded and I’m not one of those guys who are hustling for the best waves,” O’Leary said.
“I’m just getting the scraps and feeling boards around. Probably the best wave I’ve ever ridden at Sunset.”
All the top seeded athletes surfed during day three Round 3 of the Vans World Cup of Surfing, a World Surf League Qualifying Series 10,000 event and Stop No. 2 of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. Two elite names that emerged victorious included Joel Parkinson (AUS), who currently leads the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing title, and No. 2 in the world, Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Parkinson demonstrated stylish surfing and razor-sharp technique during Heat 3, however Kauai’s Sebastian Zietz (HAW) outperformed Parkinson after earning two mid-range scores, a 7.07 and 7.00, for the heat win. Currently just above the cut-off for re qualification on the Men’s CT, Zietz will join the elite ranks again in 2019. For Parkinson, these are the final heats of his professional career as he plans to retire from professional surfing at the close of 2018.
From riches to rags this week at Cronulla when last weeks Island and Reefs swell is now just a memory with hard offshores blowing all the waves away.
Yesterday it was dead flat in the morning which after Mondays surprise bump that gave everyone a 4/5 ft start to the week left surfers flat as well but it did picked up with the southerly.
This mornings 3/4 ft onshore windswell is better then nothing and there are some waves on the higher tide.
The forecast for this week isn't too promising either with a 2/3 feet windswell everyday which is all that can be expected-its also going to be light onshore until Friday morning where we will have some morning westerlies for the weekend.
Team Australia continued their reign atop the sports of StandUp Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard to earn their sixth Gold Medal in seven years at the 2018 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship in Wanning, China.
The Gold Medal for Australia extends their win streak to three in a row and represents a historic first Gold in the event's history to be awarded in Asia.
"We really wanted to win the relay and we came out today and put the nail in the coffin," said Australia's Team Captain Shakira Westdorp.
"We have a lot of fun and put the hard work in the water. We are great friends and you can't manufacture that. I think that is why we keep on winning the overall team points."
Finally the 2018 Taiwan Open World Junior Championships has started at Jinzun Harbour. Women's Round 2 will hit the water at 7:30 am local time and be followed immediately by Men's Round 2.
"The waves just keep coming here at Jinzun Harbour," said WSL Event Director Will Hayden-Smith. "The swell has bumped up a little overnight with consistent 3-to-4 foot waves and light offshore winds. We will be starting competition with Women's Round 2 which will be followed by Men's Round 2. There are massive ramifications today as finishing second in your heat means an equal last place finish so there is a lot on the line for our competitors today."