Its been about 3wks now since I last made a post because I have been away road tripping up north chasing the swell and a few results. On sunday the 14th I shot up to the Ally nice and early to help sage with the fish fry. The fish is an event where surfer/shapers come together to show off all their new ideas and concepts that they have been working super hard on over the past year. It was a really fun day and I think that the Vector fitted in real well this year as it gained plenty of attention. It had been raining on and off for most of the day and By about 2pm I new that the swell was on the build and I had just about had enough of the rain so I convinced Sage to pack up and head off up the coast to sunny noosa.
Noosa was really rad this year there was a cyclone sitting of the coast generating plenty of swell, the winds were blowing from the right direction and every one just seemed to be super stoked to be there. The Bank at First point this year was a little wider than usual and if you got the right wave youcould connect one from the pot right down to first point I guess it was like a mini super bank there were barrels everywhere.This year I entered the Pro divison just to see how I would go. I drew Jackson close, GT and Scott channon in my first round (Heavy) but I wasn't going to let that stop me. Unfortunately I surfed on the dead low tide and we got a real flat spell in the heat not giving me much to work with on my back hand in tiny super sucky rights againts natural footers. I surfed well and was selective but GT and jackson gave me a really warm welcome and showed me how its was done knocking me out in the first round. All in all it was a really fun week the high lights for me would have to have been the large amount of barrels to be had, the brekkies at lemond and the evening hangouts at Massimos. A week well spent and well done to Jack for taking out the U/18's divison and to Issy for 2nd in the open womens pro good on you issy.
It is now the Wednesday the 24th the first day of the Malfunction which is the 2nd Pro event for the year. The Pro qualifying round, Round 1 and the quarters are on. I managed to surf my way through all heats and to make the semi final on the following Sunday. The Malfunction also has a reto division inwhich each surfer has to ride a board from the pre thruster days. I managed to surf my way to the final on my good friend Harleys Bertleman twin fin that he was also competing on. In the final there was Jarred Neil, Harley Ingelby, Matty Aldridge and myself. As H was in the final too I had to just go and pick a board from the pile a hope that it went ok. I finished up 3rd, Jarred 4th, H 2nd and matty 1st. A fun final not many waves though.
Sunday the 28th my Birthday and the morning of the final well the semi for me anyway. I was up a gainst Josh Constable, Jarred Neil and Jackson close heavy but good. The heats were 30mins due to the quality of the waves and the first set if you could call it that didn't come untill the 16th minute mark and there were only 2 of them that both Jackson and Josh got. I played the waiting game again and finished the heat with only 2 waves riden. I surfed them well but on this day I guess not good enough finishing me up with a equal 7th I was stoked.
So I have been away from reality for two weeks hanging with good friends, surfing, eating, partying and competing but I guess there comes a time when you have to get back into the swing of thing and get back to Uni, work and I guess reality. But what a fun couple of weeks.
