Longboarders Return For Classic Comp
Illawarra Mercury
Friday November 24, 2000
Images of Midget and Gidget will come floating back when the Layback Longboarders host their North Beach Classic at North Wollongong Beach tomorrow.
It will be a day of precision longboard riding only witnessed once a year in Wollongong.
Dane Wilson, who won the Sydney Water Open last year, is returning to try and reclaim that trophy, while winner of the open event the previous year, Christian Pimm, will also compete.
Illawarra surfer Billy Morris dominated the over 45s and the Old Mal section last year and will be a strong contender to take out the Wollongong Toyota Old Mal section this year.
The Byrne Surf and Ski over 35s was won by Layback rider Andrew Farago last year and judging by some recent performances he will be hard to beat again.
Dane and Jayce Piolli from the Layback club will certainly be up in the trophy challenge.
Good luck to Alison Lerman who is the only lady competitor this year.
Many competitors are travelling from all over NSW and some from interstate to attend this surf spectacular.
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Kiama branch of Surfrider Foundation will hold an important meeting at Gerringong Bowling Club at 7.30pm next Monday, November 27.
The main item of business will be preparations for a single-fin contest to be held in mid-January, as well as planning activities and campaigns for the upcoming summer.
For details call Sean Rea on 42232128 (bh) or 42261417 (ah).
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Scarborough Boardriders' end of year presentation night will be at the Scarborough Hotel at 6.30 tomorrow night.
Tickets cost $10 each and families and friends are welcome to attend.
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Entries are now available at all surf shops for the Shane Smith Memorial 2001 Memorial Surfing Contest at Port Kembla Beach in January.
``We envisage 200 competitors as we are inviting surfers not only from the Illawarra but competitors from the Central Coast to the Victorian border," said Ed Sinnott from the host club, Portside Boardriders.
A correction to the entry form - cadets are under 16 years as from January 1, 2001.
Tickets are also selling fast for the Beach St raffle. The contest days will be either January 13-14 or January 20-21 depending on conditions at Port Kembla Beach.
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Eighty surfers from as far away as Ulladulla and Coffs Harbour contested the Wollongong City Junior 2000 tournament in small clean surf at North Beach last weekend. The event was part of the Wollongong Image Campaign 2000 sponsored by Tourism Wollongong with $1250 supplied to attract the strong field of surfers.
Bundeena's Kirk Flintoff took home the $400 for his win in the Pro Junior section, taking control early in the final with the sort of fast explosive surfing he has shown in this year's Pro Junior Series.
Anna Bay's Nick Coghlan was second behind Flintoff in the under 19 division ahead of Beau Mitchell, of Manly, and Shaun Clansdell, of Mullaway.
Clansdell lived up to his hot favouritism in the cadets under 17 division, showing why he was under 15 world grommet champion last year by winning every heat and the final in fine radical style.
Mt Ousley's Michael Hopkins was second, Coghlan was third and Nathan Bartlett, of Manyana, fourth.
Hopkins won a weekend's free car hire from Budget Wollongong City for being the highest placed Illawarra surfer.
In under 15, the winner was Genji Pitt, of Ulladulla, Luke Cheadle, of Culburra, was second, Brendon Back, of Avoca Beach, third and Sam Page, of Manly, fourth.
Culburra's Owen Wright won the under 12s division ahead of Matt Wilkinson, of Copacabana, Peter Jarman, of Ulladulla, Chris Salisbury, of Bilgola, and Keelan Veitch, of Jannali.
Ulladulla duo Katherine Turk and Tova Deku filled the first two placings in under 19 girls division, Carmen Buecher, of Wollongong, third and Amy Bertsos, of Merewether, fourth.
Copacabana's Rebecca Woods won the under 16 girls, the minor placings going to Jessi Miley-Dyer, of Coogee, Ashley Cheadle, of Culburra, and Natahnee Veitch, of Jannali.
© 2000 Illawarra Mercury
