Big stars at Small Fries
24 January 2007
THE
2007 junior competitive surfing year kicked off with the Taj Small Fries
event at Yallingup.
Due to having
120 competitors with an influx of eastern states surfers, the event went
for three days.
They were
blessed with reasonably good surf, ranging from onshore Yallingup, 2-4
on Friday, 1-3 foot offshore Saturday and 1-3 offshore Honeycombs near
Moses Rock on Sunday.
Many surfers
from the
The standard of
surfing was definitely higher than last year and there is a positive
push in short board riding.
In the 12 and
under boys hip pocket Hercules nine-year-old Jack Robinson showed what a
good surfer he is.
He took out the
12s division from some highly fancied eastern states competitors.
He showed good
wave selection and courage with a couple of under the lip take-offs.
The final was a
good spectacle with all four finalists getting good waves.
Results: first
Jack Robinson,
In the 14 girls
Bronte Macaulay has finally competed in a division in her own right.
She has often
been in divisions with her older sisters because that has been the only
division.
She took out the
final with some well judged lifts that she caught early in the heat.
She showed good
tactical strategy, staying away from other competitors so she was not
hassled in the final, unlike what occurred in the preliminary heats.
Final results
were: first Bronte Macaulay,
In the 14 boys
the standard of surfing was extremely high.
Creed McTaggart
took on three NSW surfers, Matt Banting, Dylan Cummings and Brad Simms.
All surfers
caught good waves and the final was a great spectacle for those
watching.
Creed scored
19.2 out of 20 for his two best waves with one in particular a 9.87 that
showed all the judging criteria; speed, power flow and some innovation.
Matt Banting
surfed harder towards the end of the final to take second.
Their rivalry
will continue for some time.
Results: first
Creed McTaggart,
In the 16s final
Felicity Palmateer backed up her win from last year's comp to win from
an ever improving Laura Macaulay.
Felicity surfed
mainly right in the final on her backhand and Laura went left in the
final on her backhand.
The other places
were taken out by India Payne, third, and Mikala Green, fourth.
In the blue
ribbon event, the 16 boys, Australian King of the Groms champ Dean Bowen
from Calborough, NSW was too good.
He had scored
two eight point plus rides in the first five minutes and the others in
the final were playing catch up.
Jethro Hedstrom,
Jethro surfed
well throughout the event and is showing some good innovative
manoeuvres.
Fourth was Jake
Fawcett from Geraldton who is improving quickly.
Of the five
finals on offer WA took four and three were from the
This augers well
for the coming State rounds starting in late February in
This Friday,
January 26-
Due to daylight
saving we will kick off at 1pm with a sausage sizzle and organising the
craft, so bring along your old single fins, mals, kneeboard, twin fins
quads or surf mats.
It's usually a
fun day.
The next club
round is on Sunday, January 28 at 7pm at the Rivermouth.
Get there early
so we can get underway.
There is a
junior tri club comp on February 10 between Mandurah and
More details
later.
Due to
conditions like large out of control surf at the Rivermouth, the club
coaching on Wednesday afternoon has not happened.
However, it is
still on, conditions permitting.
We will start as
the term starts on January 31 at 4.30pm.
So we're all
looking forward to 2007 with great surf and good fun.
Keep surfing,
Tagz