The final round of the Woolworths State Junior Titles was completed at Scamander over the May 8/9 weekend with a solid north east swell provided both challenges and great opportunities for surfers and officials.
After a short session at Dark Hollow on Saturday morning the solid swell saw the event relocate to beautiful Peron’s Beach at St Helens.
The weekend’s competition was an eye opener with the U18’s and U 21 divisions enjoying the solid waves. Clifton Beach’s Toby Lawrence took the double U18 -U21 Boys Titles and Ulverstone’s Nellie Strickland used her great bottom turns to advantage in the longer left handers winding down the beach at Peron’s. Clifton’s Lily Mereszka won the U18 Girls.
Scamander local Jo Pugh surfed very well with a third in the U18 B and second in the U21 Boys.
Scamander local Tom Kelly retained his Open longboard title showing great skills and local knowledge in the huge lefts at Dark Hollow on Saturday morning.
A very pleasing feature of the weekend was the increasing growth of local Scamander juniors and their determination and improving skills. With local NEBR club again back at full strength a new generation of young surfers like Hayden Brown, Miles Chisholm, Alex Mead and Marli Darvis are coming through and should be challenging the state’s top juniors over the coming years.
Local mum Gill Pugh put on a great traditional Mothers Day morning tea with scones, jam and cream to mark the special day.
A huge thanks to national and state sponsors: Woolworths, Rip Curl, Red Herring statewide, Surfside Beaumaris, Scamander Surf Shop, Bay Surf St Helens, Volcom, Carve, Pelican Sands, FCS, Balin, Globe.
Special thanks to NEBR as the host club, Surfside for hosting our social film night and presentations, Dale Matheson, NEBR officials, Andrew Darvis, Mario Agius and Justin Emmerton, volunteers and STAS officials and Head Judge Michael Schmidt.
RESULTS:
Open Longboards: 1. Tom Kelly, 2. Justin Emmerton, 3. Mick van der Woude.
U12 Boys: 1. Mavin Freeman, 2. Tully Woodberry 3. Khawai Benson.
U12 Girls: 1. Hayden Brown.
U14 Boys: 1. Marvin Freeman 2. Charlie Gibson.
U14 Girls: 1. Poppy Woodberry 2. Hayden Brown.
U16 Boys: 1. Cowan Duncan 2. Alex Mead 3.Miles Chisholm 4. Tom Tiemens.
U16 Girls: 1. Poppy Woodberry 2.Ava Frey 3. Ruby Stokely 4. Sienna Lawrence 5. Marli Darvis
U18 Boys: 1. Toby Lawrence 2. George Vandekelen 3.Joe Pugh 4. Cowan Duncan
U18 Girls: Lily Mereszka 2.Nellie Strickland 3. Ruby Stokely 4. Ava Frey 5. Marli Darvis.
U21 Boys: 1.Toby Lawrence 2. Joe Pugh 3. George Vandekelen 3. Rowen Frey.
U21 Girls: 1. Nellie Strickland 2.Lily Mereszka 3. Stella Gibson.
