GOATS BEACH/TASMANIA (Saturday, January 22nd/2023): After three days of hard fought competition, Tasmania’s Dara Penfold and Rudy Davis have won the Open Women’s and Men’s divisions of the first ever Red Herring Surf Pro-Am in good conditions at North Goats Beach on the South Arm Peninsula.
Penfold, a former World Junior Surfing Champion and Tasmania’s most successful competition surfer ever, overcame New South Wales up-and-comer Leila Salt in a tight heat. Dara’s experience and local knowledge allowing her to pick off the best wave of the final, with two strong manoeuvres on a right-hander doing the job on the judges score sheets.
In the Open Men’s Final it was Davis taking on Northern Tasmania’s Jy Johannesen in what shaped as a potential aerial battle with both competitors accomplished above the lip as well as on rail.
Davis got off to a fast start and couldn’t be reeled in by Johannesen who was left needing a high seven point ride in the last five minutes to take home the $2000 first prize. The Rudy Davis fan club greeted the South Arm local and chaired him up the beach to the cheers of all in attendance.
Noah Hassett (Tasmania) and Leila Salt (New South Wales) took out $1000 each for winning the Junior Men’s and Women’s Divisions.
RESULTS:
OPEN WOMEN:
1ST DARA PENFOLD
2ND LEILA SALT
OPEN MEN:
1ST RUDY DAVIS
2ND JY JOHANNESEN
JUNIOR WOMEN:
1ST LEILA SALT
2ND SIENNA LAWRENCE
JUNIOR MEN:
1ST NOAH HASSETT
2ND MARVIN FREEMAN
The Red Herring Surf Pro-Am is supported by Rip Curl, Yeti, JS Industries, FCS, Dragon Alliance and Surfing Tasmania.
