| Super veterans with amazing performances in the 2009 Australian Longboard Titles |
| Thursday, 20 August 2009 09:41 |
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Day five of the Australian Longboard Titles saw massive scores and amazing performances from the salt encrusted, battle hardened veterans of the ocean. Having witnessed an amazing array of styles, stories, boards and battles over the past four days, day five of competition saw the spotlight shun on the legends of longboarding. And they did not disappoint. Racking up a plethora of excellent scores the Over 60, 55, 50 Men and 35 Women led the way in excellent waves and weather at Rainbow Beach. One such competitor was Bruce Channon (Mona Vale, NSW) who was in sparkling touch in the tightly contested Over 55 division. “It was great fun out there this morning,” Channon said having dropped a masterful combined heat total of 16.00 (out of a possible 20). Having been involved in surfing for well over 40 years, Channon sits in a division littered with past champions and legends of the sport within Australia. “Oh yeah,” he exclaimed when asked of if the competitive fire still burns. “As much as we all are great friends on land, the prospect of winning an Australian Title takes over when we are in the water – in great spirits of course!” With 23 Australian titles to be awarded in 21 divisions, and the best surfers across the nation converging upon Bonny Hills, this morning saw a simmering selection of world-class talent in all age groups with the Queensland women and NSW males dominating proceedings. Sharon Jackson (Alexandra Headland, QLD) and Debbie Boggiss (Currumbin, QLD) headlined the Over 35 Women’s division racking up a total heat score of 16.10 and 15.10 (out of a possible 20) respectively, whilst in the Over 55 Men it was local lads Gary Taylor (Bonny Hills, NSW) and Peter Hudson (Lake Cathie, NSW) who stole the show. The performance of the day was reserved for the event’s oldest competitor. At 63 years of age Danny Bond (Blue Bay, NSW) annihilated the competition with an amazing performance in the small, clean yet tricky conditions at Bonny Hills. Accruing a total of 17.10 (out of a possible 20), Bond sent out a warning shot to all competitors, young and old, as he cemented a spot in the Over 60’s final. With the amazing, eclectic and heady Glassy Walls exhibition taking place in the state of the art Glasshouse, artist Garry Birdsall and photographer Bob Weeks rewind the clock back to the soul of Australian surfing – the sixties. Joining Birdsall and Weeks upon the walls of the Glasshouse will also be the spectacular and diverse works of Shane Martin, Robyn Convoy, Adrian Turner, Deb Tinker, Bill Kercher, Chris Buller and Mark Ingleby. The Country Energy Australian Surf Festival will take place from August 15 – 29 2009 at Port Macquarie.
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