Back
to the Point 2013
Port Campbell was
shaken awake by a mountainous swell crashing into the cliffs on the morning of
March 16, 2013. An unfavourable northerly wind greeted early risers. The air
was rent with two stroke fumes like a re-enactment of the tow surfing era. The
wind swung and the clouds condensed, the stage was set, the atmosphere slack,
Back to the Point 26 was upon us.
With conditions looking
borderline-dangerous the decision of whether to run the contest or not was destined
to be a conflict between those young and dumb enough to surf and those with
more wisdom and a better understanding of public liability. The first
shortboard heat ran with minimum concern. All who surfed were keen for the
contest to run on, but perhaps it was a case of ‘we did it, now you have to’.
Those on the cliff were constantly pelted with scuds of rain. The stiff
southerly stiffened. With all mal heats on-hold the grandmaster Kirby paddle
out resiliently; unfased by or unaware of the break in proceedings we’re still
unsure. Shortboard heat number two saw some incredible surfing from Mr Sheep
and Jesse, despite the poor and worsening conditions
Disaster struck when a
mal heat was sent into the boiling pot that was the Point. Two experienced
watermen became entangled when they were struck by a rogue wide set; a third
lost his board to the cave. Ricky was deemed winner by ‘last man standing’, but
the damage was done. It was now obvious to all but the most reckless that, for
safety’s sake, surfing was over for the day. Sunday competition would revert to
the ‘all-in-brawl’ format first seen in 2012.
Saturday night was a
memorable night; it’s a pity there are so few memories of it. 12 Rocks was epic
with PK’s footage and photos on the TV and live music cranking from the corner.
Your scribe tried his best to fill himself with the delightful Prickly Moses,
several times over. As a direct result he didn’t make an appearance at the
now-legendary after-party. Recollections are hazy and reports based on anecdotal
evidence but suffice to say the evening was full of loud music, bicycle helmets
and one very curious caged specimen.
Sore heads and more
rain were the order of Sunday morning. A surf check revealed that the swell had
mercifully dropped overnight, but the line-up had been torn to shreds by the
howling wind. Typical. A schedule was decided upon; 12 o’clock start for Back
to the Bay.
The skills of the
next-gen PCB were truly an inspiration on a day when many needed inspiring.
Despite an excess of kelp every grommet in Back to the Bay showed great ability
in the water. There were some stylish cutbacks, chic run-overs and heaps of
froth on display. So good to see; the future is bright for surfing in Port
Campbell.
The rules for the ‘all-in-brawl’
format are as follows; everyone willing and eligible may compete. End of
rules. This leads to chaos, a near-impossible
judging situation and more back-to-back finalists than you can point a
single-fin at.
The longboarders were
sent out the Point first and it quickly became apparent to everyone involved
that the swell hadn’t actually dropped very much at all in the previous 24
hours. Competitors paddled until they were a safe distance out to sea, but also
out of earshot of the hooter. Corey was a standout but the eventual winner was
probably, for the first fifteen minutes, the only surfer in the water aware
that the final had actually started.
No such issues were
existent in the under 16s. The hard-charging trio of Darcy, Tim and Kane traded
waves from start to finish with the young Smurthwaite emerging victorious in a
close affair. The under 16s is historically the most competitive event and the
most highly sought-after title. Good stuff Tim.
The ladies used their
knowledge of the point to outfox the horrid mix of wind, rain and chop that the
point was throwing at them. Georgia and Olivia were making things hard for
themselves on pre-PCB-era surfboards while Kerry snuck a few sneaky insiders on
her slightly more sensible craft. Marg and Marion paddled out to show the
youngsters how it’s done, as has become their annual custom; if you thought it
was hard to get out on a surfboard, try paddling a surf mat against that rip!
Despite the self-imposed-retro-handicap Olivia Haig took out the final in
stylish style to make it back-to-back victories in ’12 and ’13.
A highlight of the
weekend was the Ross Jones Memorial Single-Fin Session, run between the ladies
and the gents on Sunday in memory of our late, great mate Jonesy. There were
some classic old boards in use, a few modern takes on the single-fin style, and
one or two boards that were clearly not seaworthy. A few of the old boys
paddled confidently into the line-up, more experienced on a single-fin than
most are the Lace Curtains Boys (LCB), but there was no stopping the grace and
flair of James ‘Barrelking’ Bourke. Mate, the kid rips on whatever you put
under his feet, and a more fitting winner of the Jonesy you could not find.
You know the prize for
open mens shortboard champion is highly sort after when the point is packed to
capacity on such a calamitous Sunday. Standouts from the crowd included the
Hyett trio, Micky D, Spike and Will. But, as the art of surfer-identification has
yet to be perfected, the standouts may have actually been different surfers
altogether. Despite the bedlam there were two clear cuts above in Marcus Hyett
and Matt Younis. Matt took home the trophy for the second year running; his
obvious favour of the crowded conditions takes nothing away from the awesome
surfing he was laying down.
Ryno surfed in every
event on Sunday and all he won was the raffle. Nick Moysey picked up the Purroitchihoorrong
Award for dedication to the environment. Dave got a new legrope. One of the
most heartfelt moments in Back to the Point history was the presentation of the
Ross Jones Memorial Trophy to James by Ross’s Mum. Not a dry eye in the house.
Legends, the lot of ya’s. Seeya next year.
E.P.
Results:
Under
16s
1. Tim
Smurthwaite
2.
Kane Spokes
3. Darcy
Tribe
Mals
1. Pat
O’Shea
2.
Corey Andrews
3. Dave
Smurthwaite, Rock Stone
Ladies
Shortboard
1. Oliva
Haig
2.
Georgia Bourke
3. Kerry
O’Shea
Mens
Shortboard
1. Matt
Younis
2.
Marcus Hyett
3. Tristan
Hyett, Mick Deppeler, Pat O’Shea, Sheepy Thompson
Ross
Jones Memorial Single Fin
1. James
Bourke
