Rottnest had been fun, but in my two trips to the island I was far from convinced with its capacity to produce quality waves. The swell forecasts were looking prime on the Monday, so we extended our accommodation and waited for the swell. We snagged a lift to the beach with the Surfing WA crew, and were greeted with perfectly groomed 6 to 8ft lines stacked to the horizon. We joined Felicity and her dad in the frantic race to get suited up and out into the lineup.
With one other guy on the peak and a few stragglers on the inside, Delroy, Felicity and I traded set wave after set wave. The lefts were long and bowling, offering up big barrels from start to finish. The rights were short, intense and ended up closing out on the same section of reef the contest was focusing on in the previous days.
One thing that blew me away was Felicity’s performance. I have never witnessed a woman attack such intimidating surf conditions with confidence. I had heard she had a crack in solid waves, but seeing her throw herself into some of the biggest waves of the day without hesitation was super impressive. Her stellar run was temporarily stopped when she once again attacked the lip of the outside section, snapping her 5’10 in the process. Seemingly unphased by the whole drama, she returned to peak on my 6’1 and proceeded to throw herself into serious walls of water with reckless abandon.
We had two hours of mind blowing waves before the lineup became a circus. With the first bus from town combining the flotilla of boats and jetskis assembling in the channel, we decided to call it a day.
Rottnest has got the drinking establishments and laidback atmosphere to make it a desirable location for the average non surfer, but I had serious doubts in regards to its wave producing capabilities.
Now I love the place.
Its funny what a few hours in the ocean can do to change ones mind.
Showing posts with label felicity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label felicity. Show all posts
Friday, June 19, 2009
Rottnest Island
Free Wahoo Premium Ale at the event “meeting” held at the pub the previous night was definitely not the best preparation for the 700m walk required to get from the bus stop to the contest site. With the forecast looking average, we were pleasantly surprised to see 2-3ft peaks making their way across the reef at Strickland Bay.
The standard of surfing in WA was higher than I had remembered, with blistering performance being thrown down throughout the day. Day two saw a drop in wave heights and consistency, but with state titles on the line there was still plenty of quality surfing. Fresh from winning the Chill Pro Junior, Felicty Palmateer was unstoppable in the Open Womens division, taking down the ever smiling Ellie Macaulay in the process. The U/21’s final went down to the wire, with Jake Fawcett only needing to place 3rd or better to take the state title. With Fawcett starved of waves, it became a battle between Delroy and Jerome Forrest. Mitch Taylor’s fly boy antics kept him in striking distance, but Delroy was handed the win and the state title when Jerome faded him on a left hander in the dying stages of the final.
The Open Mens final was also an epic affair, with all four competitors finding scoring waves in the final minute. Everyone bailed to catch the bus and left it to the judges to sort out. Jake Malloy ended up taking victory, Delroy finished second, Dave Macaulay third and Jerome fourth. Macaulay’s third was just enough to secure the prestigious open state title, an incredible result when you consider the fact that Dave is almost as old as his fellow finalists combined. Not really, but he also took out the over 45’s division at this event which gives you an indication of his vintage.
The presentations went down smoother than a chilled beverage from the event sponsor, and everyone bailed back to the mainland to get back to their everyday lives.
Not everyone though, Dave and I had extended our accomodation in anticipation of a new swell forecast to hit the following day. That however, is a story for another day...
The standard of surfing in WA was higher than I had remembered, with blistering performance being thrown down throughout the day. Day two saw a drop in wave heights and consistency, but with state titles on the line there was still plenty of quality surfing. Fresh from winning the Chill Pro Junior, Felicty Palmateer was unstoppable in the Open Womens division, taking down the ever smiling Ellie Macaulay in the process. The U/21’s final went down to the wire, with Jake Fawcett only needing to place 3rd or better to take the state title. With Fawcett starved of waves, it became a battle between Delroy and Jerome Forrest. Mitch Taylor’s fly boy antics kept him in striking distance, but Delroy was handed the win and the state title when Jerome faded him on a left hander in the dying stages of the final.
The Open Mens final was also an epic affair, with all four competitors finding scoring waves in the final minute. Everyone bailed to catch the bus and left it to the judges to sort out. Jake Malloy ended up taking victory, Delroy finished second, Dave Macaulay third and Jerome fourth. Macaulay’s third was just enough to secure the prestigious open state title, an incredible result when you consider the fact that Dave is almost as old as his fellow finalists combined. Not really, but he also took out the over 45’s division at this event which gives you an indication of his vintage.
The presentations went down smoother than a chilled beverage from the event sponsor, and everyone bailed back to the mainland to get back to their everyday lives.
Not everyone though, Dave and I had extended our accomodation in anticipation of a new swell forecast to hit the following day. That however, is a story for another day...
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