Tuesday 31 May 2011

Saltrock Open, Croyde

Max and Angus, under 16s finalists at the Saltrock Open, with Liam the under 12 winner

The Surfs Up Elite squad headed off to North Devon this weekend for the Saltrock Pro at Croyde. This is one of a series of surf competitions run by the UK Pro Surf Tour, where the juniors get to compete at the same events as the UKs top Pro riders. The focus of this comp was that it was a qualifier for the richest surf event in the UK, the Nike 6.0 Night-Surf to be held at Fistral, Newquay in July. In order to qualify you had to compete at Croyde, and you had to do well. In the Under 16s only the top 8 out of 32 competitors would qualify, in the Pro Juniors (under 21) the top 16 out of 42 and in the under 12s the top 4.

Conditions on the day included fierce onshore winds, driving rain and a strong rip. As the comp unfolded Rhys Barfield did his usual trick of being knocked out of his age class early in the under 16s but then charging through the rounds in the class above, the Pro Juniors, reaching the last 16 to qualfy for Fistral. Max Payne and Angus Scotney, although both new to the higher age groups this year, stormed to the final in the under 16s against the older opposition, reaching the last 4 and also securing their Nike 6.0 qualification. In the under 12s Liam Murray Strout dominated, cruising to a fine victory. He is the stand out surfer at under 12 this year, and has set the standard for all you other mini groms to come and have a go. (Report from JP - thanks JP)

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