NEWQUAY SURFERS CLUB TOGETHER TO TAKE 2006 TITLE

L-R, Josh Knowles, Gareth Llewelyn, James Mitchell, Warren Llewelyn, Nat Hooten, Joe Moran making up team Newquay

Perfect 4 ft surf rolled in at Woolacombe in Devon this weekend providing ideal conditions for the ever-lively 2006 Interclub Championships. Teams from the Isle of Wight, Cornwall, Wessex and from across Devon, made their way to the coast and hit the surf in a friendly yet highly competitive spirit.

With 10 teams in the heats and 60 surfers in the water, there was a closely fought battle at the top of the board. Newquay hasn’t entered a team since 1999 and following their participation in Thursday’s Big Wave Gold Rush Contest, Gareth Llewellyn, Joe Moran and James Mitchell were keen to show their form alongside team members Josh Knowles, Nathanial Hooton and Warren Llewellyn. They stormed through the heats, dropping barely a point whilst Croyde A, Woolacombe A and Porthleven put up a very strong fight, with some excellent surfing on show.

Stakes were high for the last heat, with just a point in it, as Nigel Williams from Croyde, Gareth Llewellyn from Newquay, Dai Lawton from Porthleven and James Elken from Wessex took to the water. If Williams took the heat it would mean an overall draw and a surf off, however Gareth pulled the moves out of the bag and rode Newquay to victory. This left a tie for 3rd place between Woolacombe and Porthleven and the final result was drawn on the number of first places in the previous heats, meaning Woolacombe A team took the podium position.

The contest was sponsored for the second time by St Austell Brewery in association with Hunter Surf Shop. This marks a second joint foray by these sponsors as they also worked together when the European Inter-Club event was held in Woolacombe in April 2004.

Karen Walton, National Director of the BSA says, “What a week! With the British Juniors last weekend, the Big Wave Gold Rush on Thursday and the Interclub Championships on Saturday, I don’t think anyone can deny that there’s a lot going on in British surfing right now! The Interclub event has been brilliant fun with some excellent surfing and we congratulate Newquay on taking the title. The high level of participation plus everyone’s enthusiasm for the event just goes to show how much is going on in the British club scene and it’s great to see everyone getting together like this.”

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