Dane Wilson Claims victory at the 10th Anniversary Whalebone Classic
The 10th Whalebone
Classic will be remembered as an ‘All Time’. The best local and nationally
recognized lonboarders combined with perfect weather conditions and an
increasing swell gave the big crowd two full days of excellent surfing
action. Competitors and visitors of the event were treated to a carnival
type atmosphere and the best viewing platform for a surfing event to equal
any of the best Australia wide.
It was on Thursday the
18th of July 1996, when a dead whale washed ashore at Isolator Reef, a
popular metropolitan surfing location in Cottesloe, Western Australia. In
1998, local surfer & future contest organiser Peter Dunn found what was left
from the whale that was washed ashore two years prior. He removed a 4ft long
piece of the rib bone wedged in the reef and so came the name “The Old
Whalebone”. It is hard to believe that one of Australia’s biggest longboard
events derived from a whale bone found at the break called Isolators at
Cottesloe Beach in Western Australia, would one day turn into one of
Australia's
longest running & biggest long board events.
The event has grown in
size and prestige each year and is one of only two long boarding events in
Australia with a five-A rating sanctioned by the Association of Surfing
Professionals. With 2007 being the 10th anniversary of the first ever
Whalebone Classic, the event has gone from a one-day local event to become
part of the Australian Longboard Circuit (ALC) & is guaranteed to bring the
best local & national Longboard talent together over an amazing weekend on
the beautiful coastline of Cottesloe.
Peter Dunn, the
catalyst behind this great event was worried about the wave forecast for the
weekend, however near perfect conditions were on offer at Isolators Reef in
Cottesloe, leaving the fields wide open with great displays of new & old
school skills across all divisions. With clean & consistent 1 metre waves on
offer on Saturday & a building swell
for Sunday all competitors worked hard in their respective heats over the
weekend to make it to as far as possible. Gentle
off shore breezes and sunshine prevailed throughout the weekend to bathe the
crowd of around 6,000 visitors and the 160 competitors in absolute paradise.
In the nine hours of surfing heats only ten minutes were lost in changeovers
between heats each day.
While there were many
winners and challengers in all divisions, the clear standout surfers were
found in the Junior Men and Open divisions. Visiting Pro Longboarders such
as Grant Thomas (QLD), Harley Ingelby (NSW), Dane Wilson (NSW), Brett White
(QLD) and Kevin Holt (NSW) mixed maneuvers with the quality of local surfers
such as young standout junior in Ryan Wright from Geraldton, Jock Bahen,
State Open Champion Rahan Goddard, Paul Thompson, Daniel Corbett, Daniel
Strzina and Dunsborough junior Sam Tucker.
In the 9ft Pro
division the prize money came second to the ratings points which were up for
grabs in the Australian Longboard Circuit 5 A rated event. Young junior
surfer, Ryan Wright from Geraldton, took it to the quality & class of his
fellow competitors in Grant Thomas, Harley Ingelby and Dane Wilson. The only
WA representative to make it to the final just failed to finish his waves
off waves with enough flare to ultimately impress the judging panel. With
the level of surfing in the final at such a high level victory was anyone’s
& kept the impressed crowed guessing who would take out the $2,000 first
place prize check until the presentations in the Beer Garden at the
Cottesloe Hotel. In the end victory went to a very happy Dane Wilson of New
South Wales who’s control & style made a real impact on the judges. Dane was
stoked to finish in front of fellow statesman Harley Ingelby in 2nd,
Queenslander Grant Thomas was unlucky in 3rd and the tall ‘Gero Kid’, Ryan
Wright was 4th whilst doing his state proud. The final featured some surfers
regarded as the best in the business & all of them put on a sizzling display
of manouvres that were best described as short board orientated. All
finalists showed vertical attacks and power driven turns that constantly
pushed the barriers of what has been seen in the ten years of the Whalebone
Classic.
Last years event
caused a major upset when Queenslander Jackson Close won the final of the
“Blue Ribbon Old Mal Whalebone Division” & was the first to take the old
whale bone trophy back to the Eastern sea board. This year the WA boys were
be doing their very best to astonish the judges on malibus that dated pre
1967 & had no leg ropes. It was clear from day one of the event that the
locals meant business & showed their knowledge of the break very well. The
hotly contested division was won by W.A. State Open Champion Rahan Goddard
followed by multiple past trophy winner in Jock Bahen 2nd, media personality
Daniel Strzina 3rd, Kevin Anderson 4th, ex NSW longboarder Ben Proudfoot 5th
and Paul Thompson 6th.
In the Open Womens
division presented by Havaianas nineteen year old Georgia Young from
Swanbourne proved the hype around her is well deserved taking out the back
to back open womens division in front of 2006 Womens National Longboard
Champion Claire Finnucane of Melville. Young is seen as a future champ of
the sport & its her vertical attack that sees her consistently hitting
anything on a wave that resembles a lip. Young showed that she was the form
surfer of the event posting a near perfect 9.8 out of a possible 10 points
in the Open Womens Semi Final earlier in the day. The level of surfing
across all divisions was great, but it’s the women division who have
definitely been stepping it up.
Ryan Wright of Geraldton
dominated the 18 and under boys final with the same precision that saw him
make the Pro Am Final.
Wrights stylish cutbacks and turns off the top were seen as a winner with
the judges and pleasing the eye of all spectators.
The 10th anniversary
Whalebone Classic was a huge success with everyone in the Western Australian
Longboard Community looking forward to next year’s event with eager
anticipation.
Final Results Of The
10th Annual Whale Bone Classic 2007
9ft Pro division
1. Dane Wilson
(NSW),2. Harley Ingelby (NSW), 3. Grant Thomas (QLD), 4. Ryan Wright (WA).
Old Mal
1. Rahn Goddard (WA),
2. Jock Bahen (Cottesloe), 3. Daniel Strzina (Cottesloe), 4. Kevin Anderson
(North Fremantle), 5. Ben Proudfoot (NSW), 6. Paul Thompson (Margaret
River).
Open Women
1. Georgia Young
(Swanbourne), 2. Claire Finucane (Melville), 3. Arlene Nagtzaam (Yallingup),
4. Jennypher Sorbier (Cottesloe), 5. Susannah Wilson (Cottesloe),
Junior Women
1. Jade Foster
(Yallingup), 2. Tamlin Dobrich (Duncraig), 3. Ella Bahen (Cottesloe), 4.
Grace Clifford (Cottesloe), 5. Sarah Cogon (Denmark), 6. Gemma Suanders (No
Show)
Junior Men
1. Ryan Wright
(Geraldton), 2. Sam Tucker (Dunsborough), 3. Oliver Angliss (Perth) 4. Tod
Quartermaine (Halls Head), 5. Lindsay Small (Melville), 6. Ben Guest
(Cottesloe).
Under 40’s
1. Michael Corbett
(City Beach), 2. Dan Corbett (City Beach), 3. David Barlow (Greenwood), 4.
Kent Turkich (Cottesloe), 5. Daniel Holding (Beldon)
Over 40’s
1. Kevin Anderson
(North Fremantle), 2. Colin Arkwright (Cottesloe), 3. Martain Richardson
(Cottesloe), 4. Wayne Kinnard (Cottesloe), 5. Martin Richardson (Cottesloe),
6. Brad Belcher (Hillarys).
Over 50’s
1. Chris Fullston
(Yallingup), 2. Mike Pimm (Cottesloe), 3. Rod Buckernara (WA), 4. Rod Washer
(Cottesloe) 5. Simon Hunn (WA), 6. Gary Tucker (Dunsborough).
Over 55’s
1. Bob Monkman
(Yallingup), 2. John Geyer (Fremantle), 3. Jon Dadd (Cottesloe), 4. Ian
Morris (Yallingup), 5. Tony Harrison (Albany), 6. Gerry Baerjjano (Trigg)