All photos above credit Adam Albertini
Saturday, 21 October 2006
Yallingup, WA.
Surf 8ft heavy Offshore early, 6ft later.
Open surfers Ray Lawrence (NSW) and Claire Finucane (WA) show the rest them how it's done by taking on the big right handers at Yallingup.
The day started with a howling off shore wind (solid 30 knots or more) to blast the competitors up the faces of some serious waves and again the big clean up sets broke across about the size of a football field. The wind was due to drop and it was just at the end of the Junior men that the kids had a chance to strut their stuff, this was the semi finals after all.
Surfers in the over 55's caught plenty of lefts but stayed shy of the big rights and it wasn't until the second heat of the open women's that the girls went crazy.
Claire Finucane jumped at the chance to surf Yallingup with 4 other people and paddled straight for the sets, after a couple of great rides though she ended up in no-women’s land and bravely duck-dived two big close out sets without throwing her board (most of the men threw their boards), she was closely followed by Arlene Nagtzaam in second.
We were all looking forward to the open men’s semis and with the wind down to a gentle offshore it all looked perfect. Semi one got caught on a wave draught of sorts then Jackson Close snuck off on an inside left and never looked back. The others surfers got caught out of place by a big bastard of a wave and ended up losing control of they destiny.
Semi two was looking the goods with power house surfer Ray Lawrence eyeing off the rights and Josh Constable isn't number one for nothing. Christian Pimm and Jared Neal made up the foursome. Big Ray got stuck in early on a decent right after Josh stuffed up his first one. The lead then see-sawed between Josh and Ray with Jared Neal getting a solid right to get up there, Christian Pimm however got starved of a decent set and ended his chances.
Ray Lawrence clinched the first spot with a big tubing right and later a big left to better all of Josh's waves.
The rest of the semis had some great waves and it's all off to bed early for the big day tomorrow.
- Adam Albertini
www.surfcds.com
