1st place at the Lancelin Ocean Classic!
12-Jan-2009
Once again, the Lancelin Ocean Classic was the event of the year not to miss out on!!!
It was lots and lots of all the good things: windsurfing, wind, waves, happy people, parties... The Ocean Classic is a big windsurfing festival including a wave event, the longest downwind race and a slalom, all of it in a unique atmosphere thanks to the great organisation: music playing all the time, live bands, loads of people watching and free windsurfing lessons. Lancelin, which is usually more like a quiet little town, turns into a really busy party!
The wave event started on Thursday and I entered both the ladies and elite fleets. The wind was pretty light but some nice head high waves were coming in. They sent all the girls out at the same time for a 25 minute heat. We were all loving it out there, catching waves, smiling and having fun. I landed a few loops, shove its and so on, got some nice riding, and won!!!
I went back out later on for the Elite's single elimination. The waves were getting better and better and I got some really good waves, but I unfortunately didn't make it. The guys were all ripping and it was really good to sail with them though! Lots of big names were there: Boujmaa, Jaegger Stone, Scotty, Ben Severne, Luke Walmsley, etc.
On Friday, they started the double elimination. The wind was really light and the swell had dropped, so it was hard to jump or find a wave to ride out there.The guys in my first two heats decided the wind was too light and didn't come out, so I advanced though 2 rounds until I met Boujmaa and got kicked out. Again, it was good experience and just fun to be out there!
Once the double was over they ran expression sessions for all the other categories, so all the girls were out there and we had once again the spot for ourselves! I was out on my freestyle board to make sure I would get planing and had a really nice freestyle-wave session: shakas, air flakas, some littles wave rides, and I finished 1st as well!
They ran the downwind race on Saturday which was really nice to watch. 26km and 170 people! The swell came back so we went out for some more fun, and on Saturday night the legendary party at the Tavern was on, as good as usual. On Sunday the wind decided not to pick up, which was ok as everyone was dead and happy to chill on the beach!
Thanks a lot to all the organisers and sponsors for this great event, we're all really looking forward to next year! For more check out www.oceanclassic.com.au
And thanks to Col Leonhardt for the pics above! www.birdseyeviewphotography.com.au
