Presidents Report

Well, we came as close as you can to calling the Club day off this month. Avoca to Wamberal had head high board breaker waves that even made the best ‘A’ graders wish they were back in bed. No one had even thought to look at Copa because the beach had not had any surfable waves for almost 6 months (on the beach that is!). So we sent the noisy one (Big bad Rob Fraser) over for a look in the slim hope of finding a wave.

To our surprise, Copa Beach had some very competitive waves. The big worry was the wave consistency, the number of sets that rolled in each 20 minutes and the rising full tide. Would the waves continue to break for all the heats? Luck was on our side.

Everyone was keen to get out in the water and try some of the long lefts and fairly short rights, with a VERY heavy shore break. Some great waves were had and they just kept breaking, and all that surfed had a ball. Paul Johnson surfed like a demon taking out the A Grade and managing not to injure himself this month. It was a very speedy recovery and the injury did nothing to slow him down. The shore break was very mean and a number of people had a go at some very nasty floaters and dare devil barrels. No broken boards and only one injury. It was my turn! The last heat was over & I thought I would have a few extra waves with The Penguin (Gaza Banks). One of the clean-up sets decided to roll through, Gaza got hammered and I gave it a go, with the damn thing closing out. So I thought I would just step off the side of the board and be safe, NOT. The board ran me over! The resulting pain in the ankle was not nice, receiving a nice one inch high bump on my ankle bone and a GT stripe down the top of my foot. Thought I had broken the damn thing. Well the first aid esky was on hand and after a few medicinal beers and ice all was fine. I am sure you will all be relieved that it will not keep me out of the water!!

Regional Titles are coming up Fast and I NEED YOUR HELP! We are hosting the event this year. The event rotates between Central Coast and Newcastle. The event is planned for Saturday 5^th April. I need all members at the Shark Tower Car Park at 6:30 to help unload the trailer and help setup and run the event. The Regional only runs to until 1:00pm and your assistance on the day would be appreciated. If you want any information on the Regional please give me a call.

Club Membership forms should be included with your newsletter. We need them completed and your membership paid up by the end of April. This ensures that we can continue to supply the food and drinks at each Club day. So please try and pay before April. If you are having any difficulties in payment please see me.

We have a few Club shirts from Last year that are available for sale. If you would like one please give me a yell.

Rob has made some improvements to the Club draw and he will give you all the ‘Goss’ in the newsletter. If you want any information regarding the Club grading, running order or the draw just grab Rob, Scot or I at the Club day and we can explain the way it all works. For those new members that are not in a Grade (A, B or C Grade), your Grade is based upon your first 3 Club day results. These are used to calculate your Grade Average and based on this you are allocated a Grade (A, B or C Grade) for the contest year. Generally by your 4^th event you should have a grade. The Club does have a policy on Grading and if you want a copy just let me know. Well enough for this month.

Have a good one and keep surfing.

John Fraser

Judging

There is a new way of selecting contestants for the heats. We use to write down all the competitors and number them, then draw the numbers out of a hat.

We now have a sheet with the names of the members, beside the names is a random number. When member comes they are ticked off then the list is made in order from the numbers. This creates two random factors , the numbers themselves and the contestants that turn up on the day.

Free Surfing

Please if you are free surfing do NOT do it in the area where the contest is. Last contest there were club member dropping in on the contestants. We can and will fine YOU contest points if you do it. Give the other people a fair go.

Breast Cancer Charity Contest run by the Women in the waves

Leanne and Liz headed down the coast to Wambral on the 8th of last month for this contest.

Leanne came 1st Jillian Franklin (Bills daughter) got a second and Liz got a 4th.

Well done to our Club person of the year Leanne pictured here with Jilian

 

Some Rules from the Surfing Australia Rule Book

INTERFERENCE

1.Basic Rule:

a. The surfer deemed to have the inside position for a wave, has unconditional right of way for the entire duration of that ride. Interference will be called if during that ride a majority of judges feel that a fellow competitor has possibly hindered the scoring potential of that surfer deemed to have right of way for the wave.

(This means that 3 or more judges have to rule that there was an interference, so judges do not talk amongst yourselves make up YOUR mind and mark it the way YOU see it).

b. Anyone who stands up in front of a surfer in non man-on-man heats with right-of-way has the chance to ride or kick out of the wave without being called interference, unless he hinders the scoring potential of the surfer with right of way by any means including excessive hassling, leg rope pulling or breaking down a section.

If the other surfer does not interfere with the surfer on the wave don’t rule it as a drop in.

2. Right-of-Way

Wave possession or right of way in these situations will vary slightly under the following categories as determined by the nature of the contest venue but basically it is the responsibility of the judge to determine which surfer has the inside position based on whether the wave is a superior right or left. If at the initial point of take-off neither the right nor left can be deemed superior, then the right of way will go to the first surfer who makes a definite turn in their chosen direction.

a. Point Break:

When there is only one available direction on any given wave, the surfer on the inside shall have unconditional right of way for the entire duration of that wave.

b. One Peak Break (Reef or Beach)

If there is a single well defined peak with both a left and a right available, at the initial point of take-off and neither the right or left can be deemed superior then the right of way will go to the first surfer who makes a definite turn in their chosen direction (by making an obvious right or left turn). A second surfer may go in the opposite direction on the same wave without incurring a penalty, providing they do not ,interfere with the first surfer who has established right of way (i.e., they may not cross the path of the first surfer in order to gain the opposite side of the peak unless they do so without possibly hindering, in the majority of judges opinion, the inside surfer).

c. Beach Break

With multiple, random peaks. In these conditions, wave possession may vary slightly according to the nature of an individual wave:

i) With Two Peaks, there will be cases where one swell will have two separate, defined peaks far apart that eventually meet at some point. Although two surfers may each have inside position on those respective peaks, the surfer who is first to their feet deemed to have wave possession and the second surfer must give way by cutting back or kicking out before hindering the right of way surfer.

ii) If two surfers stand at the same time on two separate peaks that eventually meet, then:

a. If they both give way by cutting back or kicking out, so that neither is hindered, there will be no penalty.

b. If they cross paths and collide or hinder one another, the judges will penalise the surfer who has been the aggressor at the point of contact.

c. If neither surfer gives way, by cutting back or kicking out and both share responsibility for the confrontation, then a double interference will be called.

The first to the feet is for two surfers on different peaks, on a single peak it is the surfer to make the first turn

4. The Right-of-Way Criteria

The choice of right-of-way criteria for each of the above possible situations is the responsibility of the Head Judge or the Senior available Judge in that order.

So ask if it is multiple peaks