Bloody Perfection

SA’s only professional surfers and local Seaford ripper Dion Atkinson e-mailed me early in the week recounting his latest journey into the SA desert since returing home from his latest euro adventure!
Enjoy.

Well, it all starts sitting at home looking at Buoy weather and seeing a good offshore swell heading our way. I pack the car, grab a few mates and tee up Fredo to get a few happy snaps when we reach our destination. We drive all night dodging kangaroos and arrive at the break at 5am, roll our swags out for a quick 2 hour nap and wake up to dead low tide with pretty evil looking slabs….

I get out there, but it was a little raw with such a low tide. It was a full moon so the tides were huge! I came off a few times and got driven hard, straight into the bottom. I came in and gave it a little bit more time for the tide and it was starting to turn on! I got a few good ones early, then in a pretty good sized barrel the foam ball got the better of me and I started getting rag dolled….

I covered my face thinking my board might cop me, but I got hit in my ribs, leg and toe’s! The pain in my toes was different. The pain was sharper and I knew I cut myself pretty bad, so I got in straight away! If you know the waters of South Oz you’d know its scary enough surfing out there even before you’re pissing out with blood! I Hobbled onto a rock to look down and see my three little toes hanging off to the side with the webbing totally split and all I could see in the cut was the white of my bones and tendons. I also had no feeling in my middle toe at that point! I had to army crawl up the cliff to get back to the car, wrapping my foot in my mates t-shirt to get up the cliff.

I lifted the shirt off and strapped my foot tight just so the webbing didn’t keep splitting. Fredo took me to Pt Lincoln hospital where I got 17 stitches that have to be in for 12 days. A bit of rest and hopefully they’re as good as new. I can hardly hobble, I’ve even got a walking stick!! Haha

Teale Makes it Two at the Cutloose Yorkes Classic

(Westcape Beach, South Australia, Sunday 2nd October, 2011) – The prestigious Cutloose Yorkes Classic surfing competition was held on Sunday in epic conditions at Westcape Beach on the Yorke Peninsula, SA.

Perfect two metre waves greeted South Australia’s finest surfers, enabling competitors to put on a diverse display of powerful carves, clean barrels and big aerial maneuvers, impressing the large crowd .

Victor Harbor surfer Khai Adams put on a show early with the highest wave score of the day a near perfect 9 point ride, dropping into a double section barrel ride and exiting with a massive aerial of the close-out section, delighting spectators.

However, it was the former Australian Junior Champion surfer from Kangaroo Island, Teale Vanner; that rose to the top when it mattered. Teale impressed judges early in his semi-final with his powerful rail-to-rail surfing posting an eight point ride in the first 20 seconds of the heat.

Teale never looked back, blitzing his way into the final against in form surfers Max Longhurst, Clayton House & Wade Gnst. Teale was in full control in the final posting solid scores early that proved to be un-attainable for his opponents.

Teale reveled in the perfect two metre waves that allowed him to win his second consecutive Cutloose Yorkes Classic in similar conditions to last years event.

“Westcape is probably one of my favourite waves on the peninsula.” says Vanner. “It was really fun and Westcape just adds that element of surprise in every heat knowing that someone will do something really special. So I was really stoked I could do be a part of something like that.”

In other divisions, Tayla Hanak dominated the Open Womens event displaying a range of powerful maneuvers and commitment beyond her age in the solid waves.

3 x Yorkes Classic Champion, Brian ‘Squizzy’ Taylor, showed he can still mix it with the best in the Over 40 Men’s by just nudging out Gary Hayworth by 0.03.

In the Under 18 boys, Joel Van Der Stelt confirmed his place as one of SA’s most promising juniors by taking out first place with his display of powerful and controlled surfing.

However, it was 13 year old local Luke Sykora that had the crowd on its feet in the final of the Under 16 boys. With ten second to go in the final and a 4.3 ride to win, Luke took off on a long left-hander, drawing speed down the line and gauging a massive maneuver off the end section. Luke rode the wave to victory.

This year marked the 28th anniversary of the Cutloose Yorkes Classic held in the pristine environment of Innes National Park in the Yorke Peninsula. Each year the event attracts SA’s best surfers that compete for the coveted Keith Sugars Memorial Trophy. In 2012, the event will be used as a warm-up for the Kangaroo Island Pro in November with the winner receiving a wildcard into the world tour event. Event Organiser, Ramon Vincent stated that “It is a privilege to be working on such a historic and prestigious event and to also contribute to its growth and recognition.”

Vincent was ecstatic with the event proceedings. “The Yorke Peninsula really turned it on for us today. Sunny weather, ideal winds, great swell and perfectly formed waves for SA’s best surfers to battle it out in. What more could you want”.

The Cutloose Yorkes Classic 2011 is proudly supported by Cutloose Surf, Coopers Brewery, O’Neill, Marion Bay Tavern, Rhino’s Tavern, Surfing SA, National Parks & Wildlife, Department of Environment & Natural Resources, Marion Bay General Store, Yorkes Surf & Tackle, Otis Eyewear, Creatures of Leisure, Sex Wax, Classic Colour, Studio Signs & Hart Bros Warooka.

Coopers Pale Ale Party Goes Off!!

Saturday was a crisp evening in the small township of Marion Bay on the Yorke Peninsula, but far from a quiet one. To celebrate the 28th annual Cutloose Yorkes Classic, event organisers held the first Coopers Pale Ale Party proving to be a massive success with hundreds of revelers turning out to see the finest bands in SA grace the stage outside the Marion Bay Tavern.

Getting the evening started, Jimmy Meegan, front man for well-known Adelaide band Jimmy & the Mirrors, took to the stage with an acoustic set, delighting the crowd with his mix of catchy folk-pop tunes and love ballards. The acoustic environment allowed Jimmy’s voice to shine through his infectious choruses, impressing his audience from start to finish.

As the sun set over the coastline, young Adelaide band Luminari upped the anti, blasting a unique bluesy-rock sound led by their lead singer. However, it was the soaring guitar riffs and epic solo’s of guitarist Jess Foenander that captured the audience, taking them back to Woodstock.

By the time self-proclaimed gangsta-surf rappers Cheeky le Sneaky took to the stage, the Coopers Pale Ale Party was well and truly underway. Opening the set with an epic instrumental and didgeridoo solo by frontman Benny Budin, the band hijacked the audience, taking them for a rollercoaster ride through a diverse mix of catchy indie-pop, hip-hop and funk tunes that forced the crowd to get their dancing shoes on. The obvious highlight for the audience was when the band busted out their funk track, Peiking Ducky, set to be their debut single, released in early November.

As the crowd continued to pour in, the Coopers beers continued to flow as South Australia’s premier electro-indie group Messrs heated up the stage to another level. Formally known as The Touch, Messrs unleashed a whole set of never heard before live tracks off their highly anticipated album Everybody Knows, set to drop in late October. Messrs took the crowd on a journey of infectious electro-indie pop tunes backed by Bloc Party-esque guitar riffs and punchy electro-synths. However, it was lead singer Josh Moore that got the camera’s snapping as he decided that it was too hot on stage for clothes, stripping down to his undies during their set. Pants back on, Josh put on an energetic show climaxing in their new title-track single Everybody Knows.

Finally, after an epic night of live music and a few Cooppers beverages, the headlining act of the Coopers Pale Ale Party took to the stage. Poetikool Justice are no strangers to the Yorke Peninsula, the eight piece hip-hop funksta’s often make their way to the tip of the peninsula chasing some of the finest waves in Australia; even writing a song dedicated the place!

Poetikool Justice took the massive crowd to another realm as the front row danced uncontrollably to their funky reggae beats and catchy tunes. Widely regarded as one of the most energetic performances you will ever see, the Poetikool boys encapsulated the crowd that were now well-and-truly in party mode as they danced into the night as under instruction by MC’s Jahmin & Dedz.

It has been many years since the Yorkes Classic surf event was supported by a music event and it is safe to say the first Coopers Pale Ale Party was a huge success!

We would like to thank the Marion Bay Tavern, Coopers Brewery & Cutloose Surf for making this event possible. Thankyou also to the five amazing bands; Poetikool Justice, Messrs, Cheeky le Sneaky, Luminari & Jimmy Meegan. Massive props to sound engineer Michael Carver for making the trip from Adelaide! We would also like to thank the local community of Marion Bay for their support of this event.

Cheers!