Alex Winkworth wins the open and drop knee divisions at The Bodyboard-Depot Wedge Air Show Sponsored by Core Bodyboards. Olivia Smedley takes the Ladies title.

 

Alex Winkworth from Porthtowan surfed a dream event in awesome four foot waves at Tolcarne beach, Newquay to confidently win the drop knee and open divisions this weekend.

 

Bodyboard-Depot Focussed on Perfect Conditions

Amazing four foot wedge peaks served up optimum bodyboarding conditions for the country’s best riders this weekend.  The annual bodyboarding event held at Tolcarne beach and organised by the crew from Newquay Bodyboard shop The Bodyboard-Depot alongside the BBC is a highlight of the British event calendar.  Sponsor and competitor Rob Barber commented, “We believe that bodyboarding should be showcased in waves that display the sport in a good light. It takes a lot of hard work, patience and some luck to get the right conditions, but by holding the Wedge event at the correct time of year and most importantly on the correct tidal conditions you can really increase the chances of good waves, it’s not rocket science but it’s not always easy. We are stoked to have pulled it off again”.

 

The cream of the British bodyboarding crop attended the event and contest officials were holding competitors back until conditions were at an absolute optimum before starting heats.  There was an unexpectedly high amount of entries on the day, so a trials event was held at mid tide, with the top two in each heat advancing to the main event.

 

Drop Knee Battle

The Drop Knee final went down in clean two foot waves and Alex Winkworth tore through his competition like a hot knife through butter. Great snaps and carves left Plymouthian ripper Olly Medland to chase for second.

 

Deadly Smedley Takes the Ladies Title

The ladies division was held in good three foot wedge conditions. A closely fought battle it came down to the style, speed and timing of moves. The judges gave Olivia Smedley the nod after a great fanging bottom turn and a clean projected roll set her ahead of Megan Penny and Tabby Fox.

 

The Main Event

The open event quarterfinals were held in three-foot perfect wedge peaks late on Saturday afternoon. There was good beach support for the competition and an electric atmosphere as the country’s best hit the water. Highlights included a great air reverse from Alex Winkworth and a perfect air roll spin from Sam Brabyn.  The highlight of the quarterfinals was Bjorn Storey’s excellent tube ride to air reverse, which received a perfect 10 from many of the judging panel.

Finals Day

On Sunday the semi’s and finals hit the water in four-to-five foot shifty wedge peaks. The swell had grown making conditions bigger but trickier. With the light beginning to fade, the semis flew by with Alex Winkworth and Jack Johns progressing from semi one after some great exchanges in the fast breaking waves. Jack Johns popped a smooth reverse, which was the highlight. Rob Barber won semifinal number two after scoring highly for two waves that he pulled invert airs on. Damian Prisk followed in second after a big projected air.

 

The final of the event saw the competitors paddling for the horizon time and time again as the swell built on high tide. In between the bigger sets the wedging waves offered the biggest potential for point scoring. Alex Winkworth picked off two high scoring waves. On his best wave he launched a trademark-tweaked air off the close out to take the title.

 

Thanks

A big thanks goes out to The Bodyboard-Depot for organising and sponsoring the events and Core Bodyboards for supplying the prizes. A large debt of gratitude is also owed to the judging staff, tabulators, timekeepers and contest directors from The British Bodyboard Club. Thanks to Tolcarne beach for hosting the event and also thanks to event sub sponsors Maniac bodyboarding, ThreeSixty Bodyboarding Magazine and Talk Design and Print.  A final thanks also goes out to Cornwall College for the use of their classroom during the event.

 

Results

Open

1. Alex Winkworth
2. Jack Johns
3. Rob Barber
4. Damian Prisk.

Drop Knee

1. Alex Winkworth
2. Olly Medland
3. Jarryd Wingfield
4. Andrew Hill

Ladies

1. Olivia Smedley

2. Megan Penny

3. Tabby Fox

Tags: bodyboard depot