Gillick Wins Showdown over Martin in the Wahu Surfer Groms Comp at Curl Curl
(Curl Curl, NSW – Sunday 22nd December, 2009): There are only five sleeps until Christmas but for Culburra’s (NSW) Louis Gillick, Christmas has come a little early this year as he took out the coveted blue ribbon Under 15 Boys division in the fifth leg of the Wahu Surfer Groms Comps series.
Boardies, singlets and baseball caps were replaced with long pants, hoodies and beanies as beautiful Curl Curl (Sydney’s Northern Beaches) could not match yesterday’s glorious sunshine.
However the Groms weren’t concerned with all raring to go on day two, welcoming the new 1.5 metre swell which had arrived with the southerly change overnight.
Untroubled by the weather, it was Gillick and Harrison Martin (Cronulla, NSW) who turned up the heat early on with strong quarterfinal and semi-final efforts.
“I was pretty nervous going into the quarters and all I wanted to do was surf well, I’m stoked that I made the final” said Martin.
In the final, Martin came out ‘GUNS-A-BLAZING’ using his board to fire an opening score of 7.33 (out of a possible 10).
It wasn’t sundown but the showdown continued with Gillick retaliating, blasting out an imposing 9.33 to take the lead in the final.
“Everyone was gunning for the best waves when many weren’t coming,” said Gillick.
But, as the clock wound down no one was able to pull back anything from Gillick who clinched the premier division title.
In second place was Martin followed closely by Adam Perica (Bronte, NSW) in third and Michael Bain (Copacabana, NSW) was fourth.
A humble Gillick said he was wrapped with his overall performance in the final.
“I just love to surf and to win a title just before Christmas is so cool!”
In the Under 15 Girls final, local talent Sophia Bernard (Manly, NSW) snuck home by over one point to win from Clare Coleman (Chifley, NSW) in second, Tayla Ayshford (Matraville, NSW) in third and fourth place went to Alex Bryant of Cremorne Point (NSW).
Leading the way in the Under 13 Boys final were Sam Bond (Newport, NSW) and Kalani Ball (Stanwell Park, NSW) in a hard fought affair with only 0.39 separating first and second place.
Bond prevailed to hold off a fast finishing Ball. Conor Riordan grabbed third place with Dylan Blades in fourth.
The under 13 girls final was a completely different scenario with Newport’s (NSW) Holly Wawn dominating from her first wave in the 20 minute final. Wawn blitzed her rivals by putting them in a combination situation. Elenor Owen (Manly, NSW) came in second, Alysse Cooper (Balgowlah, NSW) third and Zoe Izzard (Stanwell Park, NSW) in fourth.
Avoca Beach’s (NSW) Sandon Whittaker continued his supreme Wahu Surfer Groms Comps form by claiming his second title in the under 11 boys final. Jack Pacey (Maroubra, NSW) finished in second place, Harley Ross-Webster (Nth Curl Curl, NSW) third and Kyuss King (Byron Bay, NSW) fourth.
The 11 Girls Final was won by Billie Melinz (Coalcliff, NSW) with Alysse Cooper (Balgowlah, NSW) in second, Chiara Arthur (Gerringong, NSW) in third and Sophia Chapman (Nth Narrabeen) in fourth.
In the Under 9s Parent Assist Division, Micro-Grommet Mikey McDonagh’s (North Curl Curl, NSW) surfing continues to go from strength to strength, making it two Wahu Titles from two. In second place was Jay Brown (Lilli Pilli, NSW), with Kurtis Vaughan in third (Bateau Bay, NSW) and Tyler Ball (Stanwell Park, NSW) in fourth.
The Under 15 Bodyboard Final was won in a hotly contested final by Zach Vaughan (Bateau Bay, NSW) with Darcy Crump of Avalon (NSW) second; third place went to Alex Bryant (Cremorne Point, NSW) and Corey McDonald (Dee Why, NSW) fourth.
Final Results:
Under 15 Boys
1st - Louis Gillick (Culburra, NSW)
2nd - Harrison Martin (Cronulla, NSW)
3rd - Adam Perica (Bronte, NSW)
4th - Michael Bain (Copacabana, NSW)
Under 15 Girls
1st - Sophia Bernard (Manly, NSW)
2nd - Clare Coleman (Chifley, NSW)
3rd - Tayla Ayshford (Matraville, NSW)
4th - Alex Bryant (Cremorne Point, NSW)
Under 13 Boys
1st - Sam Bond (Newport, NSW)
2nd - Kalani Ball (Stanwell Park, NSW)
3rd - Conor Riordan (Austimer, NSW)
4th - Dylan Blades (Elanora Heights, NSW)
Under 13 Girls
1st - Holly Wawn (Newport, NSW)
2nd - Elenor Owen (Manly, NSW)
3rd - Alysse Cooper (Balgowlah, NSW)
4th - Zoe Izzard (Stanwell Park, NSW)
Under 11 Boys
1st - Sandon Whittaker (Avoca Beach, NSW)
2nd - Jack Pacey (Maroubra, NSW)
3rd - Harley Ross-Webster (Nth Curl Curl, NSW)
4th - Kyuss King (Byron Bay, NSW)
Under 11 Girls
1st - Billie Melinz (Coalcliff, NSW)
2nd - Alysse Cooper (Balgowlah, NSW)
3rd - Chiara Arthur (Gerringong, NSW)
4th - Sophia Chapman (Nth Narrabeen)
Under 9 Parent Assist
1st - Mikey McDonagh (North Curl Curl, NSW)
2nd - Jay Brown (Lilli Pilli, NSW)
3rd - Kurtis Vaughan (Bateau Bay, NSW)
4th - Tyler Ball (Stanwell Park, NSW)
Under 15 Bodyboard Final
1st - Zach Vaughan (Bateau Bay, NSW)
2nd - Darcy Crump (Avalon, NSW)
3rd - Alex Bryant (Cremorne Point, NSW)
4th - Corey McDonald (Dee Why, NSW)
The Wahu Surfer Groms Comps will now move to Queensland’s’ Sunshine Coast with event six of the seven-event series starting on January 12th 2010.
Wahu Surfer Groms Comps Schedule:
Event 1
November 14-15 2009
Newcastle, NSW
Event 2
November 21-22 2009
Ocean Grove, Victoria
Event 3
December 5 2009
Moana Beach, South Australia
Event 4
December 12-13 2009
Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Queensland
Event 5
December 19-20 2009
Northern Beaches, NSW
Event 6
January 12-13 2010
Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Event 7
January 23-24 2010
Trigg Point, Western Australia