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Kamala Go Surfing Club's 2nd Contest was held Sunday 15th August and was again a great success. Divisions included Open, Local (Sanuk) and Bodyboard (Boogieboard) with a Special Division encouraging new surfers of any age to surf in their first contest. Thanks to Kamala Go Surfing Club's tremendous team spirit and their numerous sponsors, around 80 competitors and hundreds of spectators enjoyed what has become to many locals a highlight of our limited surfing season each year. Special thanks to Ohm, Moto, Jumlong, Aod and all the Kamala Go Surfing members, plus those who helped judge and organize heats, particularly Joob, Kid, Robbo, Chris, Tom, JFK, Russ, Mike, Jim and Cameron. Well done all! With so many Divisions and competitors, heats were again limited to 15 minutes, and the Open final was held just before sunset after almost 10 hours of competition. In the Open Division, Chalong showed a much awaited return to form, narrowly edging out new member Andy from Australia, Club Champion Ou and Kamala's rapidly improving Ple. Local Division winners were Lim, Lookmee, Ipnee and Moto. Bodyboard winners were Max, Alan, Jart and Wat. The Special Division was won by Veena (a lady from Cambodia who only started surfing last month), Toom, Andy and Kit. Click here for some photos taken by Joob. More photos to come! |
Click the images above for contest and party photos Click HERE for 169 photos taken by Khun Terry in Kata | ||||||
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Held on Sunday 25 July at Kata Beach, our 2004 contest was for fun
with 2 divisions, Open and Sanuk having no restrictions on board type or size. A total of 45 competitors entered, with the executive farang members abstaining from surfing in order to run and judge the event within a 6 hour timeframe (well done guys - yet another demonstration of good faith towards our Thai members). The surf was 2-4 feet, with strong onshore winds, jellyfish and a horrendous cross-shore sweep that challenged even the fittest of surfers. The reduction of heats to 15 minutes was gladly appreciated by many who found the struggle exhausting. Thanks to the local Kata Beach chair vendors for lending their support and allowing us to take over their facilities. Winners of the Sanuk Division were Ton, Poi, Lim and Sunshine. Open division winners were Ou, Sak, Ple and Kwang. Congratulations to the winners and semi-finalists, with commiserations to some of our better surfers who missed the semis based on bad luck or the odd wave they should have milked for one or two extra points. A tip for next contest guys: select your waves calmly, try to pull off some radical maneuvers, then most importantly stay on the wave and milk those last sections for every point you can squeeze out of the judges! After 5 contests, points have been allocated for the first 4 winners of Open and Sanuk Divisions. As several surfers began in Sanuk Division and progressed to Open, Championship Points have been allocated so that placings in Open are worth double their equivalent in Sanuk, allowing surfers progressing upwards from Sanuk Dvision to carry points to the Open Division. Points in Open Division are 8 for 1st, 6 for 2nd, 4 for 3rd and 2 for 4th. In Sanuk points are 4 for 1st, 3 for 2nd, 2 for 3rd and 1 for 4th. On a total score of 20 points each, joint Club Champions are Ou and Chalong. While only competing in 3 of the 5 contests, Ou's calm approach to wave selection and high scoring moves is a model for aspiring Thai surfers to emulate. Chalong rips and has revised his contest strategy to maximize length of ride, resulting in him winning the August contest at Kamala after narrowly missing first place in two earlier contests based on length of ride. Ple, who started competing in the Sanuk Division, has placed in the top 4 for the last 2 contests and is equal ranked 3rd with Tom who would have to be the most consistent of our farang members. In the Sanuk division, Nai, Lim, Ton, and Ipnee have emerged to be the most improved of the island's surfers, although there are many young Thai guys really starting to rip. To Khun Thomas and Khun Luke at Surf Hardware International, thanks for sponsoring us again - your support is greatly appreciated, and we are still helping our less fortunate Thai members with replacement fins and legrops when needed (which is quite often on our gnarly reef break). To Jean-Claude and especially Lolo at BAYA BEACH, thanks again for sponsoring the now famous after-contest party. Our Thai members really appreciate being able to cut loose in a first class nightclub, expecially when the drinks and food are free!! During over 5 hours of solid partying, the inaugural "Beach Danceoff" was a hoot, with one member each from Kamala, Kalim, Patong and Kata nominated to perform their best dance moves. Ton from Patong clearly won, busting seemingly impossible face-plant sommersaults that had us gasping.
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