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Runner Up: Harley Ingleby from Emerald Beach NSW. All photo: G2 Photography
Monday, 16 July 2012
An increase in wave consistency and size Sunday morning ensured there were plenty of waves ridden on finals day of the Be Kind, Be Calm, Keep Smiling, Whalebone Classic at Cottesloe. By the afternoon conditions were a little messy and at times trying but the competitors still provided plenty of action in the surf that was available.
The morning started with round 1 heats of the ASP 3 star LQS for men with defending champion and current ASP World Titleholder Taylor Jensen (USA) in devastating form scoring a 6.50 for his opening ride and backing it up with a 7.50
17 year old Nic Jones (QLD) was another standout this morning matching Jensen's wave total of 14.0 points to take heat 3.
2009 World Champion Harley Ingleby (NSW) dominated his opening heat. Scoring a total of 13.0 points he kept former Whalebone Classic Champion Jock Bahen (WA) in 2nd place in their opening exchange.
A near flawless wave from Jensen in the 1st quarter final of the ASP LQS men's division earn't him a 9.50 score to go with a 8.25 opening ride for a 17.75 out of a possible 20. New Zealand champion Thomas Kibblewhite also managed to catch a couple of great waves to finish with 15.65 points and progress with Jensen to the semi final.
Quarter final 2 saw Nic Jones execute some fine hang tens as he swapped the lead with Tim Fitzpatrick (WA) who was gouging huge carving turns. Jones finally came out on top with a 13.0 total score before both surfers advanced to the semi finals.
In the closest qtr final only 1 point separated 1st - 4th and finished with Heath Norrish and Harley Ingleby tied for 1st place. Norrish (NSW) lead for most of the quarter final while eventual winner Ingleby sat on 1 wave until the final 5 minutes. He then managed a respectful 5.40 score to tie the lead with Norrish. With both surfers locked on the same score of 11.90 they had to be separated by a count back with Ingleby having a higher opening ride of 6.50 to Norrish's 6.0 ride.
World number 14 Jared Neal (NSW) comfortably won quarter final 4 scoring 13.75 to defeat Nick Farago (NSW) 9.85, with Jock Bahen (WA) 9.20 and Kevin Holt (NSW) 9.15 all struggling to find the right waves to score on.
Jensen continued his stranglehold on this years Whalebone Classic title with a 13.30 win in the 1st semi final but was chased all the way to Nic Jones on 11.95 points. Eliminated was the final hope for West Oz Tim Fitzpatrick and Kiwi Thomas Kibblewhite.
With two minutes remaining in the 2nd semi 2009 World Champion Ingleby managed a 6.15 ride to take first place from Nick Farago (NSW) who managed to qualify for his first ASP final.
Jensen's first wave was a mixture of aggressive turns and 4 quick nose rides to earn him an 8.00 from the judges and take an early lead. Harley Ingleby started with his traditional slow start and with 7 minutes remaining he locked in a 7.00 with a series of powerful turns to move into second. Nick Jones briefly moved ahead of Ingleby with his 9th wave which scored a 6.00 before Ingleby replied with a 5.30. In the end Jensen had done enough early on to successfully defend his title for 2012.
"With the wind and the tide it was any ones out there" offered Jensen after the final. "I got lucky I had those two waves at the start but I will take the win."
"Starting slowly is not something I plan on" said Ingleby. "I knew I was playing catch up which is hard in the marginal conditions we had this afternoon."
As the swell continued to build Miku Uemura (Hawaii) continued her good form into the ASP LQS woman's 1st semi final with a 5.75 point second wave that saw her beat Georgia Young (WA) into 2nd. Lucy Small (WA) couldn't find the scoring waves and was eliminated.
Kirsty Webster (NSW) opened her scoring in semi final 2 with a 5 point ride and backed it up with her next wave scoring 6.25 giving Webster a 11.25 total for an easy win over Wini Paul (NZ) on 10.05 points with Clair Norman (NSW)the surfer eliminated.
It was a see sawing affair in the final between the defending champion Young and the Hawaiian Uemura. Young opened her account with a 6.50 ride before Uemura replied with a 7.50 score. Young then backed up with a 5.75 leaving Uemura needing only a 4.75 wave to win. In the deteriorating conditions the wave Uemura failed to materialize giving Young back to back titles.
A stunned Young said she was amazed to win back to back titles in such strong company. "With all the international competitors entered this had to be the hardest women's field I have encountered at the Whalebone"
Runner up Uemura was happy with her result. "I had that one good wave but needed another one which didn't happen. I am so happy I came here and felt so welcome. I'll be back for sure "
A minutes silence was held for 24 year old shark attack victim Ben Linden who was killed surfing at Wedge Island yesterday.
Final Results
ASP Pro Men
1st Taylor Jensen, 2nd Harley Ingleby, 3rd Nic Jones, 4thNick Farago
ASP Pro Women 1st Georgia Young, 2nd Miku Uemura 3rd Wini Paul, 4th Kirsty Webster
Old Mal
1st Dane Wilson, 2nd Rahnn Goddard, 3rd Jock Bahen, 4th Daniel Stazina, 5th Mark Matisons, 6th Joe Warwick
Over 60's
1st Stan Davies, 2nd Norm Bateman, 3rd Errol Casadine, 4th Ian Morris, 5th Gerry Peru,
6th Brian Hood
Over 55's 1st Chris Fulston, 2nd Simon Hunn, 3rd Mick Cottier, 4th Norm Twight, 5th Peter Stals,
6th Peter Dunn
Over 50's
1st Paul Taylor, 2nd Raul Braithwaite, 3rd Glen Solomon, 4th James McGee, 5th Lou Corkill, 6th Ian Dobrich
Over 40's
1st Brett Merrifield, 2nd Jason Weeks, 3rd Adam Le Cornu, 4th Marty Ferrier, 5th Courtney Potter, 6th Russell Bajars
Over 35 Women
1st Sam Vanderford, 2nd Bronwyn Fricke, 3rd Amanda Battle, 4th Silvi Tomek, 5th Kate Wilkinson,
Under 18 Men
1st Nick Jones, 2nd Alex Kirk, 3rd Christopher Frayne, 4th Cody Stals, 6th Austin Taylor 6th Sam Henderson
Under 16 Men
1st Sebastian Evans, 2nd Joesph Anderson, 3rd Robert Line, 4th Oliver Line, 4th Oliver Beards, 5th Evan Ledger
Open Amateur Men 1st Jamie Willems, 2nd Norm Bateman, 3rd Rohan Henderson, 4th Jarrah Calder, 5th Dan Strazina, 6th Dom Hobnett
Open Amateur Women
1st Claire Finnucane, 2nd Katharine Brown, 3rd Sarah Caley, 4th Amanda Curley, 5th Jemmima Small
About the Whalebone Classic
The Whalebone Classic is a longboard surfing event that can rightfully boast to being not only West Australia's leading longboard contest but also it rates as having the largest professional prize purse in Australia with US$20,000. With this amount of prize money and valuable making it one of the premier among the Australian professional longboard community. Staged annually at Iso's Reef at Cottesloe nearly 200 longboard surfers and their supporters are expected to converge for another gathering of the tribes on July 14th & 15th July 2012.
Now into its fifteenth year, the Whalebone has always attracted some of the countries best longboarders.
Location: Cottesloe, WA
Date: Sat 14-Jul-2012 to Sun 15-Jul-2012
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| Whalebone Winner: Taylor Jensen from California |
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| 3rd Place: Nic Jones from Buderim Qld |
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| 4th Place: Nick Farago from Corimal NSW |
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