Competitors and spectators at the Coolum Wedge held over the weekend of 24-26 March were adamant this was the best bodysurfing event ever held.
The bodysurfing tribe from around Australia and the world came together for three days, and competition organiser Darren Verrenkemp said the stoke was off the charts for the duration.
Friday was the world’s first IBSA (International Body Surfing Association) event in history, where successful competitors gained points to qualify for the World Tour Final to be held in Hawaii.
After all the knock-out and progression heats, the women’s final was desperately close, with only 0.1 separating first and second.
It was eventually taken out by Queenslander Ally Zillman with Lilly Kelly from NSW just falling short. Third was Novocastrian Caitlin Callahan with local favourite Lyla Crouch close by in fourth place.
The IBSA men’s competition attracted a field of over 40 of the sport’s best watermen.
After ferocious rounds of heats, quarters and semis, the field was reduced to four for the final.
Local Jack Lewis produced a superb performance to take out the world’s first IBSA event, edging out iron man Ky Kinsela and Jack Macrae.
The Wedge events ran all weekend with 120 competitors battling it out across five divisions.
The Saturday highlight was unquestionably the Champion Team Super Heat.
Among the exceptionally strong teams entered with North Sydney Body Surfer and The Hawaiian Team. However, the local team Sun Coast Sea Otters, comprising Darren Verrenkamp, Tallow Crouch, Lyla Crouch, Jay Van Deurse and Jack Lewis, turned in a flawless performance to run away with the win.
This was the event the competitors loved competing in the most. At the end of the heat, every single competitor swam back out and caught a single party wave in together, with 20 of the world’s best bodysurfers on one wave.
Sunday was Finals Day for the Wedge as the fields were narrowed down to the final fortunate few.
The Juniors Division was taken out by 11-year-old local girl Tallow Crouch, a superb performance against competitors of both genders and up to 17-years-old.
The podium was also filled by locals Kaden Wallis and Taj Barraclough who have podiumed in the same event in previous years.
The Tribal Elders (over 55s) was won by local Bill Moore, with Chip Bradshaw and previous winner Darren Verrenkamp filling the podium.
The Masters (over 35s) was won by another local in Adam Baldwin, his first big win. Sydney-based Richie Evans was second with Red Bull photographer Trent Mitchell coming in third.
The Women’s Open was won by double Olympic gold medalist Susie O’Neill who showed she has lost none of her form in the water. She edged out defending champion Lyla Crouch with IBSA winner Ally Zillman taking out third.
Darren said the Men’s Open final produced arguably the best bodysurfing heat ever held in Australia.
The five finalists produced an epic display for the crowd, with the two main protagonists from the IBSA event, Jack and Ky, soon separating themselves.
Like two heavyweight boxers they went blow-for-blow, wave-for wave with extraordinary rides, one after the other. In the end Jack edged out Ky in this battle for the ages, with local boy Jan Van Deurse grabbing the bronze.
Competitors are already dreaming of Wedge ’24.
