What a killing our local surfers made at the recent Queensland titles, held for the most part in cracking conditions at The Bluff at Alex Headland.
Two pairs of siblings made it a family affair, with Ben Lorentson taking out the open men’s shortboard for the second year in a row, while sister Gia won the open women’s, her second title, following a win in 2021, all of this delighting a certain proud mum and Noosa councillor.
Also keeping it in the family, Landen Smales continued his amazing run with victories in the junior men’s longboard and logger, plus the open men’s longboard. Lando also claimed seconds in the open men’s logger and open men’s shortboard, while older brother Kaiden scored a second in the open men’s longboard and third in the open logger.
Also continuing on her winning way this year, Noosa’s queen of longboarding, Kirra Molnar took out the open women’s longboard and logger divisions, with lady-in-waiting Mia Waite finishing a close second in both. But Mia had her day in the sun, taking out both junior girls longboard and logger. In the age divisions Noosa’s Hayden Swan won the over 55s longboard and logger, while Wally Allen took out the over 60s longboard.
Back on the shortboards, it was great to see former pro Ryan Campbell out of the board factory and back in a jersey to win the over 35s shortie division. It had been a long time between drinks for Ryan, but the photos and vids reveal he can still unleash a vicious backside slash.
I know all of the talented surfers I’ve mentioned here, and know that they thoroughly deserve this pathway to the national titles later in the year, but every time I examine the results of the Queensland titles, I’m astounded at how few surfers have entered them of late. I doubt that any of the results would have been different if each division had a full complement, but many could barely muster enough for a heat. I’d back our best surfers to beat all comers in any conditions, I just wish they had the opportunity.
In the meantime, a trophy’s a trophy, of course.
Mono’s perfect heat
Speaking of great surfers, my Byron mate Mark Mono Stewart has ripped up the record books once again, this time in Japan to win the Japan Open adaptive surfing championships with two perfect 10s in the final.
Having scored a near perfect 18.4 in an earlier round, the 61-year-old one-legged kneeboarder with multiple world titles to his credit, went absolutely bonkers to score back to back deep barrels in the final, leaving the judges no option but to go all the way, with Mono combo-ing the field. The event was held last week in the wave pool built for the Tokyo Olympics but never used.
After his dynamic win, Mono told the waiting media pack: “Nothing will replace the ocean, and I was sceptical at first, but after competing in a few wave pools around the world I’ve sort of changed my attitude totally. To watch quadriplegics be able to get themselves in the water at a pool and surf these waves in a controlled environment, it’s a huge part of the future of our sport. What we’ve done in the last three or four days has really promoted the adaptive movement and made the disabled people here in Japan feel more proud.”
GOAT survives the cut!
No, I’m not talking about the billy that didn’t make the curry pot.
I’m talking about Kelly Houdini Slater who, despite what you may have read here last week, did not close the curtain on his illustrious pro surfing career when he finished way below the mid-season cut line at Margaret River. Instead he accepted the lifeline of a WSL wildcard for a full year up to the 2024 mid-year cut, alongside France’s Johanne Defay, who actually has a career in front of her.
It’s hard to deny that Kelly has earned another go-round, nor that at 51 he is still surfing’s biggest box office drawcard, but does a multi-millionaire whose myriad record-breaking accomplishments will almost certainly never be equalled in our sport really still need to prove something?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge Slater fan, and have spent enough time with the guy to know he’s a good human being. I love to watch him surf and will miss his presence on tour immensely, but I still say it’s time. And I also say Ramzi Boukhiam.
That’s the name of the incredible powerhouse Moroccan surfer who finally qualified for the world tour last year after a decade of trying, only to miss the whole season so far through injury. Given the chance, I know Ramzi will shine. I just wish he’d been given it now.
FOOTNOTE: As you all know, King Charles III will be crowned tomorrow, and I wish him the best of British, despite the fact that my invitation seems to have been lost in the mail. I have a few Charlie stories which I may have bored you with already, but this one is worthy of a royal redux. In 2003 I was working in London and was invited to the royal command premiere of the Russell Crowe film, Master and Commander. We took our seats in the stalls and waited for HRH to arrive. And waited. That very day the Brit tabloids and morning programs had made mincemeat out of Charlie over a sordid sex scandal that made Fergie’s toe-sucking episode seem relatively normal.
In view of the ruckus, would he be a no-show? Suddenly the suits were everywhere and there was a rustle above us in the balcony as the royals were ushered in. We stood for the anthem and at the end a well-dressed woman in front turned and shouted up at our betters, “We love you Charles, always will!” Soon everyone was turning and shouting undying love. Yes, cringe, me too. I wonder how many loyal subjects in the theatre that night got an invite to tomorrow’s slap-up. But we move on.
