It seems like Noosa’s Landen Smales is hell-bent on smashing the record books as he continues his climb to longboarding supremacy.
Landen, 15, completely demoralised the opposition last week at the Australian Surf Festival at Port Macquarie in the junior logger division, scoring two perfect tens in the semis before cruising to an easy win, then moved into slightly more vertical mode to take out the junior longboard. With two Australian titles already under his belt, he could be forgiven for relaxing a bit against the big guys in the open men’s logger, but there’s certainly no shame in going down to the likes of Declan Wyton and Ben Considine.
The scary thing about Landen is he’s just as good on a shortboard. Reminds me of Julian Wilson at that age. He could take his surfing anywhere. But enough already about the ubiquitous Smales brood. Landen’s incredible performances at North Haven Beach were just part of a massive Noosa Mal Club search and destroy mission, with trophy rooms all over town straining under the weight of new gold.
Noosa World Surfing Reserve president and high-ranking WSL pro Kirra Molnar also went excellent with a near-perfect nine to take out the final of the open women’s logger in some North Haven bombs and win her first Australian title, while Wally Allan also went into the excellent range a couple of times in dominating the over 40s senior men’s logger to win his first Australian title. To complete the Noosa trifecta, Kate Dwyer took out the women’s over 40s logger for her first national too.
Young Mia Waite also deserves a special mention for making the finals of both junior longboard and logger. As I write, the super seniors are still at it with several Noosa surfers in the mix, so the count of Aussie champs isn’t necessarily over. Maybe our surfing councillors should start thinking about a ticker-tape parade down Hastings Street, with plenty of free beer for the champions and of course the media.
Is this Harry’s world title?
Meanwhile, across the Pacific pond, the Vans Duct Tape WSL US Longboard Open concluded after our last deadline in fairly lamentable conditions at Huntington Beach with California and Angourie’s three-time world champion Taylor Jensen taking out the men’s from Kaniela Stewart, and Hawaii’s Kelis Kaleopa’a beating three-times champ Honolua Blomfield to take the women’s.
These results create some interesting scenarios for the 2022 WSL world longboard title, which will be decided at Malibu in early October. Under the WSL system this year, the championship will be decided on the best two results of the tour’s three stops – Manly, NSW, Huntington Beach and Malibu, both in California. With double points on offer at Malibu, and a 10-day window to catch an Indian summer swell at California’s best point break, it could be an exciting finish. Let’s take a look at the women’s first.
Honno Blomfield is close to unbeatable with a win at Manly and a second at Huntington. Kelis, who didn’t surf at Manly, would have to win again at Malibu, surfing backside, to win the title. There are probably mathematical possibilities that she, and even Brazil’s Chloe Calmon could win the title without winning at Malibu but both would depend on Honno having an absolute shocker. I can’t see that happening.
In the men’s, current ratings leader is Kani Stewart with a third and a second place, but the veteran Jensen, now 38, is tied with Noosa’s Harrison Roach in second, both sitting on a win and a ninth throwaway. I’ve seen both these guys surf their brains out in great Malibu, and a final between them in good conditions would be something for the ages. But first they have to get there, and both have been known to falter in early rounds.
I would say Harrison is less likely to come unstuck at Malibu because he’s become more competitively focused with age, whereas until Huntington, Taylor had been a long time off the podium. On the other hand, Harry let the inexperienced Tosh Tudor take him out at Huntington.
By the time this comes around, the shortboard WSL finals series will be done and dusted and this will be the last big event of the year. What better way for us to celebrate the imminent arrival of summer, than for Harry to bring his first world title home to Noosa. But no pressure.
FOOTNOTE: Sometimes timing is everything. I happened to be running an errand to the Noosa Surf Museum one day last week, right around lunchtime, when I stumbled into a test run for the kitchen of Nguyen Brothers Vietnamese restaurant, which is about to open on ground floor below the surf museum in the revamped convention centre building at Noosa Lakes Resort. I plonked myself down at a table full of tradies just as Yen Nguyen directed his staff to bring out a feast. Oh my … sensational! Unfortunately, your columnist repeated the mistake of fallen comrade Trevor Pepys and gobbled all the good stuff before remembering to take a picture. But this crisp and fragrant spring roll will give you the general idea. Can’t wait for this place to open officially.
