Home | Events | Images | Memberships | Contact
Clint Loake. Photo Anthony MacMillan
Cold Water Challenge 2006
Excellent powerful surf provided prime bodyboarding conditions for the Jersey Bodyboarders annual Cold Water Challenge, held Sunday morning, at a sand-bank near Milano Bars, at the Northern end of St. Ouen’s Bay. With driving rain, a fresh easterly wind, and the sea temperature under 8c, the event certainly lived up to its billing.
The semi-finals saw some great action with Clint Loake getting proceedings under way, performing a very high scoring ARS (air roll spin) on the very first wave of the heat. Loake followed this wave up with more high scoring rides to ease himself into the final. Also advancing to the final was Colin Crowther, who landed a solid roll on a nice bowling left-hander. Andy De La Mare and junior David Speller couldn’t be separated on points, finishing in 3rd place in the heat.
In the second semi-final, reigning title holder Peter Bolam, surfed consistently well, with good wave selection and a series of forward and reverse 360 spins, to look a certainty to advance to the final. Then in a matter of two waves, it was all over for him. First Stefano Ricci took of on a nice looking left-hander, pulling inside the wave for a long high scoring tube ride, before exiting to large cheers from the organizers, and fellow competitors. Then seconds later, Colin Laurent turned late and paddled for a pretty average looking inside wave. The wave jacked-up though, and pitched a thick lip over him, for an even higher scoring tube ride, jumping him ahead of Ricci into first place, with both of them advancing into the final. Steve Pinzari and Pascal Quemener finished the heat in 4th and 5th place respectively.
The final produced some good action with Loake, favouring the right-hand waves, again dominating the action. A good barrel followed by a roll on the exit gave Loake a big lead, a lead he soon extended following another good right, this time performing a big roll out of a heavy section. This all but left his fellow finalists to battle it out for the runner-up spot. Crowther, with his usual low wave count and fussy wave selection, only caught three waves in the 20 minute final. Amongst them though, a good scoring left-hander, with a roll off of the wave’s first section, followed by a reverse 360 spin, taking him into second spot. Third place went to Laurent, who midway through the final, took off deep on a powerful wedging wave, pulling into a very wide barrel; unfortunately he didn’t make it out again, costing him potentially the highest scoring wave of the final and perhaps the whole event. Ricci, competing in his first ever final, performed a nice roll and had a small tube ride, however he couldn’t find any of the better set waves to match his semi-final performance, finishing a very commendable 4th.
Results
1. Clint Loake
2. Colin Crowther
3. Colin Laurent
4. Stefano Ricci