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(Yallingup,
South West Australia, 21st October 2006) -- A perfect spring day with near on
perfect performances and a clean 1.5 to 2m swell had competitors and spectators
awestruck on what some described the perfect playing field for an event. 
The
event has been memorable in more ways than one with huge conditions during the
early part of the week that saw a total of 24 surfboards broken at the event.
Out of these 14 were destroyed during competition and 10 in free surfing around
the contest. As boards were binned and some repaired, one thing visiting competitors
have learned, that you do not underestimate the power of the Indian Ocean. 
In
the blue ribbon division, the open mens final, it was Jackson Close from Queensland's
Gold Coast who opened his account early with a score of 7.25 points out of a possible
ten for his first wave. Close linked together a series of manouvres that saw him
hold the lead until the twelve minute mark of the thirty minute final. 
With
no one yet to challenge Close for the lead, current World Champion Josh Constable
(Sunshine Coast, QLD) decided to make his move. Constable stroked into one of
the bigger right hand waves of the day to pull into a sensational looking barrel
that opened right up to allow him to find some shade from the scorching West Australian
sun and to also thrust him into the lead. 
Rewarded
with a total score of 8.00 for his efforts Constable was about to show why he
is the current World Championship title holder. While Jarryd Foster (Yallingup,
WA), Ray Lawrence ( NSW) and Close gave Constable a good nudge, Constable further
cemented his position for first with his second high scoring ride produced in
the dying five minutes of the final. 
Posting
a 8.50 points, Constable just snuck in front of Close by just 2.40 points leaving
Close to post a 9.93 point ride to knock him from the lead. It was not to be for
Close and Constable was crowned the open national title champion. 
“It’s
just such a great vibe down here and such a beautiful place. A spectacular lightning
show last night and rain had me wondering what the final day would bring and when
I awoke this morning to a perfect day it was just a bonus. Great waves for the
final and a great day, I’m stoked to win in this type of environment,”
said Constable. 
The
open womens final did not disappoint either with Claire Finucane (Melville WA),
Emma Wilson (Jan-Juc, VIC), Arlene Nagtzaam (Yallingup, - WA), and Kirsty Webster
(Banora Point, -NSW) not giving each other any room for error. In an intense final
that saw the girls jockeying for position in the lineup and asserting dominance
for right of way it was a case of WA’s Claire Finucane who reaped the rewards. 
Finucane
showed why she is a past multiple National title holder, where in 2001 and 2003
she won the event and has now taken the title for a third time in 2006. She
went to town on the long winding walls of Yallingup and basically wrote her name
on the wave faces as the winner in a power driven, precision performance. 
Posting
a 6.90pt scoring ride and an 8.35pt ride for her two high scoring rides Finucane
never looked back and dominated the later part of the heat to win another title. “It
was pretty hard going at the beginning of the final everyone was eager to get
a wave early and anything that looked like one created a frenzy. There were some
good ones out there, but you had to wait for them. I’m pretty happy with
the win and having my mum there to watch me is great, she was also stoked. It’s
been a great event with always something to do at night based around the event”,
said Finucane. 
Perhaps
the most outstanding performances came in the Funs Back Surf over 55 mens with
West Australian Bob Monkman posting the highest score of the event a 9.25 pts
to win his third National title. Monkman received standing
applause upon reaching the beach signifying a well deserved win, even though no
one would know the outcome till the presentations at 8pm that evening, it was
more than obvious he had claimed another title. In the other
60 final competitors surfed two finals and the overall total of points accumulated
produced the winner. Barry McGuigan (NSW) won the first final while Dave Ellis
(WA) won the second, but it was 77 year old McGuigan who won the title with his
overall point score. Ben Fesseley (QLD) produced the goods
to win the Sunsmart junior final with Rani Bartlett (NSW) taking out the Pacific
Finance junior womens. In the Zentner shipping over 35s mens
Adam Lane (WA) had a convincing win along with Sharon Jackson (QLD) who won the
over 35 womens division final. Glenn Cuningham (QLD) took the
title in the over 40 mens with Brian Thompson (VIC) winning the over 45 mens and
Ric Chalmers (NSW) taking home the trophy for the over 50 mens. Queensland
won four National titles at the event New South Wales and Western Australia three
and Victoria one. As well as the number of most individual
titles Queensland also took the holy grail of the event winning the teams challenge
with Western Australia second. FINAL RESULTS
OPEN MENS
1. Josh Constable, - QLD,2. Jackson Close
– QLD, 3. Jarryd Foster – WA, 4. Ray Lawrence - NSW OPEN
WOMENS
1. Claire Finucane – WA, 2. Emma Wilson – VIC, 3. Arlene
Nagtzaam - WA, 4. Kirsty Webster –NSW SUNSMART
JUNIOR MENS
1. Ben Fesseley – QLD, 2. Bryce Young, - NSW, 3. Bowie
Pollard, - QLD, 4. Nicholas Farago, - NSW PACIFIC
FINANCE JUNIOR WOMENS
1. Rani Bartlett – NSW, 2. Grace Clifford –
WA, 3. Jade Foster – WA, ,4. Freya Hogarth – Tas, 5. Ella Bahen - WA
OVER 35 WOMENS
1. Sharon Jackson –
QLD, 2. Arlene Nagtzaam – WA, 3. Samantha Vanderford – WA, 4. Kirsty
Webster -NSW ZENTNER SHIPPING OVER 35 MENS
1.
Adam Lane, -WA, 2. David Barlow, - WA, 3. Dean Cristallo, - NSW, 4. Jason Jewrey,
- NSW OVER 40 MEN
1. Glen Cunningham, - QLD,
2. Kevin Anderson, - WA, 3. Richard Smith, - NSW, 4. Brett Merrifield, - WA
OVER 45 MEN
1. Brian Thompson, - VIC, 2. Ray Barker,
- WA, 3. Barrie McKinnon, - WA, 4. Paul Milroy, - QLD OVER
50 MEN
1. Ric Chalmers, - NSW, 2. Chris Fullston, - WA, 3. Phil Baggs,
- NSW, 4. Mike Pimm, - NSW FUNS BACK SURF OVER 55
MEN
1. Bob Monkman, - WA, 2. Mick Marlin, - WA, 3. Fuz Gordon - QLD, 4.
Bruce Channon, - NSW OVER 60 MEN
1. Barry
McGuigan, - NSW, 2. Ross Caslick, - NSW, 3. David Ellis, - WA, 4. Jack Triep,
- Vic TEAMS EVENT
1. Queensland
2. Western
Australia | 
