The 2023 West Coast Suspensions WA Longboard & Logger Championship presented by Think Mental Health, wrapped up in memorable fashion yesterday in Denmark, concluding three consecutive days of amazing weather and near perfect longboarding waves along WA’s south coast.
A total of 17 State Champions were crowned in what was an amazing display from WA’s diverse longboarding community, with many past, present and future stars on display, with divisions ranging from Under-18 Juniors through to Over-70 Grand Legends, catering for both men and women.
Competitors from as far north as Exmouth, as far south as Esperance and everywhere in between converged on Denmark as they looked to qualify for the Australian Surf Championships scheduled to run in Port Macquarie, NSW in August.
Sunny skies, light winds and groomed swells provided the perfect setting for the event, as competitors used every inch of their nine-foot plus boards to exact the most out of the waves on offer at Parry’s Beach.
Jack Medland (Dunsborough) claimed multiple victories, taking out blue ribbon Open Men’s Longboard and hotly contested Open Men’s Logger divisions. Using a mixture of traditional and modern longboard manoeuvres, Medland posted excellent scores with ease as he captured two State Titles in front of packed beach who soaked up the festival like atmosphere on offer.
Medland was pushed all the way by an in form Ryan Clark (Dunsborough), who battled hard to defend his State Titles from 2022. The pair swapped positions on the leaderboard regularly, but it was Medland who came out on top, with less than half a point separating the pair in the Open Men’s Longboard final and less than one point the margin in the Open Logger Men’s Logger final.
“It’s been a remarkable event and I couldn’t be happier right now,” said Medland. “I was away in New Zealand last year and missed out on competing in the State Titles in 2022, so to come back and score the conditions we did this weekend has been so good.”
“To get the double was always my goal, but that was tough,” said Medland. “All the boys were ripping, especially Ryan. We’ve got a great community here in Western Australia and it’s good see how well everyone gets along and interacts in and out of the water.”
Georgia Young’s (Perth), love of longboarding was on display as she took out the Open Women’s Longboard final. Young’s combination of powerful rail turns and fancy footwork saw he claim a narrow victory ahead of local talent Michaela Ross (Albany), with just 0.07 separating the two when the siren sounded. Bridget Churack (Yallingup) finished in third and Shae Sheridan (Dunsborough) fourth.
“It’s been three days of pumping surf and even better times here in Denmark,” said Young.“We’ve been so fortunate and it doesn’t get much better than this for a competition.”
Michaela Ross (Albany) drew from her local knowledge to take victory in the Open Women’s Logger final. Making a welcome return to the competitive arena, Ross dance up and down her board like a ballerina to the applaud of a strong local contingent who were there to cheer her on. Ross posted a combined two wave total of 11.27 (from a possible 20) on her way to victory.
“It’s been a while since I’ve competed in the State Titles and I just love the longboard community we have here in Western Australia,” said Ross. “I grew up surfing along this stretch of coastline and it holds a special place in my heart.”
Dane Quirk (Exmouth) traveled over 20 hours to be in Denmark to compete in his first State Championship in over a decade. Quirk’s power and radical approach saw his claim victory in the Over-40 Men’s division with a dominant performance that saw his post a two wave total of 13.56 (from a possible 20). Quirk was too strong for close friend Jock Bahen (Cowaramup), Paul Burke (Dunsborough) and Rob Thurston (Mount Claremont), who finished second, third and fourth respectively.
“It’s been 12 years since I last competed in one of these events and it’s been so good to catch up with old mates and see the new faces coming through the ranks,” said Quirk. “I used to ride Warren Thompson’s surfboards and it’s nice to be in his backyard and I pay homage to him and all he’s done for longboarding in WA.”
Dave Smith (Osborne Park) took out the Over-50 Men’s final and will look to compete at the National Titles in August along side his son Jake Smith (Osborne Park), who won the Under-18 Junior Boys division. It was a successful event for the Smith family with Dave recently transitioning to longboarding after many years riding a shortboard.
“As a surfboard shaper I jumped on a longboard last summer as the waves in Perth can be pretty bad,” said Smith. “I’ve loved riding the bigger boards and think there is something pretty special about longboarding here in Western Australia.”
Jock Bahen (Cowaramup) was a popular winner of the Over-40 Men’s Logger division, Barrie McKinnon (Dunsborough) defended his Over-60 Men’s State Championship, while Brent Moss (Esperance) was a standout performer in the Over-65 Men’s final.
In other event results, Amanda Curley (North Beach) won the Over-40 Women’s Logger final, with Samantha Vanderford (Green Head) taking out the Over 50 Women’s division. Paul Burke (Dunsborough) won the Over-45 Men’s final, and Doug Carruthers (Margaret River) was the best of the Over-55 Men’s competitors.
At 75 years of age, Bob Monkman (Dunsborough) still looked very sharp and nimble winning the Over-70 Men’s division, while Finlay Foley (Marybrook) was the best of the Under-18 Junior Loggers.
“Congratulations to all our State Champions and National Title qualifiers,” said Surfing WA Events Manager Justin Majeks. “The longboarding community here in Western Australia is truly unique and I think it’s an amazing part of the WA surfing landscape.”
Jack Medland (Dunsborough) claimed the West Coast Suspensions Wave of the Weekend for the highest individual score of the event, with an excellent 8.83 (from a possible 10), during the Open Men’s Logger final.
Ryan Clark (Dunsborough) was the lucky recipient of a brand new Moonshine Surfboard for his consistent and quality surfing throughout the event.
Attentions now turn to the upcoming Geraldton Winter Classic in June, the Whalebone Longboard Classic in July, as well as preparing the 2023 State Team for the National Titles in Port Macquarie, NSW in August.
You can keep up to date with all the action by following Surfing WA’s social media platforms or by checking out www.surfingwa.com.au
FINAL RESULTS – 2023 WEST COAST SUSPENSIONS WA LONGBOARD & LOGGER CHAMPIONSHIP
Open Men’s Longboard:
1. Jack Medland (Dunsborough) – 15.90
2. Ryan Clark (Dunsborough) – 15.70
3. Jacob McIvor (Rockingham) – 11.60
4. Lindsay Small (Waikiki) – 9.53
State Champion – Ryan Clark
Open Women’s Longboard:
1. Georgia Young (Perth) – 12.20
2. Michaela Ross (Albany) – 12.13
3. Bridget Churack (Yallingup) – 6.93
4. Shae Sheridan (Dunsborough) – 5.07
State Champion – Georgia Young
Open Men’s Logger:
1. Jack Medland (Dunsborough) – 14.90
2. Ryan Clark (Dunsborough) – 14.03
3. Evan Ledger (Yallingup) – 13.10
4. Jock Bahen (Cowaramup) – 12.90
State Champion – Jack Medland
Open Women’s Logger:
1. Michaela Ross (Albany) – 11.27
2. Olivia Lodge (Dunsborough) – 5.96
3. Georgia Young (Perth) – 5.40
4. Georgia Hanson (Cottesloe) – 1.23
State Champion – Michaela Ross
Over 40 Men’s Longboard:
1. Dane Quirk (Exmouth) – 13.56
2. Jock Bahen (Cowaramup) – 10.10
3. Paul Burke (Dunsborough) – 9.93
4. Rob Thurston (Mount Claremont) – 7.80
State Champion – Dane Quirk
Over 40 Women’s Longboard:
1. Amanda Curley (Margaret River) – 16.33
* results based off 2x finals
State Champion – Amanda Curley
Over 40 Men’s Logger:
1. Jock Bahen (Cowaramup) – 10.50
2. Kevin Anderson (North Fremantle) – 8.64
3. Jarrah Calder (Bicton) – 6.90
4. Dane Quirk (Exmouth) – 4.83
State Champion – Jock Bahen
Over 40 Women’s Logger:
1. Amanda Curley (Margaret River) – 14.20
* results based off 2x finals
State Champion – Amanda Curley
Over 45 Men’s Longboard:
1. Paul Burke (Dunsborough) – 26.40
2. Jarrah Calder (Bicton) – 25.40
* results based off 2x finals
State Champion – Paul Burke
Over 50 Men’s Longboard:
1. Dave Smith (Osborne Park) – 12.34
2. Kevin Anderson (North Fremantle) – 9.03
3. Rob Thurston (Mount Claremont) – 8.67
4. Paul Burke (Dunsborough) – 8.20
State Champion – Dave Smith
Over 50 Women’s Longboard:
1. Samantha Vanderford (Green Head) – 26.10
2. Amanda Curley (Margaret River) – 16.33
* results based off 2x finals
State Champion – Samantha Vanderford
Over 55 Men’s Longboard:
1. Doug Carruthers (Margaret River) – 9.86
2. Brett Merifield (Dunsborough) – 8.06
3. Kevin Anderson (North Fremantle) – 7.57
State Champion – Doug Carruthers
Over 60 Men’s Longboard:
1. Barrie McKinnon (Dunsborough) –11.97
2. Brett Merifield (Dunsborough) – 10.00
3. Rob Thurston (Mount Claremont) – 9.54
4. Mike Neunuebel (Denmark) – 8.81
State Champion – Barrie McKinnon
Over 65 Men’s Longboard:
1. Brent Moss (Esperance) – 13.50
2. Bill Gibson (Margaret River) – 11.83
3. Bob Monkman (Dunsborough) – 11.07
4. Brian Bell (Dunsborough) – 6.10
State Champion – Brent Moss
Over 70 Men’s Longboard:
1. Bob Monkman (Dunsborough) – 25.50
2. Tony Harrison (Albany) –22.68
3. Gerry Bejarano (Balga) – 5.97
* results based off 2x finals
State Champion – Bob Monkman
U18 Junior Longboard:
1. Jake Smith (Osborne Park) – 20.37
2. Kai Flynn (Cowaramup) – 19.53
2. Finlay Foley (Marybrook) – 19.40
* results based off 2x finals
State Champion – Jake Smith
U18 Junior Logger:
1. Finlay Foley (Marybrook) – 24.93
2. Kai Flynn (Cowaramup) – 16.21
3. Jake Smith (Osborne Park) – 15.90
* results based off 2x finals
State Champion – Finlay Foley
About West Coast Suspensions:
West Coast Suspension formally commenced trading as Jenkins Springs Pty Ltd in Adelaide Terrace, Perth, Western Australia in 1924. The West Coast Suspensions name was registered in 1990 to further reflect the company’s progression as a specialist suspension supplier to road transport, mining, recreational 4×4 and off road vehicles. More information: www.westcoastsuspension.com.au
