King Waka's Korner: Phillip Island....The Finals

Saturday finally arrived and so did the finals for the 2011 World Kneeboard Championships, it had been a long week of competeing in trying conditions and this day was going to be no different than the others. Back to Woolamai Beach again , they sent out the first of the finals in just horrible , onshore and junky surf conditions! Now from memory I think the Kahunas kicked the day off with Craig McDonald 1st, Damian Coase 2nd. Rob Rennie 3rd and Paul Satchell 4th , sorry no pics!
Junoirs next, with that fellow Waka club member Kurt Muesburger (surfing in red) taking out 3rd , with Jethro Cooney 1st (yellow) Chri Linn 2nd (white) and Shane Whitehouse 4th (blue)

Next out was the Womans Final and representing her Waka club was Donna (mrs smurf)Jennings in red

It was a tight final amonst all the girls but Donna held her nerve and got the better waves to take out the Womans Final.....Well done Donna, the new ISA World Womens Kneeboard Champ, and you couldn't wipe the smile off Mr Smurf 's face!

Next was the Legends division with Rudy Lausz (in white) from the Waka's taking out 4th
Big Congrats to Bob Gove in taking out the Final, with Steve Artis 2nd and Gunther Frensch 3rd

Bob Gove before his final

The Immortals final was taken out by John Mel 1st (in red) from John Condon 2nd in white

Veterans were up next and with that Waka club member Mark Able (white) surf strongly to take out 4th, with Dave Parkes (yellow) 1st, Pete McLure 2nd (red ) Red Ceglowski 3rd (blue)

The Senoirs were up next and what a tough final this was going to be with Chayne Simpson , Albert Munoz, James Anderson and Armando Colucci all ripping up the sloppy conditions! Chayne went on to win this final in great form, busting his tail out on numerous occasions and not holding back his vertical attack on sketchy wave faces. Chayne 1st (yellow) Albert 2nd(blue) Pommie3rd(red ) and Armondo 4th (white)

Masters Final was another tight one , but it was Kyle Bryant 1st ( yellow) from Simon Farrar 2nd(red) Chris Carey 3rd(white) and Matt Gallagher 4th (blue)

Grand Masters was next and it was great to see former world kneeboard champion Michael Novakov back in the winners circle, he was ripping all week and very unluckly not to progress thru to the Open Final. So it was Michael 1st (yellow) Kevin Fisher 2nd (white) Baden Smith 3rd(blue) and Dale Ponsford 4th (red)

Mick pictured above with his 2 sons Matt (2nd Pro Junoirs) and new World Cadet Champion Tom Novakov.

A great Family effort!

The Cadets

The future of the sport looks great , with these young grommies ripping the junky surf up!

Matt Novakov was a standout and at 14 was pushing alot of the open surfers in the main draw . His fellow finalists were no slouches either with Kurt Geiseler, Evan Odom and Catherine Karney all surfing to the best of their abilities in the trying conditions

Matt Novakov 1st (red) Kurt Geiseler2nd(blue) Evan Odam3rd(white) and Catherine Karney4th (yellow)

The Novakov's

The Open Final

Well this was going to be a real tuff one, with young guns Chayne and Albert up against old dogs Dave Parkes and former World Champ Kyle Bryant. Chayne Simpson had been on fire all week, surfing so smooth with a great vertical attack to boot and fellow team rider Albert Munoz not far behind him!

Both Dave and Kyle had also been ripping all week so with the best 4 surfers out in the water for 25minutes, it was going to be a real nailbiter. Both Chayne and Albert led a sea sawing battle between themselves, vertical smashes, busting the tail out in crtical sections, while Dave and Kyle were doing the biggest reo's and floaters on the largest set waves, but only one surfer can win, and with his last wave Albert Munoz took out the Open Final from Chayne Simpson 2nd , Kyle Bryant 3rd and Dave Parkes 4th.

Albert and his wife Rachel