Screaming swell saw a paramount set of performances across all three world title divisions in April.
It was like the surf gods were making up for a lousy serve up of waves in season 2013, with riders taking advantage of a Reef in motion to carve, sweep, jag, assault, rip, tear, gouge, lever and puncture in a scenario that captured global attention and feedback.
Newspaper, radio, TV and online reports all went wild with headlines that suggested the ASP World Tour was running scared such was the brilliance, dazzle and sizzle of the outputs of the Shoes brigade.
Matt Cooke repeated his March success by taking out the Open Final to gain a handy points advantage for the 2014 title race.
The Cookie Munster seemed to be on a high – and no wonder after scoring an eight page spread in this month’s edition of International Longboarder Magazine. The photo spread has him hanging toes
Cookie rode a quiver of boards throughout the tournament to just edge out a barnstorming Rowan O’Sullivan (son of Richard, whose Puresea Surf Shop is a sponsor of the club), two time champion Jarrod Horner, Nathan Hatheier, Ben Cooke and Brad Heald.
There was never a dull moment as the club senior riders shredded every swell that moved.
But the Junior and Groms division combatants were equally up to the task and put on a set of showdowns that had the crowd of 3,000 fans and spectators shouting and hooting like it was Cronulla Sharks Arena.
Dion Earle was, as he did in the March event, a pocket rocket that the Apollo Space Academy would be proud of – carving on his backhand at the speed of sound.
It was a final that was worthy of the backpage of the sports section of the Sydney Morning Herald, with Sam Lee, Shannon Hatheier, Jai Withers and Marcus Moffat revelling in the conditions to all score high points.
And to put the cherry on the pie, the Groms took no prisoners in a battle royale that had older riders watching on salivating at the way the youngsters manouevered their way around every grinding section to post high scores across the board.
In the end it was Riley Lee that kicked home to claim the No 1 spot and gain a deck patch and leg rope courtesy of sponsor STC.
But not far off the pace in a humdinger of a final were new member Maxime Rayer, followed by Koby, Jarvis Earle, Sax Withers and Sam Canouk.
And so it’s now onto May – either 3 and 4, or 24 and 25. Be there or miss the greatest show on earth!
Shoes Club salutes its sponsors for 2014: Dr John Murray, Only Organic Foods, PCC Surboards, Tengirri Surf Charters, Lipman Construction, WJ Partners, Cronulla Travel, Little Parrot, STC, Cronulla Surf Design and Leo Payne the Sausage
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