Re: Team USA - 2015 World Titles
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 8:05 pm
I returned home from the 2015 Kneeboard Surfing World Titles in Kiama, NSW Australia last week with a pneumonia and a big hole in the bottom of one of my boards (not the newy) from Qantas. It was an incredible trip to see old friends and to make so many new ones. Joe Coyne and I surfed many new spots and saw so many others along the way that it kind of makes me want to return!
Big, warm thanks to Adam Williams for his boundless stoke and generosity. Also to Rob Slater (again!) and the Novokovs. We surfed the Central Coast with Ross Dillon and saw Grant Anthony Christmas along the way. Thanks so much Bruce Hart for another great board and for sharing your stoke. Also, another shout out to all of the Open Quarter Finalists. You all ripped and surfed great in the variety of conditions. Gavin Colman was incredible as always snagging two 9s in his age-group Final to win that Title, and his heart-warming acceptance speech in which he gave the board he won it with to Scotty brought a tear to my eye (and to others). I was sitting at the same table and Scotty was truly touched!
Thanks to all who made the trip and made Team USA so great, families included. We had some success at least! Sam Coyne had a great contest missing 1st in the Pro Junior by 0.1 and for going the farthest in the Open.
So, the Worlds are more than 15 hours flights and loosing heats. They are about advancing in a few heats, adventure, airline-induced dings, illness, and as Albert Munoz explained so perfectly in his acceptance speech...about the community that we are as kneeboarders in and out of the water. I was on the south end of the beach waiting to paddle out for my Kahuna Final when late in the Open Final Albert dropped in late on a big wedging left, came hard off the bottom and pulled off that incredible hit/air on the closeout. When I saw that I knew he had wrapped it up. Congrats Albert!
~Bradford!
Big, warm thanks to Adam Williams for his boundless stoke and generosity. Also to Rob Slater (again!) and the Novokovs. We surfed the Central Coast with Ross Dillon and saw Grant Anthony Christmas along the way. Thanks so much Bruce Hart for another great board and for sharing your stoke. Also, another shout out to all of the Open Quarter Finalists. You all ripped and surfed great in the variety of conditions. Gavin Colman was incredible as always snagging two 9s in his age-group Final to win that Title, and his heart-warming acceptance speech in which he gave the board he won it with to Scotty brought a tear to my eye (and to others). I was sitting at the same table and Scotty was truly touched!
Thanks to all who made the trip and made Team USA so great, families included. We had some success at least! Sam Coyne had a great contest missing 1st in the Pro Junior by 0.1 and for going the farthest in the Open.
So, the Worlds are more than 15 hours flights and loosing heats. They are about advancing in a few heats, adventure, airline-induced dings, illness, and as Albert Munoz explained so perfectly in his acceptance speech...about the community that we are as kneeboarders in and out of the water. I was on the south end of the beach waiting to paddle out for my Kahuna Final when late in the Open Final Albert dropped in late on a big wedging left, came hard off the bottom and pulled off that incredible hit/air on the closeout. When I saw that I knew he had wrapped it up. Congrats Albert!
~Bradford!