My First Surf Kayak Comp: Bigbury

I took part in my first ever Surf Kayak competition this weekend at Bigbury on the south Devon coast. The online forecast for surf and weather looked like it was going to be hard work, big messy swell and onshore winds. So I was pleasantly surprise to find small surf and not a breath of wind when I arrived at 8am for the sign in.

Me, in my first heat, trying to make something of the small surf.

I was drawn to surf in the first heat of the contest, and was up against the event organiser, and top surfer, James Hawker. It was going to be tough! The surf, while not being the raging mess I had expect was just as tricky to ride. The Tide was still dropping over a couple of odd sand bars and the waves were fickle, shallow, sucky and closing out often. (not that I'm making excuses!!!) I didn't come last in my heat, but I didn't place high enough to go through either. But that meant that I'd go into the repacharge and have a second chance to get into the quarter finals.

Andy H ripping one of the bigger river mouth waves

However when my rep' heat came up I discovered that I was up against Steve Chivers, a past British waveski champ and a great surfer. Hmmmm, didn't look my competitive surf debut was going to last long! The tide though had just turned and the surf was starting to look much better. But to make matters worse a surf school (a surf school in January!!!) had set themselves up right next to the competition. Meaning that if you got a good wave that went right, you then had to weave the bobbing surf school clients. I pulled off a couple of waves, not wanting to take out some of the surfers, Steve though let rip, busting some great top turns and cut backs right infront of them. And so that was that, I was out of the competition after only 30 minuets of surfing.

Me, in my Rep' heat, with some better looking waves

But that wasn't the end of my day. An integral part of the whole surf competition routine is helping out with the judging. And so I spent a lot of the rest of the day with a clip board in hand helping with the judging.

Steve C bustin' out infront of the surf school

The conditions picked up as the competition went on, although the wind picked up, so had the swell. As the tide came in the waves started to break over some of the sand bars, and then started to offer some great long rides up the river mouth. Some of the guys in the International class managed to get some really long rides.

A surfer enjoying a wave as the tide started to come in

Then as the tide came in more the waves started to break over the sand bars again and the surfers came back into the cove beside the car park again. The Semis were held in some great conditions, with bigger waves breaking quite a way out, or smaller but steeper and perfectly formed waves breaking on the inside. Unfortunately I don't have any pics of what were the best waves of the day, because I was too busy judging.

Event organiser James Hawker charging the river mouth in the IC Class

The Ladies and the Junior final were also unfortunate, just as their finals started the conditions deteriorated again, with the waves dumping and closing out and leaving the surfers with little option and few good waves to choose from.

Another surfer enjoying the improving conditions

The Mens High performance Final started as the sun started to set, but the waves had really given up any pretence of being good. Steve decided that it wasn't worth finishing off his day with such poor waves, and sat out to watch the other three fight it out for the honours.

Eventual winner Glyn

In the end Glyn Brackenbury from North Devon won both the mens High performance final aswell as the International class. And while I got knocked out early I was given an award for best newcomer, more inpart to helping out with the judging than my surfing! but at least I got something!

Andy H again, enjoying a bigger wave in the river mouth.

I have also got a load of video, once I've downloaded it and sort it out I'll try and post a few of the better clips.