What a great day we enjoyed at Bondi Beach, thanks to the great folks at the Boost Mobile Surfsho.
Upon arrival we were first greeted by a friendly young many handing out Nature Valley crunch snack bars. They seemed healthy, but what got my attention was his cool bike and wagon being towed behind. Then we met Erin who had kindly organised our media accreditation for the day.
We walked down to the beach, but sadly surf wasn't exactly up today. The 1 meter waves, if that, were still expertly ridin by some of the world's top trick surfers, and by almost miracle I got some pretty cool photos of some rad moves and tricks on the baby waves.
The band that played to the crowd mid afternoon was pretty cool also, but next time please be clear about the name of your hip group.
Ok, now whether your a hardcore or newbie surfing fan, I think this rundown will help explain the event.
Boost Mobile Surfsho...
It's an annual aerial surf contest held on Sydney's famous Bondi beach. Last year’s SurfSho was the first international surf event to occur on iconic Bondi Beach in over two decades and this year it’s getting even more popular as a host of exciting aerial surfers from across the globe compete on the world’s most famous beach in this three-day surfing event.
Owen Wright...
Last year's winner is back to defend his crown. He's based in New South Wales and is no stranger to Bondi Beach... Last year, he defeated Kelly Slater on the same wave. Thousands of spectators are expected to return in 2011 to watch the champ defend his back-to-back titles.
Nike 6.0 Pro Surfer...
Julian Wilson is a rookie on the ASP World Tour but he's already one of its biggest name value stars. Aged only 19 and with a win over Kelly Slater already under his belt, as well as motion picture appearances and increasingly impressive performances on the ASP World Tour, Julian is the good looking and ultra talented man to watch.
Fan Friendly...
The SurfSho comp follows a unique format which is designed to make it easy for fans to follow from the beach - even non-surfers. At the start of each run, a big wheel ala game show style is spun at the start of each heat, determining which tricks the surfers must perform. B.O.O.S.T letters are awarded to each successful manoeuvre and the 6 highest scored surfers who spell BOOST go into the final.
Stiff Competition...
World-class surf stars Taj Burrow, Jordy Smith, Julian Wilson and Owen Wright busting their best moves, the atmosphere is going to be intense at Boost Mobile SurfSho. "Last year’s SurfSho was a lot of fun and it was great to beat world number one - Kelly Slater," says 2010 champ Owen Wright. "I like Bondi a lot, and if we are lucky to have awesome waves again, there is going to be some stiff competition!"
Boost Mobile SurfSho pumps from March 11 to 13. Surf might not be totally up, but the fun is.