Surfer: Les Brewster
Saturday, 3. November 2001
The reason I decided to go for a drive down the Southcoast was basically because I wanted to finish off a roll of film! Considering the onshore conditions I knew the only place that had some sort of a wave would be Parsons Beach, because the headland provides a little shelter from the easterly winds. When I arrived, there where about twenty surfers out. I climbed down the headland and positioned myself on the rocks. This break for some reason reminded me of Back Plomer in NSW, with a strong rip going out right past me alongside the rocks and a long, sweeping beach, ending in a headland on the other side, all being part of the Heysen Trail.
There were so many surfers, kneeboarders and bodyboarders in the water that I found it hard to focus on any good ones. Aside from that, the quality of the waves wasn’t that good anyway, just a short take-off, a quick bottom-turn and then a closeout. With summer fast approaching, the changing weather pattern results in the lack of quality waves; in addition working throughout the week I guess the weekend surfers didn’t have much choice other than making the best out of the mediocre conditions.
I must have been standing there for about an hour when I noticed a whole heap of people getting changed at the beach. I thought at first they were having surfing lessons, but then a girl setting up a mono-pod and camera gear right next to me explained that these surfers actually were competing in the third and final round of the State Shortboard Titles. How lucky was I! The lacklustre surfing performance I’d witnessed so far nearly made me pack up and leave but now I was definitely going to stay, especially since the female competition was stimulating. We exchanged some "professional" ideas and experiences, how to make a living with freelancing and discussed the photographic content in "Southern Surfer" magazine amongst other things, while at the same time trying to get some good shots of the competitors. The only name I can remember is Grant Stoker, apparently leading at the time. Whoever won the contest I will have to find out by reading "SS" at the newsagent :-)
The competitors
(3rd row Grant Stoker)
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The Freesurfers
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copyright Sibylle Martens, photographs and story Sibylle Martens