Sam Lamiroy victorious at the Quiksilver North East Open
Sam Lamiroy : photo Lucia Griggi
Quiksilver North East Open
Stop No 6 - 8 of 9 on 2008 UK PST
Gills, Point of Ness, Kiess & Sandside
25 - 26 October 2008
Sam Lamiroy wins the Quiksilver North East Open
Gale force winds, snow and below-zero temperatures made this event perhaps one of the most hard core professional surfing events ever! The North East Open is part of the Quiksilver and Roxy 3 Degrees Series. The event organised as part of the UK Pro surfing Tour was due to run in Tynemouth.
In search of the best available conditions, the surfers and organisers drove just about as far North and as about far East as you can go in mainland UK. This morning the event ran just south of John ‘o’ Groats at Keiss beach. Conditions were harsh at best and horrific at times. In between hail and snow squalls small clean waves were found and the surfers dived in regardless.
As the day progressed, better waves were reported at Sandside beach, so the surfers drove on in search of optimum conditions in which to surf their event. This time to a beach that is in fact located in the shadow of the Dounreay Nuclear Facility.
A great left hand break allowed the surfers to show off their best manoeuvres to the judges. No spectators unrelated to the surfers braved the elements! Except for perhaps the odd seal, few people would have known that the best surfers in the UK were fighting it out for the £2000 prize and vital points up for grabs as part of the UK Pro Surfing Tour.
 Sam Lamiroy : photo Lucia Griggi
Eventual winner, Sam Lamiroy took the title and beat the other
finalists in what was to be a tough day in the office. The winner’s
cheque and the points will always make a bad day good. Runner up in
second place was Quiksilver Welshman Nathan Phillips, and not quite
finding the required waves despite earlier great performances were
Warren Tuck from South Africa in third and his countryman Mike Young in
Fourth.
The King of Water Sports award for the highest wave score was
awarded to the Australian Jye Goffton for a 9.77 ride. Britain’s best
male and female surfers remain in the far North of Scotland to compete
again in the Quiksilver and Roxy Scottish Challenge. The tour will
then be moving onto Northern Ireland for the Quiksilver and Roxy
Portrush Open.
Despite the wind and the harsh elements the surfers and
organisers will be ready in the spirit of adventure to face the
conditions again for the upcoming contests. Next year the events
could be more aptly renamed, The Quiksilver and Roxy ‘minus’ three
degrees series. One thing is for sure; surfing in the snow definitely
pushes the limits of professional surfing!
Results:
1st place - Sam Lamiroy
2nd
place - Nathan Phillips
3rd place - Warren Tuck
4th place - Mike Young
www.quiksilver.com
www.kingofwatersports.com
www.surfersvillage.com
| 