Saturday, 5th February, 2022
By Surfing Australia
Despite a day of challenging surf and windy conditions, The Hyundai Australian Boardriders Battle Grand Final got off to flying start at Newcastle with the Open Men, Open Women, Masters and Juniors all surfing their individual heats.
Surfing for her beloved Snapper Rocks Boardriders, Kobie Enright found a diamond in the rough in her Open Women’s heat as she mustered up a handful of beautiful forehand carve to post a solid 8.13 wave score. Enright looked majestic as she swooped through an array of difficult waves to find the clean sections that allowed her to nail the aforementioned turns.
“That was so difficult out there. It was definitely the most exercise I have done this year I reckon,” said Enright. “Most heats prior to me had pretty low scores so I was just aiming to do one or two turns on a wave then you could potentially get a good score. I got lucky and got one really good section and the judges seemed to like it.”
Kobi Enright on that golden wave. Credit: Blainey Woodham/Surfing Australia
Sophie McCulloch followed suit a few heats later as she posted a massive 8.38 wave score for her local North Shore Boardriders Club.
Hughie Vaughan put on a clinic in the junior men’s division as he surfed an impeccable heat for his local North Shelly Boardriders Club. Vaughan’s patient approach to wait out the back for a sizeable wave paid dividends as he caught a massive set that allowed for a chain of powerful snaps and carves. Vaughan was awarded with an 8.75, the highest wave score of the day.
“The waves seemed to be really fun in that heat,” said Vaughan. “I thought there was potential for a big score if you could catch a set out the back and then get it to run the whole way through. Thankfully, I found one and it offered a series of sections to do turns.”
Hughie Vaughan runs the North Shelly tunnel. Credit: Ethan Smith/Surfing Australia
2022 Hyundai Grand Final Leaderboard (End of Day 1):
- Nth Narrabeen BRC
- Coffs Harbour BRC
- Nth Shelley BRC
- North Avalon Surfing Association (NASA)
More than 4300 runners eagerly hit the streets on Saturday February 5th in the annual Sun Run. The first major fun run of the year saw participants compete in either the 10km or 7km event from Dee Why to Manly taking in the picturesque views of Curl Curl, Freshwater and Queenscliff beaches along the way.
Mayor Michael Regan congratulated the winners and all the participants who were clearly happy to enjoy the fresh air and up-beat vibe after a challenging couple of years.
“Today’s event has had a massive positive impact on the morale of the community after enduring an extensive lockdown last year and continual restrictions,” Mayor Regan said.
“We are fortunate it is one of very few events that has been delivered each year on the same weekend throughout the current pandemic.
“It was tremendous to see so many people enjoying themselves on one of the most picturesque running routes in the country whilst also supporting local businesses and raising much needed funds for charity.
“Over $60,000 has been raised for charities across the state which is a fantastic effort. Congratulations to all the winners – we hope to see you again next year.”
In total $65,225.85 was raised with the Northern Beaches Women’s Shelter topping the fundraisers listed at $12,590.77. Others included Kidney Health Australia ($3,741.25), The Dreaming Foundation ($3,567.50), The Kids' Cancer Project ($3,449.25), Breast Cancer Network Australia($3,168.44), Cancer Council NSW ($2,758.75), Dementia Australia ($2,482.75),and RSPCA NSW($2,233.69) also had thousands raised for their work.
All up 124 charities had funds raised for them by 115 teams and 990 fundraisers.
The next big fun run will be the Beach2Beach Charity Fun Run & Festival from Dee Why to Newport.
Considered Sydney’s most scenic fun run, the Beach2Beach Charity Fun Run & Festival, celebrates its 28th year on Sunday, 27 March 2022. Organised by the Rotary Club of Brookvale, Courses start at Dee Why Beach (13km), Warriewood (6km), and Mona Vale (3km) and end with a Family Festival at Newport Beach.
Event Ambassador Guy Leech thinks the shorter courses are a wonderful initiative, saying: “It’s great for serious runners to compete over the traditional longer distance, but the short course option means more parents can now run with their children. With childhood obesity now such a massive problem in Australia, this not only helps teaching kids about the importance of a healthy lifestyle, but it’s just a whole lot of fun! I’ll definitely be starting at Mona Vale and running with my 8 year old, Phoenix.”
Beach2Beach is keen to have more school students and Teams involved in this big charity event and so have added a major incentive for ALL Schools and larger Teams to register of a 25% cashback of entrance fees. Those eligible for the 25% Cashback Offer are;
Schools: Every Primary or High School that enters a Team in the 2022 Beach2Beach will receive a guaranteed 25% ‘cashback’ on all entry fees for their Team. That’s automatic cash straight back to the school, to be spent on any worthwhile initiative that benefits students, or money that can be given directly to each school’s chosen charity.
Other Teams: The same 25% Cashback will be applied to any group or organisation that enters a Team of 25 or more, the cashback going directly to the Team’s chosen charity.
Additionally, the Early Bird discount applies until March 15.
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