The Wairarapa Bush Board Riders Club held their inaugural event on Sunday of Queens Birthday weekend 2010. The ”Big Kahuna” Single Fin Competition was a fun way of kicking off a new club whose charter includes all aspects surrounding the fun and passion in the sport of surfing but also to promote conservation awareness along the Wairarapa coastline, initiate a scholastics surfing programme in the Wairarapa, and to give Wairarapa surfers a unified voice where they can have their say on all matters surrounding our beaches.

As conditions for the day were squally N.E. the “Gap” was chosen as the venue. Conditions cleared slightly as the event progressed and the swell remained constant throughout the day with shifting 4ft plus peaks coming through the middle of the Gap whilst the southern corner worked throughout with its sucking pits and wedging peaks.

The event started with marshalling and heat selection where the 16 participating surfers were divided into 4 equal heats competing for 2 trophies, the men’s single fin and the women’s single fin. The women’s competition was initially represented by a single competitor in Gemma Pearson who was included in the second heat of the men’s round.

Prior to starting their heat, all surfers drew their boards from a selection of classic relics of a by-gone surfing era, having their years of garage-filled dust brushed off for the fun event. The four 20 minute heats were fought out to find 8 surfers to move into the two semi finals. Both semis were a closely contested event and resulted in 4 finalists: Miles Ratima, Aaron Carmichael, Sam Algie and Joe Vermeer.

For the final, the wind dropped a little, the swell picked up slightly and the people watching from the beach were entertained by a display of big drops, classic turns as well as a couple of decent pitches and over-the-falls acrobatics.

Miles Ratima just pipped Aaron to take the final with both surfers making some decent drops and getting long rides which incorporated some good turns. Joe Vermeer surfed solidly for third but didn’t have much to work with. The toll of a great semi-final and having to paddle straight back out for the final took its toll on Sam Algie whose best ride of the day came after the final hooter.

Gemma Pearson was joined by fellow woman’s surfer Becca Thompson in the same final and the tricky conditions challenged the women. Just before the final hooter Gemma hooked into a decent sized left hand wave where she made the drop, bottom turned and completed the ride with another turn taking out the Women’s title.

During the day Miles Ratima from New Zealand Surf Schools gave surfing lessons to the enthusiastic one boy and 6 budding girl surfers prepared to don a wetsuit in the cool conditions. Good representation from St Matthews Collegiate was shown from these willing participants who completed their session gaining valuable 1^st hand knowledge from one of the regions best known surfers.

A great day was had by surfers, spectators, grommets and families alike. Thanks have to be given to Solway Butchery for the sausages, Devon Oakley at the Castlepoint Store and Burleigh Pot for the use of his premises for prize giving, Reap House for use of the Castlepoint School for marshalling, and to Miles Ratima of N.Z. Surf Schools for the free surf lessons for the students.

The next event is the “Brass Monkey” mid winter big wave classic. Check out the Wairarapa Bush Boardriders Facebook site for details.