Cronulla, NSW — Rory Jenkins (Cronulla, NSW) and April Charles (Cronulla, NSW) dominated all and sundry today at North Cronulla, claiming Macca’s Ocean & Earth Teenage Rampage in great conditions.
Greeted with a marked increase in swell overnight, local luminary Charles and Jenkins proved to be too good for their counterparts, taking the blue ribbon events in style.
Exercising local knowledge and a silky repertoire of attacking manoeuvres, Jenkins was in a league of his own accruing an impressive 14.90 (out of a possible 20) to take the crown.
“I’m so stoked, “ he said with the broadest of grins.
“To win against such good competition and in front of family and friends is awesome,” Jenkins continued.
Defeating Cory Robertson (Cronulla, NSW), Jarrod Campbell (Cronulla, NSW) and Troy Langendoen (Oak Flats, NSW), who finished second, third and fourth respectively, Jenkins had his rivals pleading for mercy.
Opening up with an impressive seven-point ride (out of a possible 20), Jenkins quickly backed that up with a near-excellent 7.90, leaving his counterparts in a combination situation (needing a combination of two scores to dethrone him).
“The conditions were really fun,” he said of the rising, metre-and-a-half easterly swell.
“I was just able to get the right waves at the right times,” a modest champion admitted.
In the corresponding girls division, April Charles reigned supreme.
For Charles her victory today at Macca’s Ocean & Earth Teenage Rampage heralded her as one to watch in the future, after finishing in second place in this event last year.
“I’m really happy with my performance,” Charles stated.
“The conditions were tough out there, with the bigger surf, but I feel that the bigger surf suits me a lot better.”
Edging out Renae Savas (Carringbah, NSW), Ruby Jinks (North Bondi, NSW) and Seaneen Wallace, in a tightly contested final, Charles has no ambitions, just yet, to attack the competitive scene.
“I just love surfing,” she proclaimed.
“Competition is fun, but I prefer just to free surf, relax and enjoy myself.”
Unlike other surfing competitions, Macca’s Ocean & Earth Teenage Rampage allows competitors (16 years and under) to surf three heats each without elimination instead of the traditional cutthroat format – something that Charles applauds.
“This is such a fun event – I love competing in it every year.”
“To get a few chances at surfing with your friends is the best aspect of surfing event’s like this,” Charles said.
Joshua Szele (Warilla, NSW) was the standout of the 13 years division and rightfully was awarded the crown, displaying skills well above his age.
Szele out pointed fellow finalists Harrison Martin (Cronulla, NSW), Jack Donovan (Carringbah, NSW) and Jackson Gilles (Matraville, NSW) to lift the trophy.
Whilst in the girls division it was Veronica Charles (Cronulla, NSW) who kept it in the family, matching her big sister’s feat with a victory in the 13 years division.
Running in line with Macca’s Ocean & Earth Teenage Rampage was the Down In The Park music festival – a Youth Week festival at Dunningham Park, presented by the Sutherland Shire Council in conjunction with National Youth Week and Lifeline NSW, as a part of National Youth Week.
With the aim of increasing awareness of youth mental health issues in the Sutherland Shire community and to assist in promoting mental health support services and programs available to local young people, the Down in the Park festival attracted a large crowd of 18 – 24 year olds.
Headlining the day were Melbourne indie-rock band, British India, with indie-pop-techno band Amy Meredith as local Sydney metal band, Buried in Verona, young Sydney hard-core band Hand of Mercy and Newcastle rock group Light Noise ably supported the popular Melbourne rockers.
For all Ocean & Earth Teenage Rampage news please be sure to log onto www.oceanearth.com andwww.surfingnsw.com.au for more information.
