Jordy Smith (South Africa/Durban) showed all his power in skill in the solid waves in Tasmania today posting the day’s top scoring ride of a 9.6 in his comprehensive round two heat win. Photo: Steve Robertson/Surfing Australia

Marrawah, Tasmania – The third day of competition at the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP)  O’Neill Cold Water Classic and the event found itself at its third new location where surfing’s big names took to the water.

With conditions easing ever so slightly, contest director Matt Wilson chose Marrawah’s exposed Lighthouse Beach as the spot to finish off the round of 96.

In this isolated northwest corner of Tasmania, the likes of Jordy Smith, Cory Lopez, Ben Dunn, aerial master Josh Kerr, and Damien Hobgood made the most of the powerful beach break.

There are high expectations for the 21-year-old South African surfing phenomenon, Jordy Smith – winner of this ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) tour two years ago.

And he didn’t fail to disappoint, waiting until the second half of his heat to pull out his high scoring waves. “It’s interesting being back on the WQS,” he said, “because you can go through with 5’s… I can’t get away with that on The World Tour,” he said.

This is the first time for Jordy on Australia’s island state, but he is fitting right into the Tasmanian waters,

“I met a few of the locals yesterday evening out in the water. I was asking them how to get back because it was getting pretty dark and we were pretty far from anything,” he said. “They were like, no worries catch a ride with us. It was crazy driving through the night with all the Tasmanian Devils about and stuff. We almost hit something the other day – I would have felt bad. We didn’t though, we stopped and let it cross the road.”

The heat of the day today was a battle of spectacular young talent, with 19-year-old up and coming Australian star, Owen Wright taking it out ahead of Dusty Payne, Lincoln Taylor and Wiggoly Dantas.

It was a pretty close heat,” said Owen who has been appreciating the good conditions made possible by the mobile format of the event. “The first day was incredible – the Bluff is an awesome wave,” he said. “But it’s great it’s mobile. It keeps all the options open and you can get the best waves every day.” 

“I’ve been over to Tasmania before,” he said. “But never to this corner. It’s a nice untouched place – it’s an awesome place to have an event.”

As Rob Bain, O’Neill’s Asia/Pacific Marketing Manager said; “It’s not just about the surfing here. We’ve had amazing waves and most of the surfers are discovering them for the first time ever. But this is also more like a road trip – it’s about the different experiences.”

“Yesterday we had the most amazing sunset here – it went crazy purple, and later that evening we saw the most incredible bright stars in the sky I have ever seen. And the first day we were sitting in someone’s house watching this perfect reef break,” he said. “It’s all those things that make this event.”

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Mitch Coleborn (Maroochydore/Qld) showed commitment, charging this solid tubing wave at Bluff Reef and was rewarded with an excellent 8.5 ride. Coleborn won the heat easily defeating USA surfer Chad Compton. Photo: Steve Robertson/Surfing Australia

Marrawah, Tasmania – The O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series launched in style today with Bluff Reef putting on a solid display of six to eight foot waves, showing the incredible potential of this area of Tasmania.

And it was Tasmanian surfer Dustin Hollick who showed the rest of the world how these challenging and wild waves should be surfed, achieving a score of 8.33 off an impressive barrel – and that on his third heat in a row.

“I didn’t have a local advantage in terms of knowing the wave,” he said, “because I’m from down south in Hobart, and I only come up here a few times. But maybe in terms of water temperature I had a bit of an advantage – some of these guys were saying it was freezing for them.”

Dustin qualified through the local trials, finishing his first heat then paddling back out again for the trial finals, before heading straight out again for the first heat of the competition where he finished top, in front of Jarrad Sullivan.

Watching and cheering him on from the comfort of the house of Max and Christel - a local couple with a house right on Bluff Reef who have welcomed the entire crew and surfers – were his friends, and the rest of the Tasmanian support crew.

“Luckily I was really tired,” he said. “By the time I got to the qualifying round I wasn’t nervous because it was way too quick and I was too tired.” Although a renowned Shipsterns rider, Dustin is in awe of the level of surfing currently here in northwest Tasmania. “I’m looking forward to going through and surfing the next heat,” he said, “but I’m also looking forward to seeing all the guys surfing these waves. We’ve never had anything like this in Tasmania.”

Among the top surfers here for the O’Neill Cold Water Classic, Tasmania, is former WCT surfer, and legend, Cory Lopez who has been struck by the beauty of this area. “It’s my first time in Tasmania,” he said. “And this place is beautiful – really awesome. It’s amazing to discover this super isolated place with rolling hills and good waves. I’m really looking forward to doing this event.”

Also eagerly looking forward to his heat tomorrow is the only British surfer of this event. Sam Lamiroy.

“I’ve been so surprised by the quality of the waves here,” said Sam. “Here at the Bluff is probably as good as you are going to get on the tour. This feels like a real step in the right direction. It’s got raw power and good shape on the right ones.”

“But it’s not just the competition,” he said. “It’s also everything that goes with it – the scenery, the people who are so welcoming, and even the snakes and Tasmanian devils.”