Dunsborough chargers ‘dominate’ in longboard surf competition at Mandurah

The Capes region performed strongly at Surfing WA’s weekend Longboard & Logger State Championships. Dunsborough’s Ryan Clark and Bob Monkman claimed multiple wins in the contest held in clean and consistent waves at Avalon Bay, south of Mandurah. Clark scooped the blue ribbon open men’s division as well as the hotly contested open logger section. Margaret River’s Anthony Spencer received an honourable mention for pushing Clark hard in the final. A score of just 0.06 separated the pair, while 0.60 was the margin for Clark’s win in the open logger final. “To score waves like this for an event is like a dream come true,” he said. “It’s been an amazing day. “I last won a State title back in 2013 and life has changed a bit since then for me, but I still love my surfing and competing.” Monkman “dominated” twice in what judges called “an impressive outing” in the over-65 men and over-70 men’s divisions. Monkman’s drop-knee cutback bested the other competitors, which included a few friends. “I last competed at the Aussie Titles in 2017,” he said. “With two State titles, I’ve got two reasons to go now which is extra motivation.” Surfing WA events manager Justin Majeks congratulated competitors who endured two days of rough conditions before the weather gods smile. “We’re delighted with the waves on offer for our finalists, as well as the levels of stoke and encouragement on offer,” he said. “Longboarding is such an important part of the fabric of surfing’s history and it was so good to see how well everyone competed this weekend, no matter their age or gender.” Dunsborough’s Barrie McKinnon was named the over-60 men’s champion, while the remaining divisions were taken out by Perth surfers.