Quiksilver Surf Shop Challenge 2008
Southeast Division
April 8, 2008
Sebastian Beach Inn, Florida
BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN for SUNRISE SURF SHOP
The Sebastian Beach Inn is a super cool hangout. Located just 5 miles north of the infamous Inlet it’s a complete beachside watering hole with pool tables, a restaurant/bar, live music and a huge outside deck overlooking the surf. This has been the site of the Quiksilver Surf Shop Challenge for the past four years and has been quite accommodating as an awesome surf contest venue. What the SBI served up this year for the Southeast Division of the Quiksilver Surf Shop Challenge on Tuesday April 8th were burgers and we’re not talking the Angus beef type. What greeted the ten (10) surf shops on the morning of April 8th were sizable chunks of swell that would break well on the outside but then hit “the deep shark trench” and peter out till it hit the inside sandbar. This forced many to break out the ol’ bunny hop in order to connect their waves to the inside section which few were able to.
First round of five (5) shops included Ft. Walton’s Fluid Surf Shop who made the long drive from the Panhandle along with local shop Longboard House which consisted of a team of older surfers with a median age of 53. Owner Mike Mann jokingly quirked, “We all have our heart medications and defibulators on hand.” A surprising upset in that initial round was Team Quiet Flight headed by Bryan Hewitson, a normally solid team who have won this event twice in the past but was unable to jumpstart their team toward advancement.
Round Two possessed the energy of a Barack Obama pep rally where three of the top team scores of the entire event went down. Highlighting the round was Sunrise Surf Shop’s Cody Thompson’s sick air reverse on a walled up right that undoubtedly became the best maneuver of the contest. Surf Central’s Ryan Helm wasn’t to be outdone as he connected several maneuvers on a wave that earned him the highest wave score of the event with an 8.5.
The final round saw many upsetting scores with several heavy hitters failing to hit their marks. Adam Wickwire of last years winning team The Goods had a major shocker not only incurring an interference call on Sunrise’s Evan Thompson but by also losing a gold chain during a foiled backside lip smack. It was a strange coincidence for Wicky since this was the same beach where his father had found several pieces of eight while scouring this treasure laden coastline after Hurricane’s Frances and Jeanne back in 2004. Goes to show you, the sea giveth and the sea taketh away. Evan T, the younger brother of the Thompson duo, also had a shock treatment in the final while failing to connect with anything over a 3. His final wave was a discrepancy call as he claimed he didn’t take his hands off the rail on a wave he paddled into yet didn’t stand up on. The judges saw it differently giving him a .5 which sent him in as his final wave.
Team IWS kicked in with Skeeter Zimmerman carving the b-Jesus out of a long winding lefthander giving him the 2nd highest wave score of the final. Teammate Cheynne Cotrell followed up with a couple of 5.5’s, one which was double whammied putting Team IWS in the drivers seat. Not one to endure riding shotgun Team Sunrise knew they had to step it up which they did with top gun Cody Thompson throwing up a 7.5 (which he reluctantly didn’t double whammy) followed by a 6.6 that he whammied. Still lagging so slightly behind IWS, it was Dane Jeffries, the only veteran teammate from the overall 2006 Championship Sunrsie Team, who pulled it ahead as their final surfer with scores tallying 6.0 and 3.5. As the top two final standings were announced it was a mere .37 of a point in favor of Sunrise Surf Shop that barely edged out a well tuned Island Water Sports. “Break out them air boats and mud boggers, we’re heading back to California” exclaimed a jubilant Dane Jeffries.
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