Australia The Conclusion: Gold Coast, Malfunction, Explorations and A New Toy

Upon returning home from Oz, Ive been experiencing what I assume to be called "Bloggers Block". The problem that I am facing, is summing up an endless amount of fun and adventure into a few short paragraphs. There is no literary description that can truly capture the essence of an experience, however I will do my best.

After my stay on the Sunshine Coast, with the kind and welcoming Marsoun family, I met up with fellow Waterwoman and friend Sondra Purser. Sondra and I met last year, when she came to Hawaii to compete in the SUP division of Duke's Ocean Festival in Waikiki. From Noosa, we packed up our things and headed off to the Gold Coast, or as many locals refer to it, The Goldy. First stop was Surfers Paradise to watch the Australian Lifeguarding Championships, also known as 'Aussies'. More than 7,000 lifeguards come to Surfers Paradise each year to compete in multiple disciplines of this event. In Oz, Surf Life Saving Clubs (S.L.S.C.) are a huge part of the beach culture. There is a S.L.S.C. for just about every beach. Unfortunately, during this years Aussies, a young, up and coming Ironman competitor was accidentally hit in the head with a boat oar, knocking him unconscious. He was swept under by currents and later found by fellow lifeguards. This tragedy put a halt to all ocean events for the remainder of the competition. My heart goes out to the family and friends of this young 17 year old athlete. It is tragedies like this, that force me to step back and appreciate the life that I have been given and to respect the power of the ocean.


From Surfer's Paradise, Sondra and I continued on our Adventure through the Goldy and headed to Kingscliff for the Malfunction event. On our way we scored some epic sessions at Snapper Rock and Greenmount. It was then that I fell in love with Australia. Perfect right handers that go forever and barrel at the end...what more can a girl ask for. Oh yeah, and I almost forgot to mention the most amazing juice bar that we found in Cooly. Fresh Garden Cafe, is a very special place and they pile up the fruits. Yummy



We arrived in Kingscliff and set up camp. And what a luxurious camp site it was...not. Well, in actuality, the camp site was very nice; clean bathrooms, free warm showers and beach front. The only problem was that we forgot chairs, lights, coolers......basically we had only the essentials, a tent, an air mattress and a car full of boards. It was an adventure to say the least. The Malfunction was a blast. I competed in the Pro Longboard, SUP Surf and the SUP Race. Although I was not victorious in the Longboard or SUP surfing event, I went a few rounds and had a blast. The race went very well. I rode Shakira Westdrop's 12'6' Lahui kai, the same board that I used in the Noosa race. The race was a 5k sprint followed by a 500m run on the beach. I'm happy to report a top ten overall finish (including unlimited), 3rd Place Overall in the Open men's 12'6'' division and 1st overall for the Women's . It was a great race. Shortly after the race I joined Peter Sainsbury of Surftech Australia, a legend in his own right, to commentate the finals of the SUP surf division. I must say that the Australian Stand Up Paddle contingent is very talented. First place went to Noosa's Keahi De Aboitz, followed by Billy Watson and a few others.


A new adventure began shortly after Malfunction. For the remaining three days of the trip, Sondra and I set off to explore perfect empty line ups with World Renown surf photographer Neil Armstrong, aka Moonwalker. As I sat out in the empty line up waiting for the perfect set wave, I flashed back to my childhood dreams of being a Professional Surfer and everything I imagined it would be; surfing perfect empty waves with your friends and no one on the beach but a lone photographer to capture every moment. It was in this moment that I found myself living my greatest dream. And just to top it off, we were escorted on this exploration by current World Longboard Champion Harley Ingelby, 2006 US Open Longboard Champ Dodger Kremel, and fellow Oxbow team rider and local Oz stand out Ruben Roxburgh. It was epic to say the least.

As my Aussie adventure came to an end, Sondra and I had one more stop to make. After observing a new form of surf culture that I had never before experienced, I was inspired. As a result of this, I was propelled to immerse myself in this ocean culture by trading in my Stand Up board for an Aussie Surf Lifesaving rescue board. My first try was quite humbling, but so much fun. I can't wait to catch a Hawaiian Bomb on my new toy. Next year, when I return to Oz, I plan to compete in the Aussie Lifeguard Championships as an international competitor. I can't wait. Life is blessed.

Big Mahalo to all of the amazing people I met in Australia and to Maui Jim & Oceanminded for making this trip a great one.

Thanks again for tuning in to my adventure.

Until next time....

Aloha & God Bless,

Candice


p.s. Stay tuned for some exciting News...coming soon.