Aussie Invasion

This year, more than any other, Australians are everywhere. Turn to your left and youll more than likely hear Yeah, mate. Go right and you may get a Ah mate, that was bullshit. Walk into Foodland to spend your last dollar and youll find a couple of em in the Top Ramen section contemplating if today will be a chicken or beef flavored day. If someone tells you he saw a bodyboarder pull a huge air on a crazy section, its a good chance that it was done by an Aussie.

Aussie car

Twenty-one years ago when the first event took place I remember doing a television show where we talked about the contest. The host asked me who do I think will be dominating the sport in the future. I responded that I think the Hawaiians will always be at or near the top but we better watch out for the Aussies and the South Africans. Of course my surfing heroes back then were Kanga Cairns, Shaun Tomson and Mark Richards, so that influenced my answer a little. I was happy to see and become good friends with the first Aussie crew-which consisted of Derek Hulme who today is the events technical director, Julie Rowbatham who I think now lives in Queensland and Evan Penglis of Maroubra. Evan took off on a super mean one, lost both his fins, his watch, broke his leash and was so stoked to just survive. The next crews of Ross Hawke, Bob Bell, Macca, Ballard, Youngie and Nugget set the pace for what is a nation of hardcore riders, feeding off each other and consistently winning.

Theres a valuable lesson to be learned here. It helps that almost 80 percent of Australias population lives near the ocean and many coastal towns have clubs that encourage a healthy lifestyle of ocean awareness. Although I rather not run up and down the beach in red banana sacks like the life saving guys do, I do like how they get people involved to learn about the ocean at a young age. Australia also grasps their champions and advertises their victories, making them national icons, something America doesnt do too well, unless youre Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods.

While many of todays up and coming riders are products of watching Nugget, Macca, Eppo and some of the visiting pros, I think this is just the beginning of something more. The training programs that Macca worked on is testimony to the sports investment as Sean Virtue, an alum is on his way to being the champion that the program trained him to be.

Take away the funnel web spiders, the blue ringed octopuses and Bros and what you have is what Steve the crocodile hunter would say; Ahh, shes a beauty.

Eddie Solomon and Aussie Hippy