Boardriders push through tough conditions to remember 'Durbo'

The 'Durbo Memorial' is held each year to honour the late Daniel 'Durbo' Campbell, who tragically passed away in June, 2018 at the age of 36.

There were gusty offshore winds on the day, and conditions were tricky with a solid four-to-five foot Northeast swell tearing into Dalmeny.

First to hit the water were the Under 18 boys. Valentino Guseli and Silas Smithers braved the grindy conditions as they navigated their way through the notorious Dalmeny keyhole (small gap in the rocks) to paddle out the back. This first heat of the day did not disappoint with some massive turns executed on some clean 4 foot waves. In the second heat of the Under 18 boys, it was Will Tiffen who claimed wave of the day with a 7.5 point ride - a left hander - a punchy frontside hack followed by full commitment and completion of a tidy barrel, exiting almost high and dry over the rocks.

While the older ladies decided on self preservation and stayed dry for the day, Ruby Davis had tactics in mind. Ruby was the only female brave enough to enter the water - she surfed some foamies on the shore to take out both the Under 18 females and Open women.

The over 45 men had a slow race, with only two waves caught during the final. Ryan Smithers and Dean Lange taking first and second place respectively, disrupting the streak of reigning champion Andrew Johnson. In the open mens, Cameron Ryan solidified his reputation as the Wipeout Master of Big Dal, getting swallowed up after taking a massive drop on a solid wave.

Mitchell Loudoun had monopoly of the Under 14 boys final. While in the Under 18 boys final it was a head to head battle between Matt Driscoll and Valentino Guseli. Matt's tunnel vision left him sitting away from the pack waiting patiently for a hollow right hander rolling off the point - his highest score of 7 points came from a smooth sequence of two big cutbacks and a critical end section re-entry over the rock shelf. Valentino managed to pick off an elusive right hander, the steep face and peeling wave lent itself to Valentino as he scored an excellent 8.5 points - a perfect execution of 3 vertical backhand snaps right over the stones to narrowly take out the win in the final few minutes.

The assisted groms as usual caught their fair quota of waves. Finder Black, Abigail Black and Winter Lange were standout competitors. The dedicated parents must be highly commended suiting up and heading into the toe-freezing shore-break to push their precious shredders onto the foam balls. One parent, Ray Lawrence, had his work cut out for him with a grommet tucked under each arm as he battled the relentless whitewater with a smile.

The BBQ this month was extra tasty with some of the best cupcakes, brownies, pastries and other baked delights we've seen all year. Apart from the usual sizzling snacks, there were also hamburgers stacked ceiling high with condiments, which added a warming touch to the wintery day.

Danielle Campbell, wife of the late Daniel Campbell, said "it was great to see everyone turn up in high spirits on such a cold wet and windy winter's day for Daniel's memorial". Local surfboard shaper Andrew Johnson, from Black Diamond Designs donated a specially made surfboard for the day with lucky Boardrider member, Will Tiffen, rewarded this surfboard by Danielle for 'Wave of the Day'. It was a day for the Tiffens, with Greg Tiffen winning a $300 voucher in the raffle for Offshore Surf, the new surf shop in Narooma!

Club president, Matt Hoar, commended everyone for their commitment, stating the surfing conditions were "really hard work" with Will Tiffen's barrel and the many near misses on the rock ledges being his highlights for the day. It was great to see the smiling faces of several new members join our club!

Final results