LONGBOARDER Joe Davies has finished fourth in the Surf Tech Junior International of the Nokia Biarritz Surf Festival.
He also got as far as the third round of the senior World Longboard championships and is in the last 32 of the European Men’s Open.
The Jersey junior - he is 17 years old - was competing against other top juniors from around the world, and gained the second-highest score in the semi-finals of the competition.
In glassy 2-3 ft waves with the tide going down, he scored a few hang-tens and booked his final place with ten minutes to go, with a score of 12.85.
In thes final the waves were tiny, but clean.
The winner, Karna Goile from Réunion, caught the only two good waves and scored 17.25, then the sea went flat.
Nevertheless, Davies managed a final score of 8.85.
Said Davies: ‘It was frustrating as the small waves were not peaking in just one spot, so it was a bit of a lottery where I should position myself.
I also had to be careful not to be called for interference as it was that tight.’ He was far from downhearted though, because he then enjoyed a free-surf with reigning world champion Beau Young and other top surfers.
Bear UK team manager Chris Griffiths said that Davies had surfed well throughout the event and had stuck to his game-plan, but the waves had just not been there, unfortunately.
Davies is using the new boards that Bear, his newest sponsors, had made especially for him.
Davies is also sponsored by Big Vern’s Diner and Gul Wetsuits
Article posted on 14th July, 2004 - 12.00am
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