Mother Ocean's Memo
Friday 23 August 2019 For women longboarders, the La Muse Classic is probably their favorite event of the year, and a chance to show off their famed feminine grace and style, writes Melissa Volker.
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DRONE DAY: Dave Wernas took this drone footage of novices Lauren Twiss and Emma-Jane Pieters
It all starts with the goodie bags, which nowadays are totally sustainable, such as hoodies, Stance socks, reusable water bottles, bamboo straws and more. La Muse is a laid back event - a gathering of like-minded ocean loving, wave sliding, styling wahines. And, Mother Ocean got the memo and delivered clean offshore conditions for both competition days.
Besides La Muse giving us a display of the best of longboard style and flow, it has also done an amazing job developing novice surfers. This year the novice division was the biggest division of the event. It has encouraged girls and women, who would never normally compete, perhaps due to fear, youth or lack of experience or skill, to join in the fun. It’s definitely one of the highlights of the LaMuse Classic.
The winner of the Open Division, Tarryn King, says La Muse is ‘the best longboard event of the year. The vibe is epic, it is run professionally, and having Simone Robb as the head judge makes for world class judging.’
(Top Right: Lisa Ringwood, Kay Holt, and Charmaine Adams)
CROSS STEP KING: Tarryn King struts her stuff on way to a win in the Open. Photo La Muse
Michelle Schoeman, whose daughter Remi won the U14 says, ‘This is our favourite comp each year. 101 Lady surfers this year and I get to share it with my lovely (daughter).’
By the sounds of the yelling on the beach during the Mother and Daughter heats, these were the most fiercely supported exchanges of the event. Mother and daughter surfers in matching singlets were judged on two individual waves and one shared wave. Deborah and Malia Paterson surfed in perfect harmony for the win.
Another highlight was the heat where seventy-plus Lady Legend, Therese Russel, showed the young women how it’s done by executing the highest scoring ride of the contest.
Lila Upton proved to be the most promising junior, while ray of sunshine, Sam Vietri, the most stoked. Classic campaigner, Tasha Mentasti, was judged to be the most stylish and Tarryn King had the best noseride.
READY AND WAITING: Angela Schon prepares for her heat in the La Muse Classic. Photo La Muse
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Results
U14
1st - Remi Fourie
2nd - Lila Upton
3rd - Sarah Scott
4th - Daisy Pollard
U18
1st - Hayley Hansen
2nd - Katie Winter
3rd - Mary Slijpen
4th - Lila Upton
NOVICE
1st - Roxy Pitts
2nd - Tamsine Potts
3rd - Lucy Macdonald
4th - Chanel Dankert
5th - Emma-Jane Pieters
MYSTICS
1st - Angela Somogyvari
2nd - Tash Mentasti
3rd - Karin Schermbrucker
4th - Elizabeth Gunther
DIVAS
1st - Michelle van Kempen
2nd - Charley Pollard
3rd - Michelle Schoeman
4th - Clellind Fivas
LADY LEGENDS
1st - Kay Holt
2nd - Phillipa Hill
3rd - Therese Russell
4th - Lisa Ringwood
OPEN
1st - Tarryn King
2nd - Angelica Schon
3rd - Michelle Van Kempen
4th - Cara Stubbs
5th - Raylin Wynn
Moms & Daughters - Deborah & Malia Patterson
Most Stoked - Sam Vetri
Best Junior - Lila Upton
Style Missy - Tash Mentasti
Noseride - Tarryn King
Highest Scoring Wave - Therese Russell