Wavefest nearly washed out!

Inclement weather almost caused cancellation of the south coast’s premier surf event, but a drastic change on Saturday morning led to Wavefest going ahead, much to the delight of Karl Beadham who went on to win the prized open men’s division.

Following a 10-point ride in the second heat, Beadham faced Reiss Hunt, Paul Dupuy and Reece McLean in the hotly contended open men’s division final in near-perfect offshore conditions at Floodgates on Sunday.

The 34-year-old welder said he was stoked with the win, which came as his sixth since the competition was started by Albany Boardriders.

“You only get one chance a year so I just let it rip,” Beadham said.

“It was really big on the Saturday, really hard work to get a wave, but if you were in the right spot and got one there were some high scores.”

Excited by his win, he performed a technical crowd-pleasing victory dance when presented with the perpetual Wavefest Trophy after the event.

But it was young Denmark surfer Emi Campbell who was the contest’s standout performer, winning both the open women’s and under-16 crowns.

It marked a changing of the guard in the women’s circuit, with Campbell taking the crown from multiple Wavefest title holder Shannon Armstrong who finished as runner-up.

The five-lady final included Denmark’s Sarah Shanahan and Ruby Adams, and Albany’s Anne Fagan.

“I’m pretty happy,” Campbell said, reflecting on her double win.

“It was big on the first day then dropped out on the second day, but I really enjoyed surfing the left in front of the judges.”

The teenager surfed energetically ahead of her departure today for Casuarina in Queensland, where she will participate in a five-day high performance camp with Australia’s seven-time world champion Layne Beachley.

In the senior divisions, Vic Josway won the over-45 category, while Darren Oostdam took the over-35 and Paul Taylor the over-50.

On the western side of the inlet, Alex Dowell beat Peaceful Bay’s Tristan Farmer to take the 2012 bodyboarding crown.

josh.nyman@albanyadvertiser.com