SEVEN new State Bodyboard Champions have been crowned at the final event of the WA Bodyboard Titles, with amazing competition conditions making for a memorable finish at Gas Bay, Margaret River. Competitors from across WA were blessed with some of the best waves for any bodyboard state title event in recent years, as light offshore winds combined with a moderate ground swell to provide punchy three- to four-foot surf.
Margaret River’s Ben Veitch found the conditions to his liking, taking out a well deserved win in the blue-ribbon Open Men's division. Using his local knowledge, Veitch picked off the biggest and best waves on offer, dropping an excellent 8.67 and backed it up with a 6.17 finishing on a combined two-wave total of 14.84 (from a possible 20).
"I've been competing in these events for as long as I remember, but to score the waves we did today is pretty special," said Veitch. "I think the last time I surfed a heat at Gas was 2008 and I’ll do it until I’m 40 if I can."
In other results from the weekend, Max McGregor (Margaret River) won the Under-14 Grommets State Championship with back-to-back wins in Mandurah and Margaret River. Bodyboarding is clearly in the McGregor’s blood, with Max’s dad Chad McGregor (Margaret River) winning the Over-35 Masters division.
After a hugely successful SunSmart WA Bodyboard Titles for 2017, all attentions now shift to preparing the team of 21 bodyboarders who will represent WA at the upcoming National Titles with a State Team Training Camp set to be announced in the coming weeks.