
I have been a Kneelo for over 30 years and I have never had anything to do with any club, until I moved to Wollongong 4 years ago when I was invited to come along to a WAKA (glad I spelt that right) point score. Since I joined the club I have I have meet some great guys and seen some amazing surfers. As a total outsider to the club seen I have been watching this thread and I feel I have to say something. The Wollongong comp for 2005 would have been great but I know that it is not easy to organize such a comp on short notice as you have to contact councils and such (who move reeeal fast) plus you have to give guys outside the area time to win enough brownie points at home to be able to go.
I was asked by Smurf about WAKA’s running a team comp in which I and others would probably not compete, I just thought it would be a great idea to be part of a club that hosted a great contest and we should obviously enter the best we have as a team and back up the guys that represent our club. Which to me is what clubs are all about.
As far as the prize money goes I am sure if the prize money was taken out there would still be just as many entries as most people who love their sport “any sport”, just enjoy the chance to get together with others who love the same thing and have a great time putting s*&^ on each other and catching up with people they have not seen for a while. It doesn’t matter how competitive they are out in the water. I may be wrong but I don’t think there are too many professional kneeboard riders out there who depend on comps for a living.
As Don from CA says it is better for the sport for the contest fees to go to the clubs so they continue to exist and be able to run more comps which is getting harder and more expensive to do. Clubs of old could survived on just members doing the jobs for free now there is more involved and more costs just to survive. Dunno about you guys but I would much prefer to have a trophy to put on the bar to show of to others that I won a comp doing what I love. Which is a lot better, than a few bucks in the bank to go towards bills.
As I said I am a rank outsider who has been surfing for a long time and has no aspirations of ever winning a comp (can’t teach an old dog) but I had to have my say.
Thanx for listening

GO THE WAKA’S (glad I spelt that right)
To Hart just bought a second hand flashpoint
