Monday 27th July 2009 - TRIALS
Japan is full of colour and surprise - a Pacific coast blessed with waves and welcoming surfers. While the buzzing cities are hi-tech labyrinths, the countryside is open, simple and tranquil, with forested hills and clean villages, where the past and future seem to merge as one. For travelling surfers the Japanese are gracious hosts. They have a great belief in the transience of the world, in impermanence and renewal. Surfing sits beautifully in a place that values the importance of both nature and innovation, of the given forces of life and of cultural change in dialogue. As a result, there are two million surfers in Japan blending tradition and experimentation.
Akabane Beach, Tahara, is an excellent location for the first event of the Oxbow World Longboard Tour, presented by Yumeya. This beautiful stretch of Aichi prefecture, on the south coast of central Honshu, is lined with glasshouses growing watermelons, fringed by bamboo groves and offering sweet beachbreak waves. The surf can be outstanding on a typhoon swell. Right now it is midsummer, with warm water and clean 2-3 feet peaks. The Oxbow WLT trials ran like clockwork today as16 Japanese surfers competed for two spots in the 32-man main event, starting tomorrow. Despite the rain and humidity, local contest organisers Mic Kato, Miku Kataoka, Tosh Ogawa, the ASP and Oxbow kicked off with enthusiasm and efficiency.
All the Japanese competitors hit the water with sizzle and style. The standard was superb, and the smooth surfing a pleasure to watch. Quick-turning goofyfooter Nobuhiro Ogashira and noseriding expert Kenji Miyauchi bought particular flavour to the morning’s activity. Kenji sealed the best heat score of the day with a two-wave total of 13.50. Good wave selection was essential in the shifting right and left peaks. In yesterday’s pre event practice under a bright blue sky, Anri Nabeshima looked hot. But in heat 3 he could not find the set waves, so Eugene Teal and Go Ishikawa advanced with combinations of racing, powerful turns.
The semi finals continued as the ever-present fishing boats worked outside the lineup to bring in a fresh catch. Taki Mori took his work seriously as he secured excellent 7.83 and 7.67 wave scores in his first two heats. Mixing up flowing floaters with neat footwork, Taki joined Nobuhiro Ogashira, Kenji Miyauchi and Eugene Teal in the final. With a pushing tide the competitors all scrambled to find a peeling ride. Nobuhiro waited patiently in the red vest. An A-frame set welled up, and after a series of stunning turns he was rewarded with a solid 6.33. It proved to be the highest scoring ride of the final. Fighting for second place, Kenji threw in flashy hang ten arches, Eugene performed some lay-back snaps, and Taki combined quick noserides and re-entries. Nobuhiro was the standout, however, and sealed first place in the final with an 11.16 total score, while regularfooter Taki narrowly beat Kenji and Eugene. A big cheer for strong competitors Nobuhiro Ogashira and Taki Mori, who have earned a coveted place in the Oxbow WLT main event. Domo arigato Tahara, Japan.
Sam Bleakley
