The surfing group has been, once again involved in both training and competition this year.

Aaron Lock and his instructors at Professional Surf Coaching at Sumner, trained more than forty students at both the learner and intermediate level during Terms one and four. Meanwhile the interschool team has competed in the Wednesday Scholastic competition at New Brighton, coming third this year.

The competition takes part in two arenas in front of the surf club and just to the right of Brighton Pier. The students get to score surfers in the previous heat, so they quickly learn what it takes to do well.

We travel by school van to the beach each Wednesday, check out surf conditions and change into wet suits while the heats are drawn up. Then it’s time for us to do some judging (we are taught how to do that) and into the water for our 15 minutes of fame, wearing one of the coloured rash tops thejudges use to identify us in the water. They score our best 10 waves and then we’re out getting changed or freedom surfing to the left of the peir, for fun.

If you’ve done the ‘learn to surf’ programme and you have your own board and wetsuit please contact me, Lilly Ovendale, Surf Captain 2020 (second on the left above), or Mr. Clare in 301 and come along. You’ll learn something every time you go out in what is a very friendly and mellow environment.