[ivanmcp]

O'Neill British Cup - a tremendous success in Tynemouth - 21/10/2003


Big crowds turned up to watch the O?Neill British Cup this weekend on Tynemouth beach. The touch of rain and cold winds didn?t deter spectators who braved the weather and watched the best surfers in Britain battle it out for the title.

After the opening heats were delayed slightly on both days due to a lack of waves the surf picked up in the afternoon to provide good surf to allow Britain?s best surfers waves to show their surfing skills to the huge crowds that gathered on the sand.

The Open final saw Sam Lamiroy, Jake Boex, Llewellyn Whittaker and Eugene Tollemache battle it out for first place. Llewellyn proved tough competition for British champion Sam Lamiroy and after a nerve racking final it was a tough decision for judges to award Llewellyn Whittaker as the winner.

?I was disappointed not to win, especially when the results were so close, but Llewellyn proved tough competition and gave me a very exciting final? said Sam Lamiroy.

Poor waves made for a difficult final between Robyn Davies, Kay Holt, Jorji Watson and Katy Fokias. Eight year old Jorji Watson gave an excellent performance up against three adults, and after a tough battle Kay Holt pipped Robyn Davies, current British champion to the winners spot.

The junior tournament was won by Josh Vyvyan who managed to beat Tom Berry, Tom Butler and Andrew Douglas in the final.

A fantastic weekend was had by all of the competitors and spectators. The high profile event was a huge success.

?We were overwhelmed by the response the North East region has had to the O?Neill British Cup, we hope to bring the contest back to Tynemouth as an annual event? said Paul Wilkinson, from sponsors O?Neill. ?There are a huge number of surfers in the North of England and Scotland, we feel they should be credited with a tournament in the North?.


O?Neill British Cup Results:

Open:

1st:Llewellyn Whittaker,
2nd: Sam Lamiroy,
3rd: Jake Boex,
4th: Eugene Tollemache.

Womens:

1st: Kay Holt,
2nd: Robyn Davies,
3rd: Katy Fokias,
4th Jorji Watson.

Junior:

1st: Josh Vyvyan,
2nd: Tom Berry,
3rd: Andrew Douglas,
4th: Tom Butler.

Longboard:

1st: Dan Harris,
2nd: Anthony Jackson,
3rd: Simon Hicks

Bodyboard:

1st: Mark Griffiths,
2nd: Ben Sedgwick,
3rd: Anthony Vourdache,
4th: Dale Johnson