Tapped Into the Waves By TERRY “TAPPA” TEECE
Mitch Parkinson is stepping out of the shadow of his better know World Champion cousin, Joel Parkinson, showing he can rip it up and get the results as well, after winning the prestigious Chicko MP Classic.
Currently second on the ASP Australasia Junior Series, Mitch has now moved to the lead of the Chicko Queensland Championship Circuit, with the next event the Alley Classic which will be held on 11 and 12 May at Currumbin Alley. Cousin Joel won this event at 16, and I am sure Mitch would like to follow in Joel’s footsteps.
The surf was great at Duranbah for the MP Classic and some really spectacular surfing was going down. The field was red-hot with a number of serious WQS competitors in the field. It was also great to see MP’s mum, Joan, and the rest of the family down the beach to watch the action, Joan particularly impressed with the standard of surfing in the final.
It was Mitch’s day he was ripping the whole day and lifted when he had to in the final, scoring a 9.73 out of a possible 10 points for a wave which sealed the deal three quarters of the way through the 30-minute final. It was a family affair, Mitch is coached by Joel’s brother-in-law, Mark Richardson, multiple QCC and Australian Champion.
The winner of the Chicko QCC series also scores a spot in the Quiksliver Pro Trials, and Mitch Parkinson is keen to get hold of that.
For the win, Parkinson takes home a $5000 winner’s cheque along with a Michael Peterson designed single-fin surfboard. But Mitch forgot about the cheque, saying: “I so wanted that board it is sick, I forgot all about the $5,000!”
With a total of 18.06 (out of a possible 20), 17-year-old Parkinson held off fellow Snapper Rocks surfer, Mitch Crews – 16.13, Brazil’s Italo Ferreira – 14.10 and Coolangatta’s Clancy Dawson – 10.60 in a high-scoring final.
MP Ear-aches
Some major injuries to two top blokes and rippers at the MP Classic on the weekend. Strangely enough, both busted their eardrums, which if you have ever done it, a painful and a long recovery injury.
Miami surfer, and ding fixer extraordinaire, Anothony Pols was leading his heat with an 8.5 for one of the barrels of the event, when he went for another wave attempted to exit, to which the wave swatted him into the bottom, the 100 kg plus “big man” leaving a huge dent in the sandbank.
In the shallows disorientated and bleeding from his ear, Polsy had the best of care from the Surfing Queensland and on-site qualified medicos who happened to be watching. Polsy was stretchered off, taken to the hospital for a precautionary CT scan. Last reports Polsy was on Facebook in the care of his wife and two beautiful daughters with quite an ear-ache.
Brent Dorrington, everybody’s favourite Magic Midget also suffered a busted eardrum, and will also be out for a while, and once again a very painful injury. Brenno was warming up for his quarter final and was in dazzling form. Not knocked about as much as Polsy, but still in a deal of pain, Brenno will have his WQS campaign on hold for a little while, while his eardrum heals, it is one of the most difficult and painful injuries – the pressure on the eardrum once healed is the main thing. It is not an injury you can take shortcuts on.
One and all wish Polsy and Brenno speedy recoveries, and look forward to both of them getting back out into the water. It’s funny, these blokes both charge like there is no tomorrow in massive waves, and they both get injured at three foot Duranbah … who can tell?
