Keep calm, surf on

Powerful eight-foot waves defined the opening day of the ADF Surf Riders Association’s interservice surf competition at Ulladulla, NSW, pushing riders to their limits.

Navy dominated the leaderboard, winning six of seven divisions from May 4 to 7, including the service teams challenge.

Events were held across multiple locations, with Rennie’s Beach delivering big waves suited to shortboards. Golf Course Reef – a lesser-known break – proved ideal for longboards.

Founding president of the ADF Surf Riders Association LTCOL Myles Conquest – who now sits on the ADF Surf Riders Council of Colonels – said Narrawallee Beach was the standout.

“Probably one of the best days I've ever had at Narrawallee; big, long lefts that just ran for ages. You could rip really well on a short board,” he said.

The highlight for LTCOL Conquest was being out in the water, hearing the competition horn go and catching his best wave of the entire event.

“When I paddled in, I found out the comp hadn’t actually started. They were just testing the hooter,” he said.

LS Jacob Owen, who won the bodyboarding division, said his favourite waves form over shallow reef breaks, creating heavy barrels. He caught three during free surfs across the week.

“That’s what you aim for and all I care about in surfing or bodyboarding – getting barrelled,” LS Owen said.

CPL Jaimie Ribeiro from Air Force, who placed second in the women’s open category, has been a lifelong surfer after learning from her father.

“I’m pretty grateful that the squadrons let us get away and do this for a week,” she said.

“I don't know any other job where you can just park up on a beach for a week and surf with all your mates.”

LTCOL Conquest said something people don’t realise about surfing is that it replicates warlike environments.

“When you’ve got an eight-foot wave breaking just a couple of feet in front of you and it’s about to put you through a washing machine, you need to stay calm and deal with it, otherwise you’re going to run out of air very quickly,” he said.

“Very much like a battle scenario, when you’re under fire and start to develop tunnel vision, you need to be able to breathe through it and stay calm.”

The ADF Surf Riders Association first gathered unofficially in 2004, when the three services held a competition at a time LTCOL Conquest said surfing was “frowned upon” in the ADF.

Being able to change this perception and watch the association grow is a legacy he is proud to be part of.

It took years of advocacy, along with support from former MAJGEN Dan McDaniel, to grow the association into what is now one of the fastest-growing sports in Defence.