A decade-long break does nothing to diminish skills as Dane Quirk crowned longboarding champion

Exmouth’s Dane Quirk was one of 17 State champions crowned at the WA Longboard & Logger Championships over the weekend.

Sunny skies, light winds and groomed swells provided the perfect setting for the event, as competitors used every inch of their nine-foot plus boards to get the most out of the waves at Parry Beach.

The three-day event saw WA’s diverse longboarding community, with many past, present and future stars on display. Divisions ranged from under-18 juniors through to over-70 grand legends, men and women.

But few travelled further than Quirk who drove more than 20 hours to compete in what was his first State championship appearance in more than a decade

But his time away from the championships didn’t seem to affect his performance as he claimed a thrilling victory in the over 40s men’s division.

After qualifying third to reach the final, Quirk’s power was too much for others to handle with a 6.83 on his first wave and 6.73 on his second to claim the final with a 13.56.

He finished well clear of Jock Bahen in second on 10.10 and Paul Burke in third on 9.93.

“It’s been 12 years since I last competed in one of these events and it’s been so good to catch up with old mates and see the new faces coming through the ranks,” Quirk said.

“I used to ride Warren Thompson’s surfboards and it’s nice to be in his backyard and I pay homage to him and all he’s done for longboarding in WA.”

Quirk wasn’t the only Mid Westerner to have success with Green Head’s Samantha Vanderford taking out the women’s over-50 division.

In the final Vanderford sealed it late with a 7.17 on her seventh and final wave to claim the title.

Attention now turns to the upcoming Geraldton Winter Classic in June, the Whalebone Longboard Classic in July, as well as preparing the 2023 State team for the national titles in Port Macquarie, NSW in August.