Hurley Classic 2014 - Ambassador James Weight

Let's kick off the blog post with this epic video of the Hurley Classic filmed by Pringle Media & Altitude 8. Whilst you're watching that, ambassador James Weight gives you the low down on how his weekend went...

This year the SAS Hurley Classic was bigger than ever. With competitors from all over the world including the USA and Korea it really shows how much this event has grown over the past few years. With a boatercross and jam style format freestyle being the main events the weekend is always full of action. On top of this there are also many other events going on such as lectures from coaches and manufactures, photo competitions and SUP races.

The levels this year were good, with a 3 gate setup on Saturday and 2 gates on Sunday. This allowed for some crazy tricks to be thrown down and it really gave the crowd a showcase of what can be done at Hurley. After some open session paddling on Saturday it was time for the boatercross. Always a big hit with loads of competitors and a lot of carnage.

The race starts on a big ramp set in the trees and then the racers have to paddle past the 8-ball paddlers and the water cannon around a series of buoys to the finish line. With the heats running in quick succession after one another it is very tiring and I managed to make it through to the quarterfinal before just being squeezed out.

After the boatercross it was time for the freestyle showcase final which I was paddling in. Unfortunately my rides didn’t go to plan and although I threw some big moves, flushes on both rides cost me. After a great day it was time to relax at the banquet and then head back home.

Sunday runs the freestyle event. The jam style format means 10 paddlers per heat get 20 minuets on the wave to score what they can with moves only scoring once. By the afternoon the wave had greened out slightly making it hard to stick some of the bigger wave moves. I missed out on the final this time but thoroughly enjoyed myself so it’s a win in my book!

A huge thanks must go to Jacko and the TVF crew for putting on such an amazing event. Thanks to AE Photos for the great shots.

James
dewerstone Ambassador