Splashdance
From the collection of
From the collection of
Newquay's Fistral Beach plays host to the Fosters Draught Euro-Pro and attracts top surfers.
Sixteen of the world's top surfing professionals have come to Fistral Beach in Newquay for the Fosters Draught Euro Pro Championships. This competition was for the first time A-rated on the world circuit of surfing's new governing body, the Association of Professional Surfers. Over eighty thousand people witnessed three hundred and sixty degree turns off-the-lips, cutbacks and on-the-face surfing with waves of three to six feet during the week-long tournament.
The professionals arrived for twenty thousand dollars and vital points towards the world crown. The competition is caught on film by Television South West (TSW) with an underwater cameraman, Slim Macdonald. Points for best four rides are added up for each competitor. Tom Carrol and Cheyne Horan made it an all-Australian final. The international stars include defending champion Richard Cram, Wayne Raddock, Shaun Thompson, Martin Potter, Joe Engel, David Bar and Rabbit Bartholemew. British surfers Steve Daniel and Nigel Semmens competed in the early rounds and ex-champion Rod Sumpter helped at the event. It's the first time that a computer had relayed the scores electronically to a watching public.
Elsewhere, a beauty contest is delayed due to a lack of participants. The presenter, describing surfing as "a feminist's nightmare", is presumably unaware that women have been surfing for centuries.
Watching sports on the screen allows us access that would be impossible for the ordinary spectator, whether it’s running with footballers, floating above the clouds with skydivers or drifting so close to surfers we're getting splashed. Sports broadcasting brought these elite athletes into our homes. On-pitch dramas and post-match interviews transformed athletes from sporting heroes into celebrities, flogging everything from training tips to new fashions to crisps.
Nowadays there are screens in every stadium – enhancing the in-person experience and assisting the umpire. Wherever you are, you are in the best seat, enjoying extraordinary access to the energy, excitement and agility of sporting action.