Bum Rush Tour

The 13th installment of the Bum Rush Tour landed in Australia’s “Steel City” (Newcastle) — a blue-collar paradise located 160 kilometers north of Sydney’s central business district. On a windblown day in April, Australia’s premier aerialists plopped themselves on the beach, watched a local session intently, and handed a $5k check to the surfer they liked the best. 

To help set the scene, there are probably more surfers in Encinitas than there are in the entire country of Jamaica. When you paddle out into the lineup, it’s like slipping into a time warp. Sort of what we imagine surfing in California was like back in the 50’s, when you knew everyone out there because they were the same few dedicated locals, day after day.

After a few croissants, a little too much espresso, and a surf check from our balcony (that just so happened to overlook this iconic surf spot), we rallied the troops and began our trek down the massive dune to the water’s edge.

First stop on our 2019 Bum Rush Tour was the Gold Coast, Australia at Duranbah Beach aka D’bah.

We rolled out of bed at 8, checked the waves from the porch, and Dusty called the crew to let ‘em know, “Bum Rush Tour is on.” With Zak Noyle, Barron Mamiya and Pomai from Hawaiian Water Patrol as judges – and Rocky Point going off – what more could we ask for? 20 minutes after Zak sounded the horn the judges knew their guy. It was unanimous: Tyler Newton was our Rocky Point Bum Rush 2018 Champ.

It was a crowded “locals-only” lineup of about 25 to 30 surfers, with solid shoulder to head high surf. One guy in particular stood out – Ragnar Johnson, a 30-year resident of San Francisco.