It was definitely a day of two halves today for the 25th annual Laguna Real Estate Noosa Festival of Surfing.

As has been the trend for the duration of the event thus far, the competition commenced on the beach breaks of Access Point 11. To make up for lost time, the Goddess Open Amateur and the Gordon & Smith Old Mal were run concurrently, taking place on separate banks on the same stretch of beach.

The women’s open was a staggering showcase of the level of ladies’ logging, with an international contingent providing some top class surfing. Californian Karina Rozunko battled hard in heat one, claiming the top spot from countrywoman Makala Smith, while Noosa’s Lucy Cantori demonstrated a year’s worth of hard training to emerge victorious over very stiff competition in the second. Manami Sakuma of Japan, and Brazilian Chloe Calmon added to a global heat, both winning to progress.

On the other bank, the Gordon & Smith Old Mal commenced, and the usual suspects dominated. Harrison Roach, Matt Chojnacki, Jordan Spee and Thomas Bexon all claimed firsts, Spee, still under 18, showing further improvement on the already impressive talent shown in such a young surfer. Dane Wilson also took a strong heat, but the most impressive heat of the day’s Old Mal would take place in the reperchage round two – but more of that later.

The Coast to Coast Earthmoving Men’s Open rep round two took place in some of the day’s best waves, with a shift of tide allowing for some above reasonable conditions. It was heartening to see lone Chinese surfer, Tie Zhuang come second for a round three qualifier, joining Jayden Tomlinson and Atsushi Komaki to advance.

The third round of the Beach Beat Logger Pro was nothing short of a who’s who in today’s logging world. Defending champ, Sam Crookshanks, did well to advance, while Dane Wilson bettered last year’s world champ, Harley Ingleby in a high-scoring nail biter.

Kaimana Takayama did well to come second to another former world champ in Taylor Jensen, while Jared Mell and Harrison Roach tustled for the first place in the final heat. Roach took the honurs, but both advanced to round four.

The Ray White Women’s Pro suffered low tide challenges, the fast and hollow waves proving exceptionally tricky. Roisin Calron from Byron Bay surfed a largr board with traditional grace, despite conditions begging differently, to take the win in the first, Karina Rozunko just missing out to Japan’s Hiroka Yoshikawa.

Mason Schremmer, only in her mid teens, surfed maturely to beat American Tory Gilkerson and the current world title holder, Rachael Tilly, proved exactly why she held the title.

Man – or should that be woman – of the match went to Makala Smith. Finishing in last place, she certainly earned the biggest round of applause, ditching her own board in the last five minutes to retrieve Sierra Lerback’s lost board and return it to her. A completely selfless act that undoubtedly cost her the heat but that encapsulated the camaraderie and stoke we cherish at the festival.

A shift to First Point saw some very happy over 40s, Dean Bevan absolutely indefatigable for a brilliant win. Close scores and outstanding surfing made heat four suspenseful, Noosa’s Mick Corcoran and Scott Ford up against indigenous Australian champion, Robbie Page. While the title bounced between the three, it was in Corcoran’s hands that it finished, although the trio will all advance to the next round.

And so to that Old Mal heat of the day. The division delivered just one girl in Roisin Carolan, who proceeded to destroy all assumptions of gender and obliterate her opponents. Surfing a heavy pre-1968 board, Roisin surfed with incredible skill on the small peelers of First Point. Every manoeuvre perfectly executed, evoking the timeless talents of Midget Farrelly, Kevin Brennan and her mentor, Bob McTavish, she surfed an almost perfect heat, her first score an 8.5, which was soon backed up with an even better 9; simply amazing surfing from the girl from Byron.

Round four of the Beach Beat logger was almost too good. Every heat was impeccable, the list of names sublime in its level of talent. Two world champions, two division title holders, four nations represented, more oohs and ahhs, emitting from the crowd than every before and every heat too close to predict. Harrison Roach and Harley Ingleby were odds on favourites, though certainly not shoe-ins, Matt Chojnacki, Jordan Spee and Ben Howarth doing well to collect seconds against a stellar field. Lead swapped throughout all heats, Jared Mell standing stong against Roach until the last few minutes, and Nic Jones proving that he is only a few short steps away from being a world title contender.

A brilliant climax to a superb day of surfing.

The evening’s treat was gifted to the crowd by festival favourites, Band of Frequencies. Not only playing for the crowd, the provided an improvised live soundtrack to the Men of Wood & Foam surf exhibition surf, the band creating bespoke tunes influenced by the movements, actions, waves and maneouvres taking place before them, and it was truly a sight to behold.

The Freqs continued playing into the evening, long after the sun had descended behind the hinterland on the far side of Laguna Bay and the soft chatter of bar goers drifted another day dreamily off into the night.