Winners of the Swellnet/BF Goodrich trip announced
“Oh mate, I'm not the kinda guy that wins anything. Not a thing. I never win things!”
But you just won this trip?
“I know, and that's why it's gonna be unreal.”
Say g'day to Ellis Nicol, 38, who describes himself as an ordinary bloke who never wins anything. Ellis hails from Shellharbour on the NSW South Coast which is home to more than a few meaty reefs (see below). Ellis often surfs with 19-year old Jordy Fowler. “I'm like his mentor but we're more just surf mates,” says Ellis.
When Ellis saw Swellnet's competition to win a trip for two to South Oz with Asher Pacey and Ry Craike he signed up straight away. Immediately afterward he went surfing and excitedly told Jordy all about the contest.
“Well I'm gonna enter too,” said Jordy.
“But what if you win and I don't?”
And just like that a pact was made: If either of them won the other was coming too. Which is just what happened when Ellis got the lucky call – the mentor chose his surf mate as travel partner.
Keen-eyed readers of Swellnet might be familiar with the names Ellis and Jordy. Coincidentally, both of them have featured on Swellnet's Wave Of The Day at various times - see Ellis above and Jordy at left - each photo taken at their local ledge by photographer Warren Keelan.
“Ellis and Jordy are great to shoot,” said Warren when Swellnet spoke to him. “Both of them like to sit deep, they're fearless, and pull in with style.”
Jordy also has some form on the board at the same wave having won the King Of The Rock contest there last year and coming second this year. The young fella can thread a pit. Neither of them, however, have been to Yorke Peninsula.
“I'm finding out all I can about it,” said Ellis before firing fifty questions at yours truly about the reefs, the ledges, the beachies, and the fish. Safe to say he was very excited to be taking his first trip west.
And on the matter of fish, it's well known that Asher and Ry like to wet a line but how does Ellis go baiting a hook?
“I do a bit of rock fishing around here. Sometimes get my kayak out behind the ledges or head out to sea in a mate's boat,” says Ellis showing that he'll hold his own. “But don't expect Jordy to come fishing. He wouldn't have a clue!”
Here's hoping he knows his way around a BBQ then.
Swellnet would like to thank BF Goodrich and everyone who entered the contest. Ellis and Jordy will be flying over to Yorke Peninsula in late January.
Images thanks to WarrenKeelan.com
Comments
Rather see some groms go..these guys could probably go anytime...
So semi pros are going with pros? Interesting
Aint the internet great? You give shit away for free, give a stranger you've never met before a real kick, get a great vibe going...yet still anonymous punters have a moan about stuff that doesn't affect them in any way whatsoever.
Hurrah for modern technology!
Whoops...I mean, fuck it, it's shit, my underpants are uncomfortable, I'm out of milk, people are too young these days, and they smile too much, etc etc etc etc.
Same response for the fundraiser to spend a week with Kelly and Shane Dorian in Tavarua. When a non surfer won the trip the nternet went into meltdown.
Care factor zero. Enjoy the trip fellas, hope you score.
I agree Mick. Congrats guys enjoy, and I hope you get some nice waves.
nice one.. great shots from Keelan too
Haha stuey..you dont know these guys but theyve had wave of the day shots before? I thought it was just a goodrich comp now its swellnet goodrich?surfers who just happen to have surfed with photogs before?goodone mate swellnet story to come?
All the best to them, good on them and i hope they score and its not 2ft all week like this week
But it does seem a little suss
This is hilarious.
Barley, we've been running WOTD for around ten years now. That's over 3,500 daily images. I reckon more than half of those images would have each featured a new rider, so that's potentially 2,000 (or so) individual surfers who fit the profile for being selected as per your conspiracy theory.
In any case, it's worth pointing out that we rarely deal with the surfers for the WOTD imagery - it's almost always the photographer.
But hey, it's gotta be rigged, right?
I was just replying to stueys little dig ben....hell i even entered it. Wouldnt that be funny if someone who surfs there all the time won it?
Just out of curiosity is there going to be a story or article of the week?
I suppose in a perfect world it would great to see the winners of these types of comps being surfers of a level that would benifit greatly from the tuition that will be on offer from the hosts. In regards to these winners, pictured above comfortably standing inside pretty heavy looking pits, I'm not sure they will benefit greatly from any further guidance/tuition etc.
That said they won fair & square & will no doubt relish the trip & the opportunity to surf with two other very good surfers.
Hey, I've even had two WOTD pics published (not me surfing in them though) and I won a Volcom pack once.
I wouldn't call it rigged but lets just say the pics of the Swellnet Xmas party I've got involving a box of cucumbers, a bathtub full of custard and a small but enthusiastic donkey will stay under wraps.
For now........
Bwaaaa ha ha ha haaaa.
hahahahhahahahaha
Suuuuuuuure Stunet, I know the real deal here... Freshly relocated to the coal coast and wanting to earn a spot in the Shellharbour premier line-up....
Everyone's overlooking the real conspiracy going on here!
hahahahaha
You got me.
But you'll never stop the next step in my evil plan: To get a photo taken at said premier line-up and run it as Wave Of The Day!
Bwahahahaha...
knewww it... Once you get a WOTD its pretty much semi-pro status from there on
Looks like Ellis hurt himself yesterday down the coast. Hopefully not too bad to miss the trip..