1.
AV: big waves at Burleigh Heads, Brisbane.
0.10

2.
GV PAN FROM: spectators on beach to waves
0.13

3.
SV: Micael Ho catching Wave
0.22

4.
SV: Peter Towden ducking under, slow motion surf
0.32

5.
SV: Hawaiian Bobby Owens surfing (2 shots)
0.45

6.
SV: Richards riding wave and falling off (2 shots)
0.58

7.
GV: Richards riding five-foot wave in slow motion
1.31

8.
SV: Wayne Bartholomew surfing, wins, (6 shots)
2.16

9.
CU: Bartholomew swimming to shore on surfboard
2.27


"From first light everything looked set for a great day's surfing. Overnight the swell jumped to six feet, and all remaining eight surfers didn't waste one wave. First into the water was Peter Towden in yellow, and Michael Ho in red. Both riders turned on great performances, matching each other tube for tube. Ho won and went on into the final.



Another great tussle was between young Hawaiian Bobby Owens and Mark Richards from Sydney. Owens in the red shorts, radical in his performance, scored very highly, almost unseating Richards.



Here's seagull Richards skating around a good five-foot wall.



"Gold Coaster Paul Neilsn surfed well and almost made the finals, going down to Michael Ho who seemed determined to win at every stage. The other finalist was to be Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew, who defeated Roy Russel and then fellow-Australian Mark Richards in what was to be one of the hottest clashes of the day. Rabbit's in yellow, Richards is in red. The day belonged to Bartholomew, who surfed with incredible aggression and power. Finalists saw the surf getting meaner, some sets around seven feet. Ho and Bartholomew were so close, the final points decision saw the Hawaiian scoring 115.5, and Rabbit 117. The womens final went to the hawaiian Margo Oberg, who defeated fellow country-woman Bekkie Benson. Here he is, today's champion, 5-thousand Dollars richer for his performance, Wayne Bartholmew. Steve O'Ferrall, Eye-witness News."



The Stubbies championships was the first of three qualifying events in the Australian professional circuit, and carried prize-money totalling close to 27-thousand U.S. Dollars.




Initials RH/1650


SPORT: SURFING
TELERECORDING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: In the face of international competition from countries as far flung as England, South Africa, Hawaii, the United States and Japan, Australian Wayne Bartholomew took the honours in the Stubbies Surfing Championships in Brisbane. The three-day competition attracted more than sixty-professionals, with particularly strong contingents from Hawaii and the United States. This report on the final day's surfing comes from Steve O'Ferrell of Station TVQ in Brisbane.