With a packed awards ceremony on the point at Steamer Lane it wasn’t just the final two surfers who were celebrating victory in the Californian sunshine.
Blake Thornton cut short his break to Los Angeles and headed straight back up to Santa Cruz when he discovered that he had won the US$50,000 as the overall winner of the O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series 2009. “I went down to L.A. after I blew it here in my first heat,” said Blake “I was checking Jarrad Howse and Adam Melling’s progress at the end of the day, but I couldn’t watch. I needed so many things to go right and they did,” he said.
It was the perfect ending to not only an epic competition here in Santa Cruz but also to the entire O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series. Starting back in March of this year, the O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series has more than succeeded in its ambition to seek out new waves in hidden corners of the world on which to stage one of the most groundbreaking contest series in the world of professional surfing.
The year has encompassed The Bluff in Tasmania, the perfection of Thurso East in the North of Scotland, the incredible Kalk Bay in Cape Town, South Africa, the cold but huge surf in Tofino Canada and finally the epic conditions of Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz – the home of O’Neill.
“It’s a great concept,” said Blake Thornton. “I think it’s unreal.”
“We saw some different places,” he said. “I never dreamt I would go to Canada surfing and it’s the nicest place I’ve ever been. And then Cape Town was awesome not only because I did well but because it was something new – stepping outside and going down there. It’s definitely a good thing that O’Neill did and I will definitely do it again next year.”
Special thanks to all of the sponsors of the 2009 O’Neill Cold Water Classic and Oakley Pro Junior: O’Neill, Oakley, Red Bull, Corralejo Tequila, SURFER and SURFING, as well as, the official hotel partner, The Dream Inn, and food partner, Whole Foods.
