After two days of flashback to the surfing in the 1970’s, Burleigh local and WQS surfer Jay ‘Bottle’ Thompson has won the 11th Honolua Burleigh Boardriders Single Fin Classic at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast of Australia.

Surfers competed on boards over 25 years old competed over 2 days in a solid 2 metre swell at the World Famous Burleigh Heads point break, and surfing reaching a level never seen before on the single-finned craft. Only pre-1982 boards were permitted in the event, and the collection of classic boards on show was an added bonus for spectators at the event.

Jay Thompson set himself to win in the last 5 minutes of the 30-minute final putting his 1970’s single fin into places and directions never thought possible to score an 8.5 from the judges, and looked like he could not be headed. But in the final seconds Lennox Head surfer Daniel Thompson scored a short barrel and followed it up with a series of stylish turns to almost but not quite over take Jay Thompson, the result going down to a count back with the highest scoring single wave separating the two.

Burleigh Heads lifeguard Gary Waterson placed 3rd, Cabarita carver Steve Powell 4th, the legendary Gary ‘Kong’ Elkerton 5th, and former WCT charger Matt Hoy 6th.

At an emotional presentation Jay Thompson dedicated his win to his brother Vaughan who passed away around 2 years ago, and had the crowd of Burleigh locals chanting ‘VT’ (The nickname of Thompson¹s brother), and there was hardly a dry eye on the point.

A crowd of around 2,000 watched the classic surfing at Burleigh Point for the finals day, where the competitors were busting aerial manoeuvres, and doing turns never thought possible in the era of the antique boards the lads were surfing.