Ugly onshore conditions on the East Coast postponed the 29th annual North Coast Boardriders Polar Bear Classic last weekend but decent swells and light offshore winds have been forecast tomorrow and Sunday, so Northland's only winter surf competition is set to go at Sandy Bay. With two surfboards up for grabs,$2000 in prize money and plenty of sponsors prizes, the long-running competition is expected to attract a strong field of visiting surfers, says North Coast Boardriders (NCB) president and organiser Malcolm Pullman. This year's open division winner will be the first to get their name on the new trophy, sculpted by Northland's Guy Bowden in the shape of a hardwood surfboard, made from laminates of puriri, totara and kauri. "During the weekend, NCB will be encouraging plenty of discussion to work out the other 28 people who have previously won this competition so their names can be added to the trophy," Pullman said. While many of this year's entrants will be young hotties chasing the $1000 first prize in the open division, the older competitors will be catching waves in the age-group divisions for old times' sake. Competition gets under way at Sandy Bay tomorrow and Sunday, from 8am.
