Pittwater Life September 2020 Issue

MULTI-TALENTED: Avalon’s Indy Rose on racing SUP (above) and short board surfing (top).
great examples of the new more openminded
generation who in the past may
have just stuck to shortboard surfing.
Indy says shortboarding is where he
started. “I was always short boarding
until I was about 14 and then my dad
Ady got me a bigger stand up paddle
board for Christmas. I started riding
that and it was really fun,” he says.
“I was managing to surf it really well
and it was like ‘oh my God’ and then we
got some newer, better boards and it
went from there.”
“With SUPing, compared to short
boarding, I just picked it up right away,
super quick, and I loved it. You can just
surf a completely different variety of
waves to a short board. It can be small,
and you still have so much fun, and you
can also ride it in big surf.”
Right now, Indy is enjoying competing
with the Sydney Paddle Surfing Club but
is dreaming about making his passion a
profession.
“I wouldn’t mind seeing my future in
the APP on the short board SUP. They
also do technical and distance racing
so I could potentially do that. I’d also
be keen to follow in James Casey’s
footsteps and try the Molokai one day.”
Fletcher is also keen to tackle the
Molokai and has the full encouragement
of his dad Andrew, who has helped
increase junior numbers at the SPSC
from six to 30 since 2017.
Both boys won their age group in the
racing and surfing, while Fletch recently
won the overall junior champion award.
Andrew, who is junior director of
SPSC, says the door is always open to
new members and the fee for under-
18s is just $25. SPSC runs regular
junior events in surfing at Palm Beach
and paddling on the calmer waters of
Narrabeen Lagoon.
Further information: spsc.tidyhq.com/
– Martin Kelly
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
SEPTEMBER 2020 7