Scott McKercher bags Australian Nationals

Coming into this event I hadn't sailed for 6 weeks due to tearing my calf muscle and missing a large percentage of the west Australian summer. I tried to sail three days before the comp and hit a few lips, but still came away from in a little tender as something didn't feel quite right afterwards.

Staying off the water until the comp, even though there was a cranking swell and wind the day before, I was a little worried about what was going to happen, because to tear it again wasn't so appealing.

A little test run before the first heat, and the sensation had three days before wasn't there, so it was so far so good and it felt so good to be out windsurfing again.

It was a pretty fun day with waves around logo high and with my quad 76 and 5.0 Blade being the perfect combination for the day. People were complaining of the sideshore conditions and lacking speed off the top, where for me it wasn't a problem and had heaps of speed due to the drive and power my gear was creating. A couple of solid hits, and my body was holding together and then as the heat was coming to a close I had one bowl shape up that just boosted me. I came down in one piece and it was the best sensation, for it wiped out all he frustration of not being able to sail for six weeks in one move. Yeewwww. So stoked

Anyway, the day unfolded with some heats being better than the others, but doing enough to get through, and it ended up being an all west Aussie final four. Simon Peters who's a Margaret river local was a serious threat and I only just scraped through that one. Ben Severne, who'd won every comp over the summer (beating some PWA heavyweights), could barely walk because he stuffed up his knee a few days before. He was still ripping from all accounts, but couldn't get passed Matty Holder, film maker extraordinaire and previous winner at Margaret river.

The wind went a bit funky for a while, but then it came back and we were out there for the final. I had few that felt pretty good, and a couple that I wish I made, due to seeing Matt blasting through the lip from behind on a couple, so it was going to be close.
With the forecast looking pretty dodgy, it was known there wasn't going to be a losers round, so it was a lips sealed affair, until the presentation a few days later at the District club.

Anyways, I did end up winning which did feel really good, but was a real shame one of the judges wasn't out on the water. Jaeger Stone hurt his foot about the same time as I did and has had to sit it out the majority of the summer as well, but wasn't quite ready in time. I reckon it may well have been another story otherwise.