AUSTRALIA

My first event for the 2014 season was here and I was definitely excited, I hadn’t been in the Jersey for a couple months and I was dying to get back in contest mode. The day of check-in was a nightmare though, I was told that I, along with the majority of foreign surfers had applied for the wrong visa and if we competed on this visa we were at risk of being barred from Australia for five years. The only way to solve this problem was to fly to New Zealand and apply for the correct business visa- you needed to be out of the country to apply. Simple for the Americans, they could apply online, fly to New Zealand stay in a hotel for a couple hours while their visa was being processed and fly back to Australia. Little bit more complicated for a Barbadian passport holder, I wasn’t permitted to apply online, the Australian consulate needed a hard copy of my application. I also needed a visa for New Zealand, and since that wasn’t being expedited for the contest it would take a month, so I found myself on a plane to..Singapore. 

Singapore was a cool place, there were ships on top of buildings and beautifully kept gardens everywhere and luckily everyone was pleasant and spoke english. I might even want to back one day-on less stressful terms. It all went well at the consulate and I was back in time for my heat which went great as well. It was nice to get back that adrenaline rush of competing. I ended my run in the Round of 48, a bit disappointed but I was off to Newcastle for the next event. 

Newcastle can be a cool place when the waves are good but usually all there is to do is surf. We had some flat days but we also got some great surf so besides the depressing weather we had a good time. I ended 5th in the junior and won my first heat in the WQS. I got a little nervous in my second heat, one problem of mine is coming from behind in heats and I was the last one to get a good wave, I did get a 7 though and I only needed a five. I had a good feeling that it was going to come so I stayed calm and waited. 2 minutes to go and a perfect set wave came, I had to paddle battle the girl in the heat but I made it, went up for the first turn and the nerves got me. I was so bummed, I loved the wave at Newcastle and I was ready to get a good result. Ah well, next time. 

Overall I learned a lot on that trip. I learnt what I was missing and where I needed to be and I definitely know which visa to travel on now.