YEOMANS WINS O’NEILL COLDWATER CLASSIC

Congrats to Nate Yeomans for winning the Cold Water Classic Invitational and a $50,000 O’neill sponsorship. The contest was formatted with 16 unsponsored surfers battling for a winner takes all prize. Yeomans was the man to beat the whole contest. His past experience at the Lane already produced a win in 2009, when the CWC was a 6-star prime event. This year with a solid backhand attack on his V3 Rocket (whis was an Ian Crane trade-in) Yeomans took down local Shaun Burns in the final to win another CWC at the Lane. Congrats again Yeomans and continue your roll into the Triple Crown !

Yeomans and Burnsy champagne showers. Photo: Ellis

Back side clicker. Photo: Marc Prefontaine

Yeomans down the line. Photo: Ellis

Post Heat Interview from SURFER MAGAZINE

So you’ve had a lot of success at this wave in the past. What’s your relationship like with The Lane?

What’s funny is that the first five times I came up here I lost first round. Then I started to realize that I needed to be more patient and get the best waves in the heat. After that clicked, I remember making quarters one year and then winning the event another year. I’ve been able to get some consistent results here ever since, and I love surfing this wave. It’s a fun wave on your backside, especially when you get on the right ones with a proper wall. When you get one of those, you can just paint the canvas.

Since wave selection decided most the heats, were you concerned about surfing against a local in the Final?

Shaun’s been surfing amazing out there. He’s got a really solid air game, and his surfing is so refined that I actually thought he was a lot older. He’s only 21. But yeah, I knew he was going to be a tough draw. It was like comparing apples to oranges in the Final though, with him on his forehand and me on my backhand. But we both just did our thing and the judges gave me the nod.

What do you think about some of the other competitors in the event? There are a lot of really talented guys and it’s hard to believe they don’t have sponsors.

I think it’s a sign of the times. People are struggling, and it’s easy for surfers to get lost doing the competitive thing, which doesn’t necessarily create value for the brands. Plus there are so many great surfers out there, so it kind of takes a bit more to create that value. I think a lot of the guys in this event surf insane, and could probably make the Tour one day. It’s tough to do that without support though.

Were you feeling pretty confident that you could win this thing coming into the event?

You know, I’ve actually had kind of a shitty year contest-wise. I don’t think I’ve made more than a heat or two in any of the big events I competed in thus far. Overall, it might actually be my worst competitive year. But I feel really comfortable here, I had a good board under my feet, and I knew I could turn a corner.

So do you think this will be a shot in the arm for you competitively?

Honestly, I haven’t even really been able to take it all in yet. Before this, I was actually setting up some job interviews and thinking that I might surf my last events in Hawaii this winter. Obviously this event win means a pretty big change of plans for me, and I couldn’t be happier. It’s hard to walk away from your dreams, so I’m stoked to have an opportunity to continue being a professional surfer.

What’s on your agenda now that you’ve got a this sponsorship?

I haven’t had time to even think about it yet, but I’d love to just take off somewhere and score really good waves without having to worry about a contest. I haven’t been able to do that in a while, because I haven’t really had the financial support. Traveling for contests is always a lot easier to justify, because if you do well you make your money back directly from competing. So it would be great to just not even think about that and score great waves.

What trip would be at the top of your list?

Fiji or Tahiti. I’d really love to go looking for some big barrels. Hopefully this means I’ll be doing a bit more of that.

The V3 Rocket and Yeomans tight in the pocket. Photo: Marc Prefontaine

A congratulations from his Dad, Rick. Photo: Grant Ellis

Final Results
1. Nathan Yeomans (USA) 15.00
2. Shaun Burns (USA) 12.83

Semifinal Results
SF 1: Shaun Burns (USA) 12.83 over Jack Boyes (USA) 12.57
SF 2: Nathan Yeomans (USA) 12.66 over Garrett Parkes (AUS) 8.44

Quarterfinal Results
Qrt 1: Jack Boyes (USA) 11.20 over Jeison Torres Abarca (CRI) 10.93
Qrt 2: Shaun Burns (USA) 11.30 over Wade Carmichael (AUS) 10.67
Qrt 3: Garrett Parkes (AUS) 14.53 over Lincoln Taylor (AUS) 14.23
Qrt 4: Nathan Yeomans (USA) 12.37 over Derek Peters (USA) 9.23

THE V3 ROCKET

V3 is an extension of the Rocket collection and a continuation of the Rocket tradition. We were looking for a one board quiver type of design. Starting with the V2-Rocket, the most notable difference being the double wings cut in the tail outline. These wings accelerate the reduction of surface area in tail curve, resulting in a noticeably narrower “Rocket” tail. Less width behind the rear foot equals more precision and more control in the pocket. It also allows for functionality in a wider range of wave size. The tail width at 12″ is still substantial, netting a board that still feels fast, stable and squirty …even in smaller surf. When ridden as a quad, the narrower tail is freed up, allowing the surfer to stand a bit further forward and still remain loose and free in small surf. The nose outline was also pulled in a bit, in the 12-18″ area, netting a more elliptical, catch free, overall outline that fits into curvy wave faces better than Rockets of the past. A more freed up and quick reacting outline that handles a wider range of waves, even powerful and well overhead, but still easy to paddle and surf in small or crowded conditions. Inspired by the positive performance feedback from the “Grocket” version (with single wing and pulled in swallow) that we released years ago. The “Grocket” was, and continues to be, a custom order favorite. Like the Grocket, The V3-Rockets higher performance characteristics in relation the other Rockets (and their wide tails) makes it the “fishy” board for guys who don’t ride fish!

Stock Dimensions
5’6″ x 19.25″ x 2.25″ | 26.81
5’7″ x 19.38″ x 2.32″ | 28.36
5’8″ x 19.5″ x 2.32″ | 29.06
5’9″ x 19.63″ x 2.38″ | 30.44
5’10″ x 20 x 2.5″ | 32.97
6’0″ x 20.25″ x 2.56″ | 35.24
6’2″ x 20.5″ x 2.63″ | 37.86
6’4″ x 21″ x 2.75″ | 41.06