Just days into his first year of so-called ‘retirement’, Joel Parkinson has pulled the contest rashie back on in order to win the annual Burleigh Single Fin Festival.
Held on the first weekend of each year, the 2019 instalment of the event attracted an even bigger cast of legends than usual and reportedly went off in super fun conditions at Burleigh Point. The victory comes as Parko’s second at the event, after the iconic natural-footer put on a legendary performance there back in 2017, but it does bring into question just how seriously he’s taking his promise to call it a day.
Could Parko be surfing’s answer to John Farnham?
Is the competitive animal in him just too hard to put to bed?
All jokes aside, comps like the Single Fin Festival are exactly where we want to see legends like Parko rear their crafty old contest-winning heads, and by all reports, his performance over the weekend proved he’s still as world-class as ever. Overcoming a packed field of local specialists, QS shredders, and fellow icons, Parko outpointed Jay ‘Bottle’ Thompson, James Woods, Liam O’Brien, Tai ‘Buddha’ Graham and Chris Brooks in the final to take the win.
As much a celebration of the old-school boards (all pre-1985) and vibes as the contest itself, the event continues to draw in more and more enthusiasts, with legends like Shane Dorian, Brad Gerlach and Tom Carroll making the trek to be a part of it this year. Cult favourites Smivvy and Vaughan from Ain’t That Swell were also on hand to call the proceedings, which no doubt added a much-appreciated element of hilarity to what was an already epic event.
Congratulations Parko, and don’t worry readers, will keep you posted if there’s any more Farnham-like behaviour from the big fella.
