DK SESSIONS AT URBNSURF MELBOURNE
Tal recently ventured from the ocean for something a bit more unique —the URBNSURF wave pool in Melbourne. DK Sessions hosted their drop knee competition at the pool, with two back to back sessions on the ‘Right’ and ‘Left’. Trading saltwater for a chlorinated wave might have seemed like a strange move, but with waves this perfect - none of the boys were complaining.
Dane Pope locked in on his way to first place.
URBNSURF may be miles from the coast, but it delivers when it comes to wave quality. The DK Sessions brought together some of Australia’s top drop knee bodyboarders, all ripping on the pool’s perfectly engineered waves. Thanks to the smart AI tech at URBNSURF provided by Flow State, all competitors were able to access video footage of their waves before picking the best four clips to share with the judges. After a nail biting time, (giving everyone a much needed beer & food break at Three Blue Ducks), the judges came to their decision.
Justin Welsh with some stylish and powerful surfing to secure third place.
The winners: Dane Pope, taking first place with a performance that got everyone hyped; Matt Lackey, who cruised into second with some serious steeze; and Justin Welsh, who locked down third with powerful riding. And a shoutout to Darren Walton for snagging wave of the day also! Everyone was tearing the bag and it was so rad to see the high standard of drop knee in Australian competition. Not to mention everyone was fully hyping each other up which made it by far one of the most relaxed vibes at a competition.
Matt Lackey running a clean rail into second place.
If you were part of the DK Sessions crew, hit the VIP button below to check out the full gallery, where Picki will provide you with the access code. In the meantime, take a look at the highlight gallery below for some of the best moments of the day.
Capturing this event was proof that whether it's the ocean or a wave pool, the energy is just as electric when top riders are going head-to-head. Tal also wants to give a big thanks to Picki for trusting him with the photography and another big mention to the behind-the-scenes crew who made the event happen. A massive well done to everyone involved.