He did it in 2009, now he came back for more! Israel born Klitmøller resident Mor Meluka stood out and displayed some magnificent handling of the six different boards, clinching the title at 2011's Vans “Six in the Mix”, sponsored by Relentless Energy.
With sunny skies and a slight offshore winds, Germany's and Scandinavia's best surfers plus a bunch of locals went at it last weekend, hitting a clean northwestern groundswell. “Six in the Mix is the northern surfing scene's highlight”, the happy winner proclaimed. “The whole year we're looking forward to this!”
More than ever this year's focus was put on traditional boards, Angelo Schmitt, god father of the six-concept and head-judge made clear. Paying tribute to heritage, one of the six boards the invited riders had to master, was an Alaia; granted, a slightly modernised version – staying true to the Vans motto: “Classic style – modern comfort”. Sure enough, Australian Alaia-pioneer Tom Wegner's 6’2 finless “Tuna” proved to be the ultimate challenge conquering the shoulderhigh wedges.
The 9’0 “Dexter” log also proved to be a real trip. Weighing in at 15 kilos, this gem from the early sixties went without any amenities that make modern surfing so easy: no rocker, no concave, no rails, no fins – except for the giant keel singlefin, right at the tip of the tail. This is where style came into play, the only way to master this extremely valuable loan from Sylt's surf club! Definitely more grippy was the ride on the 6’2 bonzer, placed at disposal by the inventors of this very shape, the Campbell brothers from Oxnard, Ca. In addition to the centerfin, the bonzer holds two small sidebites on each side for extra drive – a record-breaking number of five fins in total!
More modern updates were the 6’0 Norden twinfin – a reproduction of a more traditional fish with enhanced performance – and the 5’9 Norden quad, whose four fins were able generate astonishing amounts of speed. The Norden 9’8 log singlefin served as the trim master amongst the boards for six in the mix: thin rails, a wide spoon and a classic outline asked for crosssteps, drop knee cutbacks and noserides in order to stay true to this style. The broad variety in shapes, stoked out riders from all around northern Europe, the groundswell, the sun and the perfect organisation that Angelo Schmitt and the BLUE crew had put in place must have made every visitor's life a bit brighter. All-over winner Mor Meluka joyfully accepted his custom shaped Norden board and the two specialty winners were glad to load up on Vans stuff. We are looking forward to Six in the Mix 2012, and to all the people, boards, waves and surprises next year's event will hold for us!
Partaking riders:** All-Over Winner:**
Mor Meluka (ISR)
Best Alaia Rider:
Pontus Hallin (SWE)
Best Classic Surfer:
Adrian Siebert (GER-Kiel)
The video clip will be online within the next few days. Please check www.vans.de and www.facebook.com/vanseurope for the latest updates!
