Bruny Youth Stories Prize

The albatross soared over the rolling waves off the Bruny Island coast, looking for
the perfect spot...... there! The albatross dove but stopped before he hit the
glimmering water. He hovered above the water, waiting for a hump on the horizon.
He saw one and waited for it to come a little closer. Suddenly a voice stopped him
cold, a surfer was paddling towards him. “What are you doing out here?” he asked.
“Screeeeeeech, screeeee,” the albatross replied. “Oh, you’re hunting?” he asked.

Suddenly a current pulled him back, he steadied himself, he knew this current. It
was a wave pulling the water towards it, he flapped forward, the wave beneath him,
then he dove onto the surface skidding across the wave on his large webbed feet.
He positioned himself like he was on a surfboard, one leg back, one forward. He
caught a glance at the surfer looking completely gobsmacked, mouth hanging open.
He rode that wave all the way into shore, then he flew back out for another wave.
He surfed for the whole day, then found somewhere warm to sleep for the night.

When he woke up the next morning, he flew out to sea. He heard surfers say the
swell was big, with huge freak sets that came through once in a while. There! He
thought. He spotted a huge hump on the horizon and sat on the water to wait for
the wave. “Probably a freak set,” said a gruff but friendly voice. It was the surfer
he met yesterday. “So, now I know you’re not hunting fish, you’re hunting waves!
Those were some sick waves you caught yesterday. I’m going to keep a look out for
you when I’m surfing, you always seem to be in the right place at the right time.”

Before the surfer could say anymore, the albatross felt that familiar current pull
him back, he lifted into the air then flew towards the wave and caught it, but it
was so much bigger than he had thought and he was already on the wave. Just
treat it like a normal wave, not a whopping 20 foot tall mass of rushing blue water,
he told himself. Once he imagined it, he rode that wave like he’d never ridden
before. He shot down the wave, sliding, carving, almost vertical when he turned. His
mind was free, he looked like a pro and surfed like one too. He absolutely shredded
and he rode that wave all the way into shore. His wings were tingling and his whole
body was pumping with adrenaline. Nothing, absolutely nothing could beat the
feeling of riding a perfect wave, he thought. He flew back out for another wave.
He surfed for the whole day, then found somewhere warm to sleep for the night.

Winners of the Bruny Youth Story Prize will be announced at The Bruny Island Bird Festival on Sunday, the 22nd of March at 12 pm in the Adventure Bay hall. This prize is proudly brought to you by The Bruny Kids and Nature Project, led by Claire Boost and the Tasmanian Community Fund.