Billabong Pro-Teen Series Event One

Event 4: ASP Australasian Junior Series
Burleigh Heads Queensland, Mobile.
February 9th-14th, 2005

Heatdraw & Results

Day 6: Mitchell Coleborn Wins Billabong Pro-Teen Series Burleigh Heads
Stephanie Gilmore Wins Junior Girls event
Whiz-Kid Wilkinson leads ASP Australasian Junior Series

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 14 February 2005: - - The new guard of Australian junior surfers broke through at the Billabong Pro-Teen Series today with Sunshine Coast surfer Mitch Coleborn defeating NSW, Central Coasts Matt Wilkinson in the 40 minute decider at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast.

The long touted Coleborn dominated the final staged in testing 1.5 metre point waves with a confident display of power to post his inaugural victory on the ASP Australasian junior circuit and jump from 30th to 4th on the rankings.

The always impressive Coleborn had previously failed to match his form with a result but today he bridged the gap with his victory over an international field of 200 starters. “I am totally over the moon,” said Coleborn. “I have made a few semis before but one of my long time goals was to win a junior event.”

“We have been staying here on the point at Burleigh for the last few weeks and surfing it almost every day, so the practice really paid off.” “I have had a couple of good heats this week and I felt like I was surfing confidently enough to take it out,” he said. “There, wasn’t many waves in that heat compared to others I have surfed today but I did what I needed to do and it paid off.”

16-year-old Copacabana goofy footer, Wilkinson became the youngest ever surfer to lead the ASP Australasian junior ratings today despite placing second to Coleborn in today’s event. The under 16 world amateur champion took the ratings lead from Ben Dunn (Old Bar) upon reaching the semi finals, then continued to his second final for 2005, but failed to post any score higher than a 4.00 handing the win to Coleborn.

“It’s weird to think I am the youngest surfer to lead the ratings,” said Wilkinson. “I made the semis at Bells earlier this year then the final at Gunnamatta so I have had a really good start.” “I came third at Avoca last year and that’s the next stop so I am looking forward to it.”

The lone remaining international surfer, Corey Arrambie who lives on the hill overlooking the famous Rincon break in California, caused a major upset this morning when he eliminated U/18 world amateur champion James Wood in the Quarter Finals. Surfing against competitors four years his senior, the 15-year-old surfed eight times from the first round of competition to the semi finals where he was unfortunately out classed by a rampaging Wilkinson.

“I just couldn’t find the rhythm in that semi final,” said Arrambie. “Every time I stood up my feat were in the wrong spot then I would get caught behind the section. I’m stoked to be the last international but I am still disappointed that I lost.” Arrambie was the last international surfer to make it through to the round of 12 and his equal third placing alongside Caloudra’s Wade Goodall was an outstanding result for the young Californian.

Kingscliff teenager Stephanie Gilmore secured her third ASP junior series win today with a purely dominant performance over Burleigh local Amanda Clegg in the Billabong Pro-Teen Series girls event. The under 18 world amateur champion displayed impeccable wave selection scoring an 8.67 and a 7.17 to leave Clegg requiring a combination to win.

“In the first few events of the year I didn’t get any good results so it’s good to have a win,” said Gilmore. “We had really good waves all week at Duranbah and to come hear and surf Burleigh with only two people out it’s just amazing.”

On an old board, Gilmore was in control for the entire 40 minute final. “I snapped all my good boards when we had that big swell a few weeks ago,” said Gilmore. “I’m saving my last good one for the WCT trials so I didn’t want to ride it.”

Clegg, failing to show the form that saw her post the highest heat score of the event, didn’t feel like surfing her home break was much of an advantage. “Steph surfs so well on rights like that,” admitted Clegg. “Burleigh is my home break but I haven’t actually surfed out here in a while.”

Following the Billabong Pro-Teen at Burleigh Heads today, the series will move on to the Central Coast next week, with the second round scheduled for Avoca Beach February 17th – 20th.

The Billabong Pro-Teen Series is supported by Panasonic, Vodafone, Coca-Cola, Banana Boat, Von Zipper and Surfing Australia.

www.billabong.com.au
www.surfingaustralia.com

Previous reports:
# 1 : Aussie Juniors stem Int'l domination at Billabong Pro-Teen
# 2 : http://www.surfersvillage.com/news.asp?Id_news=15661
# 3 : Ben Dunn/top seed dominates Billabong Pro Teen Day 3
# 4 : Ben Dunn predicts his own demise at Billabong Pro-Teen
# 5 : Australian surfers dominating Billabong Pro-Teen event

More Australasian Surfing News available here
Check the latest Australasian Surf Reports and Forecasts

Simon Barratt
sbarratt@billabong.com.au

Mandy McKinnon
mandy@aspworldtour.com

Junior Contests - Surfersvillage