ASP Australasian Junior Series
Manu Bay- Raglan, New Zealand
3 - 6 March 2005

Rhys Bombaci Wins Billabong Pro-Teen Series Raglan
New Zealander Kelly Clarkson Finishes Second to Miley-Dyer in Pro-Teen Girls

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 06 March 2005: - - Kiama surfer Rhys Bombaci has won the Billabong Pro-Teen Series, Raglan in the third day of perfect 2m waves at Manu Bay. The 19-year-old natural footer defeated Maroubra’s Blake Thornton in the 30 minute final, to post his most memorable win to date, achieve his goal of a junior series victory and finally get past the curse of three consecutive quarter final and semi final losses.

Both Bombaci and Thornton are renowned for outstanding performances in good surf, and the final lived up to all expectations with both surfers locking in high scoring eight and nine point rides. “I thought if I was going to win anywhere it would be here on these lefts,” said Bombaci. “I feel really comfortable here, my board felt good, everything turned out perfectly.”

Bombaci’s win has lifted him from ninth to fourth on the Australasian Junior Series ratings, putting him within the ranks of the exclusive top five Billabong World Junior Championships qualifiers with three events remaining. “I was hoping for a final in Wollongong and still got a result, a fifth, but there was no waves and I was really disappointed,” said Bombaci. “To come from a result like that and then win is just unbelievable.”

“I think I will be stinking it up with the boys tonight, just let it all sink in, then head home tomorrow, see my friends and family and no doubt continue to party.” Thornton, who was rated 27th prior to this event has been plagued by the lack of waves on this year’s circuit, but proved his true ability when the surf turned it on for the juniors at Raglan, boosting him 13 position’s up the ratings to 14th spot.

“I think I am happy with second,” said Thornton. “I am happy I got the better of the two New Zealand guys as well, the result has been a long time coming.” “Rhys was cool, I am stoked for him, he is having a good year and deserved his first win.”

Gisborne’s Bobby Hansen finished the Billabong Pro-Teen Series as the highest placed Kiwi surfer in the men’s division. The 20-year-old surfed brilliantly in his quarter final heat this morning, eliminating a rampaging Yadin Nicol (Margaret River, WA) with a perfect barrel ride, scoring an 8.25.

Hansen then faced Thornton in the second semi final but was unfortunately starved for waves in the 25 minute man on man stanza and beaten by the solid Australian. His equal third, 1460 points and $AUD 900 capped off a great week of surfing for the natural footer and lifted him from 14th to 10th position.

“I am pretty happy with it for sure,” said Hansen. “I would have liked to have done better but I fell off a couple and Blake got a few good ones, I had a shocker really.” “It’s good to see all the Kiwi’s doing well though.”

Morehu Roberts (Raglan), the promising local hope, was beaten in the quarter finals this morning also by Thornton. The 17-year-old fell on his first two rides, losing convincingly to Thornton and failing to post any score higher than a 6.0. The equal fifth represents a huge leap forward for Roberts who has struggled in junior competition this year.

“It’s still my best result so far so I’m pretty stoked,” said Roberts. “The waves have been good for the comp as well, so you couldn’t get much better.”  “I am pretty disappointed, but being able to surf my local beak with only two people out when it’s pumping is unreal, so I’m not too worried.”

The last remaining Gold Coast surfer Paul Fisher was eliminated by event winner Bombaci in the Quarter Finals. The equal fifth place and 1220 ratings point is a strong result for the fast paced natural footer. “The waves are so fun but I don’t know what happened,” said Fisher. “I guess I was trying to do things I shouldn’t have been doing and I wasn’t surfing as good as I have been in previous heats.”

“When you surf against Bombaci you always have to go hard and he has been surfing really well out there,” said Fisher. “This contest has been a dream and normally when you get knocked out you just want to go home, but all I want to do is hang and see Yadin and these local boys surf, when the waves are good you want to see who is surfing the best.”

Girls Event:

Jessi Miley Dyer : photo Karen Wilson/Tostee.com

Raglan’s Kelly Clarkson has scored her best result in competition by finishing second to close friend Jessi Miley-Dyer (Coogee, NSW) in the final of the Billabong Pro-Teen Girls Division today. Miley-Dyer, who is currently sitting first on the girls ratings, has grabbed her second victory in two weeks, after winning the Billabong Pro-Teen Series in Wollongong, Australia.

In the 30 minute final, Miley-Dyer dominated Clarkson, scoring a 9.00 and an 8.50 on back to back rides to secure the win and extend her ratings lead over Lyndsay Noyes (Cronulla, NSW). The two girls shared epic waves in an empty line-up for half an hour and celebrated the win together following the final siren.

“The waves were absolutely amazing out there then and I love Raglan, it was great to win an event here,” said Miley-Dyer. “Perfect Manu Bay with no one else out except us, it was one of those heats where you just couldn’t wait to get out there.”

“It’s such a perfect point break and when you think about it, it’s like, why didn’t we come here before. Hopefully they will have it again next year and hopefully we will have more events here at Raglan, maybe a WQS or a WCT would be great.”

For Clarkson, second place is a huge result for the local surfer who struggled competing on the small Australian beach breaks earlier in the year but looked right at home in the walling lefts of Manu Bay. “It was a bit of a bummer that I didn’t get the set waves,” said Clarkson. “I probably had nerves that I didn’t know where there and sat a bit wide on a few.” “It is my best result ever though and the waves were unreal.”

The Billabong Pro-Teen Series will now finish its run of consecutive back to back events before venturing to Newcastle Beach, NSW for the fifth event on March 31st.

The Billabong Pro-Teen Series Raglan is proudly supported by Coke, Von Zipper, Surfing Australia and Surfing New Zealand.

Results

Boys Quarter Finals: Man on Man
Quarter 1- Ben Dunn (NSW) 16.00 Def Michael Spencer (NSW) 14.00
Quarter 2- Rhys Bombaci (NSW) 15.00 Def Paul Fisher (QLD) 10.90
Quarter 3- Blake Thornton (NSW) 12.25 Def Morehu Roberts (NZ) 11.75
Quarter 4- Bobby Hansen (NZ) 15.25 Def Yadin Nicol (WA) 14.90

Boys Semi Finals: Man on Man
Semi 1- Rhys Bombaci (NSW) 17.20 Def Ben Dunn (NSW) 15.25
Semi 2- Blake Thornton (NSW) 14.60 Def Bobby Hansen (NZ) 11.60

Boys Final
1st – Rhys Bombaci 16.25
2nd – Blake Thornton 15.25

Girls Semi Finals: Man on Man
Semi 1- Jessi Miley-Dyer (NSW) 15.75 Def Jaimee Wheatley (WA) 7.75
Semi 2- Kelly Clarkson (NZ) Def Jessie Hickson (NSW)

Girls Final
1st – Jesse Miley-Dyer 17.50
2nd - Kelly Clarkson 13.00

Billabong Pro-Teen Series- Event dates, locations and Winners.
Feb 9-13 Billabong Pro-teen Burleigh Heads: Mitch Coleborn (QLD) Stephanie Gilmore (NSW)
Feb 17-20 Billabong Pro-teen Avoca: Dion Agius (QLD) Stephanie Gilmore (NSW)
Feb 24-27 Billabong Pro-teen Wollongong: Wade Goodall (QLD) Jesse Miley-Dyer (NSW)
Mar 3-6 Billabong Pro-teen Raglan NZ
Mar 31 - Apr 3 Wild Surf Co/Billabong Pro-teen Newcastle
Sep 28-Oct 3 Billabong Pro-teen Bells Beach

Previous reports:
# 1 : NZ surfers challenge Int'ls at Billabong Pro-Teen Raglan
# 2 : Early Losses for N.Z. Junior Surfers at Billabong Pro-Teen
# 3 : NZ dominates Billabong Pro-Teen in perfect Raglan surf

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

Simon Barratt
sbarratt@billabong.com.au  

Ben Kennings
ben.kennings@surfingnz.co.nz  

Junior Contests - Surfersvillage

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