Sydney Surfer Blazes at the Wild Surf Co/Billabong Pro-Teen Series at Newcastle
Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 31 March, 2006 : - - Top seeded surfers have continued to make their presence felt on day three of the Wild Surf Co/Billabong Pro-Teen Series at Newcastle Beach in NSW. With a solid increase in swell expected for the weekend, the preceding southerly change today created small, onshore conditions for competitors in the final heats of the main seeded round of 96 surfers.
Sydney surfer Nick Riley (Fairlight) is carving a big name for himself in Australian junior surfing. The 17-year-old is currently rated 7th on the ASP Australasian Junior Series and with three events remaining, finds himself in an excellent position to qualify for the World Junior Championships which will be held at Narrabeen next January.
Following a close quarter final decision two weeks ago in New Zealand, which saw the natural footer narrowly eliminated after the hooter by close friend Michael Spencer (Lake Munmorah), Riley bounced back today, easily winning through to the fourth round. Posting the day’s top heat score of 15.30 to defeat Michael Levitt (Palm Beach, QLD), Tom Law (Jan Juc) and Daniel Waddell (Dunsborough), the youngster was simply on fire in the lackluster conditions.
Wade Goodall : photo Brent Mail
“The waves are pretty bad, but I got a couple of good little ones and got some high scores,” said Riley. “It’s still fun, I’ve surfed way worse waves in competitions than that. I was stoked with a quarter final in New Zealand, and Spencer is one of my best mates, but I felt I was on the wrong end of a bad decision over there. But that happens sometimes, I guess I just have to show them now.”
“To win the series would be an extra bonus, although I’m not really expecting that,” said Riley. “Just to qualify for the World Juniors would be a really good thing, especially being in Sydney. At the start of the year I was just aiming to be in the top 20, so to find myself in the top 10 is unbelievable at the moment.”
“I really want to do well in this event because the next one is in Manly which is just down the road. Hopefully it will all work out for me.” Riley will match up against fellow Sydney surfer Alex Chacon (Manly), Central Coaster Wade Rixon and Sunshine Coast hot shot Wade Goodall (Caloundra) in tomorrows round of 48 surfers.
Culburra’s Luke Cheadle has been doing the Australasian Junior Series for five years and is still searching for an illusive maiden event win. The 20-year-old, who will leave the junior ranks this year, has continually placed in the top 30 but has struggled to crack the sought after top 10. Currently rated 12th, the Goofy footer has stepped it up in 2006 with outstanding performances in Wollongong and most recently, an equal best quarter final finish at the Billabong Pro-Teen in New Zealand. On the cusp of his highest season finish and holding a personal goal to win a junior series event, Cheadle kept his current form going with an impressive round three heat win today.
Brady Dean : photo Brent Mail
“I haven’t done well in Newcastle before but I’m really psyched to win it,” said Cheadle. “I’m feeling good this year, it’s all coming together so I can’t wait to see what happens. With the guys up the top doing so well, it’s a bit late to win the series but to win an event and finish in the top five would be amazing.”
Cheadle, along with ASP ratings number three Owen Wright are two south coasters leading the way on the junior series. Living less than 100m away from each other, the pair have showed that the wealth of waves in their region has served them well on the junior series this year. "I haven’t surfed a wave under six foot for a week,” said Cheadle. “I surf with Owen everyday and we push each other pretty hard. We have both been doing pretty well so hopefully one of us can smash it.”
ASP ratings leader Laurie Towner is determined to put some distance between himself and the bevy of surfers hot on his heels this week. Off to a flying start in his first heat of competition today, the lanky natural footer amassed eight rides on his way to victory over local surfer Jackson Brent, Jarrad Bell (Elanora) and Brendan Leckie (Palm Beach,QLD). Coming off a win in New Zealand and looking supremely confident in the water today, Towner will now surf against Craig Anderson (Newcastle), Tom Wimmer (Trigg) and Dean Brady (Sunrise Beach) when competition resumes tomorrow.
Brady, who became the seventh Sunshine Coast surfer through to the fourth round this morning, didn’t let the small conditions get the better of his 90kg plus frame, progressing in second position behind Central Coast ripper Dane Atchison (Copacabana). The 20-year-old admits he struggles when the swell drops under 1m.
“I try and get good boards for these conditions before I go away, but it is always hard coming to NSW because the beach breaks are different down here,” said Brady. “It’s suppose to pick up tomorrow and in the back of my head I was thinking, please just get through this one so I don’t miss the swell.”
“I love coming to Newcastle, the nightlife is great,” said Brady. “The event draws big crowds to the beach so I think it’s a good contest.”
Other Sunshine Coast surfers progressing through today’s round three heats were Caloundra’s Wade Goodall and Wurtulla’s Dane Bird. Already through to tomorrow’s fourth round is Blake Wilson (Alexandra Headland), Julian Wilson (Coolum), Mitch Coleborn (Maroochydore) and Dean Iezzi (Sunrise Beach)
“We have got a really strong bunch of juniors up on the Sunshine Coast, everyone trains hard and they’re really keen,” said Brady. “I think the Sunshine Coast should produce some great world class surfers in the next five to ten years.”
The notable absence of ratings number five Matt Wilkinson (Copacabana) will open the door for a number of surfers within the top ten to climb the ratings. Wilkinson has opted to skip the junior event after being offered a Wildcard into the WQS currently underway at Margaret River.
With two days of competition remaining the only local surfers still in contention in the junior men’s include Merewether duo Jesse Adam and Jackson Brent, and also Newcastle surfer Craig Anderson. Anderson had the bonus of a walk through heat today when two opponents failed to show for the round of 96 decider.
Jordy Smith wins opener in Australia
Durban’s Jordy Smith put on an impressive performance to win his opening heat in round three of the R65 000 Wild Surf Co / Billabong Pro-Teen event being staged at Newcastle in Australia earlier today (Friday).
The 18 year-old Billabong team rider and top seed in the U18 division for the recently announced SA surf team that will contest the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships in Brazil in May, defeated Queensland’s Wade Goodall, ranked 8th on the ASP Australasia Pro Junior ratings, to advance to the last 48 in the 170 strong event.
Smith, the ISA U16 world champ in 2003 and a finalist in the U18 division of the corresponding event in California last year, is the only South African in the Newcastle event. Despite winning the first event of the Billabong Junior Series at St Mikes on the KZN South Coast in February, he passing up the opportunity to contest the second local series event in his home town this weekend to compete in Australia where he has also entered a four star rated, R500 000 ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) event at the same venue next week.
Renowned for his innovative surfing and particularly a full repertoire of aerial manoeuvres, Smith is one of the stars of the new ‘Passion Pop’ surf video, where he features in the opening segment.
The Wild Surf Co/Billabong Pro-Teen Series is the first major event in the 13 day surf celebration of the Vodafone Surfest presented by Billabong in Newcastle. The four star rated World Qualifying event will begin next Monday and feature a host of the worlds best including seven times world surfing champion Kelly Slater. All the action from the WQS can be viewed LIVE on www.surfest.com
The Wild Surf Co/Billabong Pro-Teen Series event is supported by Panasonic, Vodafone, Coca-Cola, UV Triplegard, Clearasil, Kustom, Von Zipper, Tracks and Palmers Surf.
Billabong Pro Teen Series Dates and Locations
Feb 7-12 Billabong Pro-Teen Series Gold Coast Feb 15-19 Billabong Pro-Teen Series Wollongong Mar 16-19 Billabong Pro-Teen Series Raglan NZ Mar 29-Apr 2 Wild Surf Co/Billabong Pro-Teen Series Newcastle Sep 27-Oct 1 Billabong Pro-teen Bells Beach
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