Billabong Pro Junior - Sunshine Coast

ASP Grade 1 Mens and Womens Pro Junior
Sunshine Coast Queensland Australia
6 - 11 February 2007

SYDNEY’S LAURA ENEVER WINS BILLABONG PRO JUNIOR SERIES

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 10 February, 2007 : - - Coolum Beach: THE first Cyclone swell of the season has arrived right on queue for the countries best surfers on the Sunshine Coast, with solid 2m swells thumping into Coolum Beach for the Billabong Pro Junior Series. Sydney gidget Laura Enever (Narrabeen),15, announced her arrival to the world of professional junior surfing today with a maiden victory in the prestigious Sunshine Coast event.

The lightweight natural footer trumped event top seed and sure priced favourite Sally Fitzgibbons (Gerroa) in the final, fighting back to grab victory in the last five minutes. “I’m so stoked, I knew Sally would be so hard to beat, she has won two of these events before,” said Enever.  “It was the first time I have ever been in a final so I just couldn’t believe that I made it, to win was such a bonus.”

Enever struggled to find a score in the shifting line-up of Coolum until the halfway mark of the final, firing back into contention with a 6.50 ride. Fitzgibbons, 16, remained in control with two scoring rides of a 5.83 and a 4.17 before her less experienced opponent grabbed the lead with a 5.50 in the last few minutes.

 “I thought she was smashing me but I got a good one and it ended up being really close,” said Enever. The current ASP Australasian Ratings leader only needed a 6.18 to snatch the lead back but was caught inside by a large set wave at the dying stage and was unable to find the required score. 

Laura Enever : photo Surfing Australia

It was a huge moment for the young Sydney dynamo, realising her dream as a pro junior event winner despite still being able to compete in the 16/U grommet events around the country.  Her win has lifted her to fifth position on the junior rankings. “I’ve had two ninths already this year and to get a win is just so sick.

“I was just hoping to do a few of the series comps,” said Enever.  “I can still go in the grommet comps and I was just doing these for experience. Hopefully I can make the top ten at the end of the year or even the top five. “To finish in the top two and make the world juniors which are at my home break would be amazing but whatever I finish this year I’ll be happy with.”

Despite the loss, Fitzgibbons retained the number spot on the series ratings. “Laura went really well and it was an exiting final,” said Fitzgibbons.  “I was unlucky not to get it and I just couldn’t find the waves at the end. We just went out there to have a bit of fun and she got the better of me this time so congratulations to her, it was really well done.

“There will be plenty more finals to come I guess, she will be around for a while in this division and so will i so it should be great fun. A major upset in the junior boy’s division saw World Tour Competitor Jeremy Flores (France) unceremoniously disposed from the event by an inform Laurie Towner.

19-year-old Towner signified his return from a devastating shoulder injury that occurred during the wipe-out of the season last November in Hawaii.  The lanky natural footer from the Northern NSW town of Angourie blasted into the lead early in the heat with an 8.00 before slamming the door shut with a 6.60.

“There was good little waves out there, good to see some swell after the last few contests,” said Towner.  “I was lucky enough to get a few rights and it was good to take out someone like that. “He was probably one of the top seeds in this event so to beat him in that heat then was good. He was surfing good but just didn’t seem to get any waves and I hear he hasn’t surfed an event in a while which is probably why he was competing here.”

Manly’s Alex Chacon finished second in the round four heat, with Caleb Reid (Bronte) in third.  Flores couldn’t buy a wave in the heat, finishing in fourth position and ousted from the event.  The 2007 world tour rookie was using the junior event as a warm up for the opening WCT event on the Gold Coast this March.

The junior men’s division will finalise tomorrow with the Sunshine Coast swell expected to build over night. Event updates will be available on www.surfingaustralia.com and on Hot 91 radio station. The Billabong Pro Junior Series event on the Sunshine Coast is supported by Vodafone, Panasonic, UV Triplegard, Clearasil, Von Zipper, Kustom and Surfing Queensland.

About The Billabong Pro Junior Series
Developed in the early 1990’s as a platform for young surfers aiming to become professionals, the $75,000 Billabong Pro Junior Series is the country’s longest standing and richest domestic junior surfing circuit.  The five event series, open to aspiring male and female surfers aged 20-years and under, will comprise half of the overall ASP Australasian circuit, which culminates in the crowning of the ASP World Junior Champion at North Narrabeen each year.  

For the first time in its history, the Billabong Pro Junior Series will this year stop at the new locations of Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast and Coffs Harbour on the NSW Mid North Coast.  

2007 Billabong Junior Series
$13,000 Billabong Pro Junior Sunshine Coast, February 6 to 11
$13,000 Billabong Pro Junior Coffs Harbour, February 14 to 18
$13,000 Billabong Pro Junior Raglan, March 29 to 31
$13,000 Billabong Pro Junior Wollongong, September 13 to 16
$23,000 Billabong Pro Junior Bells, September 26 to 30

Previous reports:
# 1 : Billabong Pro Jr series moving to Maroochydore & Coffs
# 2 : Billabong Pro Junior Sunshine Coast: clean surf on day 1
# 3 : Billabong Pro Junior - Sunshine Coasters fail at Coolum
# 4 : Rebecca Oakley on target for Billabong Pro Jnr. Series  
# 5 : Billabong Pro Junior Sunshine Coast - top seed is out

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