ASP Grade 1 Pro Junior Mens Event
Merewether Newcastle, NSW
8 - 11 March 2007

Live Coverage  |  Results/Photos/Videos etc

FORM SURFERS FIND FEET ON DAY 2 OF NEWCASTLE PRO JUNIOR

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 9 March, 2007 : - -  WHAT a difference 12 hours can make to pristine perfection. Yesterday's near perfect conditions at the Newcastle Pro Junior at the Maitland Toyota Surfest were washed away by blustery southerly winds that whipped up choppy seas, making it difficult for surfers on the second day of competition at Merewether Beach.

In fact, it wouldn't be too harsh to label conditions as woeful. Today's heats showcased some of surfing's youngest and brightest stars including Laurie Towner (Angourie, NSW), Owen Wright (Culburra, NSW), Julian Wilson (Coolum, QLD) and local lad Jesse Adam ( Newcastle, NSW).

The first heat of the round of 96 saw the current leader of the Australasian Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Pro Junior Series, 20-year old Mitch Coleborn (Wurtulla, QLD) blitz his heat to continue the form that has seen him clinch the previous two events on this tour at Coolum and Coffs Harbor.

"It was pretty tricky out there and I couldn't hear the announcers so I really had no idea what was going on," Coleborn said. Coleborn, who also won a Pro Junior event at Lacanau in France last year, said the biggest threat to him bagging a hat-trick of events were Julian Wilson, Owen Wright and Matt Wilkinson.

Coleborn need not worry about Wilkinson, who was edged out of second position by South African sensation Clinton Gravett by less than a point, leaving victory to  Sydneysider David Vlug (Narrabeen, NSW). Laurie  Towner, currently ranked number nine on the junior tour, did enough in the last minute of his heat   to finish second to Ellis Ericson (Suffolk Park, NSW), despite grabbing the highest wave score of the heat.

Twenty- year -old Towner shot to world attention almost a year ago to the day when he tackled a massive swell at Shipsterns Bluff off the coast of Tasmania, alongside former world champion Andy Irons. But today, Towner felt fortunate to avoid elimination. "The conditions were really bad and there were no good waves," he said.

"I felt shaky and just couldn't catch a wave. I was lucky to get through."  Owen Wright, last year's under-16 International Surfing Association (ISA) World Junior surfing champion is currently ranked number 12 coming into this event.

He battled unfamiliar waters but emerged a clear winner in heat nine. "It was fat and it was hard to get through to do good turns," he said. "I hope it's better tomorrow but I don't know what the banks do down here, so I'm just going to do what I can," the straight talking  goofy footer said.

Last year's ISA under-18 world champ, Julian Wilson, was the hot favourite in heat 12, having beaten eight-time world champion Kelly Slater at the Quicksilver Pro last week. "It was a little tricky out there today and it was hard to find the good waves but I was pleased with my performance," Wilson said.  

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The 18-year-old easily advanced through to the round of 48 flanked by the 2006 Australian grommet champion, Teale Vanner (Kangaroo Island, SA). "I'm more comfortable surfing in these conditions than I was over in the perfect waves with Slater," Wilson said. "This is more like the stuff I surf everyday," he added.

Newcastle surfer Jesse Adam progressed to round three after a solid performance in heat 14, but found the day's conditions demanding.  "It was heaps of fun yesterday; it felt good, but today there were a lot of tough banks and lots of sand," he said. The 18-year-old has surfed Merewether's break since he was knee high to a grasshopper and hoped his understanding of his local break would give him the upper hand on his competitors.

"Gotta use my local knowledge," the focused Adam exclaimed. "I haven't won one yet and winning at home would be a bonus - I'd love to take it out." In the girl's Pro Junior, held at Nobbys Beach some five kilometres from Merewether, 32 competitors were eliminated leaving eight girls for tomorrow's quarter finals.

No local surfers remain in the girl's competition following the defeat of Lake Macquaries' Paige Haggerston by number one seed Sally Fitzgibbons (Gerrora, NSW).  The tour's current number two, Kiwi import Airini Mason (Gold Coast, QLD), will mix it up in the first heat of the quarters when she meets rival Fitzgibbons, fellow Kiwi compatriot Mischa Davis and Kristie Jones from Ulladulla on the NSW coast.

In quarter-final  two, Stephanie Sallis (Byron Bay, NSW), Rebecca Oakley (Sunshine Beach, QLD), Kirby Wright (Culburra, NSW) and wildcard entrant Laura Enever (Narrabeen NSW).  Pro Junior action continues from 7:30am Saturday, with the first heat of the day being the boys round of 48, while the girl's quarters will get underway at 3pm.

Swell conditions for Saturday should vastly improve. A direct southerly swell of around 4 foot on a nine second period, fanned by south west winds, should see some great surfing.

Previous reports:
# 1 : Wes Bainbridge off to a strong start at Newcastle Pro Jr
# 2 : Coming soon
# 3 : Coming soon
# 4 : Coming soon  

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