BIG NAMES RACK UP BIG SCORES ON DAY FOUR AT MAITLAND TOYOTA SURFEST

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 14 March, 2007 : - - AUSTRALASIAN Pro Junior Series ratings leader Mitchell Coleborn (Wurtulla, QLD) notched up a heat score one point short of perfection at today’s fifth round of the $US75,000 Maitland Toyota Open at Merewether in Newcastle.

Surfing in the round of 128, the 20-year-old scored an 8 while surfing the 4-6ft waves blessing Merewether Point, but moved north to where a left was providing occasional offerings with big workable walls, where he demolished the smooth faces with a series of blistering backhand maneuvers.

The affable Queenslander’s fortunes in the water are much better than those he has experienced on land lately. Three weeks ago his car and contents - including seven surfboards a laptop computer - were stolen from the Duranbah car park on the Gold Coast while he was surfing.

But as he says, on the bright side he has won two of the last three Pro Juniors he has contested and made the semi-finals here at Newcastle in the junior event immediately preceding the Maitland Toyota Open.“It was my biggest score in a QS for sure. I was watching the bank with that left this morning with Luke Cheadle and Michael Spencer and thinking that it was sending through some good ones,” the goofy foot said.

“I knew I had a good score, but was blown away at a 10,” he said Tweed Heads surfer Stephanie Gilmore racked up the day’s second biggest heat score (18.6) in the first heat of the Midori Pro, which commenced at 1pm. The World Championship Tour surfer, ranked fourth in the world after the elite tour’s opening event at Snapper Rocks, more than doubled her closest opponents score.

Australasian Pro Junior Series girls’ ratings leader Sally Fitzgibbons was eliminated in the heat Gilmore dominated. Other girls to progress include the Central Coast’s Amee Donohoe. Comeback kid Travis Lynch (Merewether, NSW) was the first Australian to advance in heat one this morning alongside South African David Richards.

“I’ve been here before but it gets a lot harder from here on in,” Lynch said, referring to his round of 32 appearance in this contest two years ago. “The big guns know what they’re doing so you can’t make a mistake or you’re out.” The Merewether local, who has a part time job at a surf shop and is soon to start the night-shift at a bakery, has been doing commentary at this event.

“I think it’s actually been helping because I am sitting there watching more heats than I normally would. But it’s tiring doing both,’ Lynch said. “If I do really well here, unless I pick up another sponsor, I won’t have the money to compete the rest of the tour. “I might have a year off, reassess and maybe come back again next year.  It’s a bit exciting now not surfing as much as I am exploring new things.

“If I got a sponsor now though I might be able to compete.” Dusty Payne (HAW) was another to record a good score of the morning with 16.17 and advanced to the tomorrow’s opening round of 96. Nathan ‘Noodles’ Webster continues to do well at Merewether. “I rode a brand new board today because I thought the old one was a little small for the conditions, so that was a bit of a challenge, but I felt good out there,” Webster said.

“I mean I still surf a lot and I like to keep myself at that level of fitness,” Webster said. Webster says he is enjoying this competition because he isn’t experiencing any pressure. “I don’t miss the pro tour. You know after doing anything for 10 years you just need a change and I’m more up for the challenges of the real world now.”