Brothers Neilsen Junior Surf Challenge

Surfing Queensland
Maroochydore Beach Qld Australia
1 - 5 October 2007

Finalists Decided At Brothers Neilsen Junior Surf Challenge

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 4 October, 2007 : - - Sunshine Coast -- The ‘super groms’ of the Queensland surfing scene stamped their mark as future stars of the sport today, showcasing their freakish abilities on day four at the Brothers Neilsen Junior Surf Challenge on the Sunshine Coast.

A withdrawing swell wreaked havoc with surfers’ scoring potential and organisers were once more forced to relocate to Coolum Beach and hold the tournament in clean 0.5m waves. The day’s running schedule saw finalists decided across the U/18 and U/16 boy’s advanced divisions along with the U/14 boys, U/18 boys’ intermediate, U/16 boys’ intermediate and the U/14 girls’ divisions.

The U/18 boys’ advanced division got straight to work on Coolum’s punchy peaks; unleashing a bombardment of controlled yet critical surfing. The Sunshine Coast duo of James Cervi (Sunshine Beach) and Nick McDonald (Moffat Beach) picked up from where they left off yesterday, topping the day’s scorecard en route to qualifying for tomorrow’s finals.

McDonald was at his dominating best, netting today’s highest individual wave score to convincingly defeat Samuel Turner (Buderim), Khan Thorne (Palm Beach) and Tom Pringle (Mudjimba).  “I’m so happy with my performance today,” said McDonald. “ I had a really sluggish start to the heat… I couldn’t buy a wave.”

James Cervi : photo Jake White

After a slow start, McDonald hit back with a solid scoring 5.67 to be in the hunt with five minutes remaining in the heat. With one minute to go, McDonald jagged the ‘wave of the day’ before letting loose three vertical backhand maneouvres to snare a near perfect 9.60.  “The waves seemed to pulse through our heat, so I felt pretty lucky to get such a good score in today’s small conditions.”

McDonald finishing on 15.27-points, well clear of Turner on 12.84. Thorne (6.9) and Pringle (6.10) finished third and fourth respectively.  In the next semifinal, Cervi upstaged his more fancied opponents with an impressive display of backhand mastery. Cervi finishing with a two-wave total of a 10.50 to easily defeat Takkesh Thorne (Palm Beach), Darcy Phillips (Nth Stradbroke Island) and Ben Milgate (Maroochydore).

U/18 boys’ advanced final: James Cervi, Takkesh Thorne, Nick McDonald and Samuel Turner. The action was just as fierce in the U/16 boys’ advanced division with all four finalists confirmed today. U/16 boys’ advanced final: Jack Freestone (Coolangatta), Tim McDonald (Nth Stradbroke), Elijah Criaco (Coolum) and James Mitchell.

Other semifinal winners today included Liam McNeven (Tugun), Ziggy Alberts (Peregian Beach) and Jake Fissenden (Caloundra). The Brothers Neilsen Junior Surf Challenge will finalise tomorrow morning. Winners will be decided across all nine divisions by 12 noon. The five-day tournament is being run by the second chance Surfing Australia format and guarantees all surfers at least two surfs.

Divisions; including Boys U/18 and U/16 advanced, Boys U/18 and U/16 intermediate, Boys U/14, Boys U/12, Girls U/18, Girls U/16 along with Girls U/14 will be surfed. The main contest site is Maroochydore beach, but the event does have the option of going mobile from Alexandra Headlands to Peregian Beach.

Previous reports:
# 1 : Brothers Neilsen Jr Surf Challenge hits Maroochydore
# 2 : Naomi Stevic rules roost on day 2 of Brothers Neilsen Jr
# 3 : Coming soon
# 4 : Coming soon  

www.brothersneilsen.com.au
www.surfingqueensland.com

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Jake White

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