Surfest Motorola Junior

ASP Australasia Grade 1 Men's Junior Event
ASP Australasia Grade 1 Women's Junior Event
Merewether Beach NSW
27 - 30 March 2008 

Wild Cards Dealt for Mark Richards Pro

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 28 March, 2008 : - - Drew McPherson outclassed his opponents in the Maitland Toyota Trials to secure a wild card entry into next week's Mark Richards Pro WQS event at Merewether Beach.  McPherson, who won the Pro Junior at Surfest in 2007, blasted his way through wind-affected small surf to take out the event.

20-year-old University student secured entry into the round of 96, just one surf away from the coveted money round of 64. In an all goofy-foot final, the Nords Wharf surfer said he had a bit of luck to oust good mates Craig Anderson, Rhys Smith, and Jackson Richards. "I picked up a little one at the start and got an air in and I guess that just helped the confidence," McPherson said.

That little one saw McPherson gain a lead he would not relinquish for the entire heat.  Organisers announced remaining wild cards to the MR Pro will go to 2000 world champion Sunny Garcia and fellow Hawaiian TJ Barron, 22. The 38-year-old Garcia is looking to use his Surfest appearance as a springboard back to the World Championship Tour (WCT).

"The last time Sunny surfed here his hopes of winning a second world title exploded with his knee collapse at Newcastle early on the Saturday morning of finals weekend," Surfest chief Warren Smith said. "I have a lot of respect for what Sunny has achieved as a surfer," he said. Barron, who has his sites set on the WCT for 2009, is currently sitting in 6th place in WQS rankings.

Barron could prove a legitimate threat at Merewether, having snatched the 2005 Brothers Neilsen Pro Junior from current world number three Jeremy Flores. Flores is the number one seed for the 4-star World Qualifying Series Mark Richards Pro, which gets underway at Merewether next Monday, March 31.

Earlier in the day at Merewether, the second round of the Motorola Pro Junior wrapped up with Merewether's Wes Bainbridge and Nords Wharf's Sam Lendrum progressing to join yesterday's local winners Jake Sylvester, Jesse Adam, Duncan McNichol and Craig Anderson.

All will surf in tomorrow's action. Nineteen-year-old Craig and his sister, 17-year-old Philippa Anderson, are both expected to perform well tomorrow. The number one sibling coupling in Australian junior ranks have both been standouts at their local break all summer and Philippa blitzed her opposition today with a powerful display of modern women's surfing.

Philippa will don the rash vest in tomorrow's round of 16 in the Motorola Pro Junior girl's event, while Craig will hit the water earlier in the morning in the round of 48. The day's top score of 17.30 went to 18-year-old Chris Salisbury from Newport, NSW. Tomorrow will see double banks in operation for cadet divisions.  The Motorola Pro Junior will commence with the round of 48 getting underway at 7.30am.

Previous reports:
# 1 : Phone giant presents Motorola Junior as part of Surfest
# 2 : Newcastle surfers battle for Mark Richards Pro wildcard
# 3 : Culburra surfer shows the Wright way at Motorola Pro Jr
# 4 : Coming soon  

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Steve Robertson

Junior Contests - Surfersvillage