Noah Lane : photo Steve Robertson/SurfingAustralia.xom

Billabong Pro Junior

ASP Pro Junior boys
ASP Pro Junior girls
Port Stephens, NSW, Australia
4 - 7 September 2008

Live Coverage  |  Results/Photos/Videos etc

Australia’s top Pro Junior Surfers charging massive seas at the Billabong Pro Junior

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 6 September, 2008 : - - On a day when all surrounding beaches on the mid north coast of NSW were closed, with raging 50 knot southerly winds and sets in the 8ft (3m) plus range, the Billabong Pro Junior defied nature running rounds three and four at One Mile Point Port Stephens.

Dangerous and challenging, but in amongst the wild seas there were plenty of excellent waves for Australia’s top Pro Junior Men (20 years and under) surfers to display their ocean mastery.

Bondi surfer Perth Standlick lead the charge today, not only winning his heat with the highest heat tally of 17.2 out of a possible 20 which included the days top scoring ride of a 9.25,  Standlick also knocked out the events number one seed Stuart Kennedy (Lennox Head).

Satisfied with his performance Standlick commented on the conditions saying “I like this sort of surf and it was exactly like big Bondi on a storm swell – I always surf when we get storm swell conditions as it’s the only time you can really surf big waves with no one in the water – I do it all the time and I was really comfortable out there – I’m more than happy for the waves to just keep pounding through!”

Heath Joske (Valla Beach/ Nth Coast NSW)  was another to excel in the conditions winning through to round four - “I guess it’s dangerous but really we’re all used to dealing with big surf and storm swells – The really big sets are right out to sea and basically if you can make it out that far you really know what you’re doing so it’s all fine – if we break a leg rope we’d know how to use the surf to get washed in – there’s a jet ski on hand as well if there were any major problems but really, there’s good waves and we’re here to surf” said Joske after his heat.

Saturdays action : photo courtesy ASPAustralia

Other standouts included Sam Patterson (Central Coast), Owen Wright (Sth Coast NSW), Tamaroa McComb (Tahiti), Jesse Adam (Newcastle) and Noah Lane (Rainbow Beach/Sunshine Coast Qld)

The other high seed to fall today was Coff’s Harbour surfer Jayke Sharpe who struggled  to find a decent scoring ride and was knocked out by David Vlug (Nth Narrabeen) and South Australia’s Teale Vanner who both reveled in the conditions.

Today’s conditions were so wild that contest director Peter Hunt claimed it as the most extreme surf he’d ever seen for a surf  event in NSW.

“It’s tough for everyone with the torrential rain and wind squalls well above 50 knots but the surfers have handled themselves superbly and the high scores throughout the day vindicate our decision to run on a day that would have been way easier to call off!” said a rain drenched Hunt on the beach today.

“It’s been three straight days of extreme weather here and we’re hoping the finals day tomorrow delivers fine weather and great surf – that’s how it’s looking and we expect to finish off on a real high here at One Mile Point”  said the ever optimistic Hunt.

Tomorrow’s finals day will include finals of both the Pro Junior Men’s and Women’s divisions and while the swells will probably abate slightly, excellent waves and winds are very likely.

The Billabong Pro Junior Series welcomes Virgin Blue as Billabong’s official airline partner and also acknowledges tremendous support from Panasonic, VZ, Kustom, Port Stephens Council, Samurai Beach Resort and Surfing NSW.

www.billabong.com
www.aspaustralasia.com

Previous reports:
# 1 : Raging winds for Billabong Pro Junior in Port Stephens..
# 2 : Extreme surf conditions test the best Pro Aussie Juniors
# 3 : Coming soon
# 4 : Coming soon  

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Steve Robertson / ASP Australia

Junior Contests - Surfersvillage