Owen Wright (AUS/Lennox Head/NSW) wins the Oakley Pro Junior.

Australian surfing ace Owen Wright (Lennox Head, NSW) will get a crack at the world’s premier pro junior specialty event after taking out the ASP grade 5 Oakley Pro Junior in tricky 3-4ft beach break waves on North Stradbroke Island today.

Wright, 19, made certain he qualified for the prestigious Oakley Pro Junior Global Challenge, recording a two-wave combined total of 17.75 (out of a possible 20) to outgun Brazilian Jadson Andre in a see-sawing, man-on-man final at Main Beach, Point Lookout.

An excited Wright said he was stoked to gain selection.  

“I’ve seen the footage of last year’s challenge and it looked unreal,” said Wright, who netted $7000 and 3000 rating points for his win.

“It’s really sunk in that I’m going. That event is where it’s at. I just dug deep and did it.”

Wright, who won the opening event of the 2009 ASP Australasian Pro Junior Series at Burleigh Heads last month, pulled out some big moves across the final day of competition, disposing of Coolangatta’s Jack Freestone in the quarters, Ulladulla’s Sam Wrench in the semis before dispatching of Andre in the decider.

Owen Wright in the final.

“The win means a lot to me,” he said.

“I’ve got two wins under my belt now, so I can just relax into the next few events and just nail it.”

The lanky goofy foot rose to the challenge set by Andre, coming from behind to steal victory with a near perfect 9.5 in the final 10-minutes of the highly-anticipated clash.

Despite a last minute wave challenge by Andre, Wright held on for a narrow victory.

Final scores: Wright 17.75 def Andre 17.20

Wright said he was pleased to snare victory after a nervous start to the event.

“I was really nervous heading into this event,” he said.

“I think it showed with my opening heats as I didn’t have any big scores. After getting through to the quarters I thought I could win still. I just put my head down and really focused on qualifying.”

Main Beach yet again provided the ideal forum for the final day of competition, with the punchy left hand peaks offering the perfect background for finalists to flex their competition repertoires.

Jadson, who finished runner-up at the world juniors at Narrabeen in Sydney in early January, fell short in his quest for a win on Australian soil.

But it wasn’t all bad news for the Brazilian powerhouse having qualifying behind eventual winner Wright into the Oakley Global Challenge.

Finishing equal third today were the Australian duo of Sam Wrench (Ulludulla) and Davey Cathels (Narrabeen).

Cathel’s semi-final finish today represents his highest placed finish at an ASP Australasian rated event and he’ll be looking to feed off this result when action continues at the next chapter of the series at Coffs Harbour next week.

In semi final one, Wright yet again ended Wrench’s dream of a maiden Pro Junior win, netting a semi-winning total of 15.65 to book a spot in the final.

It was Wright who beat Wrench in the semis of the opening stop of the ASP Australasian Pro Junior Series last month, before going on to take the win.

Semi final two was a low-scoring affair, with Andre coming from behind to send Cathels packing from the prestigious tournament.

Finishing equal fifth today were Jack Freestone (Coolangatta), Dan Pryor (Tugun), Sam Lendrum and Miguel Pupo (Brazil). All four surfers collecting $1300 and 1830 rating points.  

Results:

Final: Owen Wright (17.75) def Jadson Andre (17.20)

Semi 1: Owen Wright (15.65) def Sam Wrench (14.75)

Semi 2: Jadson Andre (12.60) def Davey Cathels (10.25

The Gold Coast’s Shaun Gossmann executes a powerful layback move en route to winning.

Gold Coast, AUS – REIGNING state champion Shaun Gossmann (Burleigh Heads) claimed first blood in the race for the 2009 Queensland Championship Circuit (QCC) crown, taking out the season-opening Billabong Alley Classic on the Gold Coast today.

Gossmann, 26, proved his 2008 QCC crown was no fluke, making his mark on the Currumbin Alley line-up to collect $3,000 and a valuable 1000 rating points in the 3 star rated, $6,000 tournament.

“It feels good to come to this event and do well, especially after coming off such a high last year,” said Gossmann. 

“My result in last year’s event set me up for the 2008 crown, so hopefully I can repeat it this year.”

The former Durbanite, who won each of his three heats en route to the final, defied rising 2-3ft wind-affected, high tide waves to take line honours head of Byron Bay’s Ellis Ericson, Coolangatta’s Clancy Dawson and Alexandra Headland’s Blake Wilson.

Post final, Gossmann said he was thrilled to jag his maiden Alley crown after multiple finals appearances.

“It’s eluded me for like eight years,” he said.

“I’ve made four or five finals in the past, so to finally come off with a win is a huge relief. I’m over the moon.”

In tempo with the tricky conditions, Gossmann jagged a set wave before unleashing successive high-performance moves to net an 8.00 in the early stages of the 25-minute final.

Leaving nothing to chance, Gossmann backed it up with a 6.85 to put the result beyond doubt. Gossmann finishing on a two-wave combined total of a 14.85 (out of a possible 20) to Ericson’s 11.35. 

Dawson and Wilson finishing in third and fourth respectively. 

Final Scores: Gossmann (14.85), Ericson (11.35), Dawson (10.75) and Wilson (8.75).

Apart from winning the Alley title, Gossmann joined a prestigious list of past winners including World tour stars Joel Parkinson (Coolangatta), Luke Munro (Currumbin) and Adriano De Souza (Brazi).

Adding to the event’s already high stakes was the Tooheys Extra Dry ‘Wave of the Weekend’. Despite finishing in third, Dawson was awarded four cartons of the clean crisp taste of Tooheys Extra Dry for netting the event’s highest individual wave score, an impressive 9.60 (out of a possible 10). 

The next stop on the 2009 Queensland Championship Circuit (QCC) will be the Rip Curl MP Classic, starting on Jan 31, 2009. 

The Billabong Alley Classic is the first stop of the 2009 Queensland Championship Circuit (QCC), a four event – $16,000 series, that continues to set the benchmark for surfers aspiring towards a professional surfing career. 

Check out all the action on www.surfingqueensland.com

Shaun gets da goods.

Marcus Beach surfer Izak Clifford throws some spray en route to winning the U/15 boys. Photo: Jake White/Surfing Queensland.

Currumundi, QLD: WHILE the unstable surf conditions continued on the Sunshine Coast today, Queensland’s next generation of surf stars did their best to impress in the wild seas.

More than 70 grommets from across the southeast region battled it for silverware on finals day at the Wahu Surfer Grom Comp, which was held at Anne Street Currumundi for the second day in a row. 

In testing 1.5-metre beach breaks, the day’s finalists rode the waves to success, running riot with an energetic attack of grommet-style surfing.             

The Sunshine Coast region dominated the overall medal count, winning five of the seven divisions contested. 

Emerging sensation Izak Clifford (Marcus Beach) proved he’s a star of the future, trumping Jake Vincent (Coolum), Luke Hynd (GC) and Will Morrison (Currumbin) to win the blue ribbon U/15 boys’ division. 

Clifford, 13, was a standout in the tricky, but contestable shore break thumpers, dominating the final to finish in front of Vincent by 5-points.

In a high-scoring final, Clifford made the most of an early wave score (7.60) to dominate proceedings. 

Despite a late charge by Vincent and Hynd, Clifford held on for his maiden junior victory.

Post final, Clifford said he was stoked to win. 

“I’ve had a lot of minor placing in junior events, so I’m glad to take my first win,” he said. 

The stylish natural foot finishing on a two-wave combined total of 15.27 (out of a possible 20) to Vincent’s 10.27, with Hynd and Morrison finishing in third and fourth respectively.

The surfing action continued to soar in the U/13 boy’s division with Wurtulla’s Kai Hing shredding Anne Street to pieces to snatch victory from Jake Morrsion (Currumbin), Ryan Froeman (SC) and Charly Termeau (France). 

In the U/15 girls, Maroochydore’s Charlie Roach surfed away with the winner’s trophy, unleashing a smooth assault of forehand manoeuvres to defeat Naomi McCarthy (Palm Beach), Renee Heazlewood (Moffat Beach), Sophie Starrett (Maroochydore) and Sarah Gibson (SC). 

Moffat Beach gidget Laura Poncini continued her good form, beating Lucy Callister (Noosaville), Laura Eden (SC), Saige Endersby (Peregian Beach) and Alyssa Lock (Tweed Heads) en route to bagging the U/13 girl’s crown.

Sunshine Coast lad Reef Heazlewood (Moffat Beach) put his local knowledge to good use, stitching up Dextar Muskens (Coolangatta), Sandon Whittaker (SC) and Connor Lyons (SC) to bag the U/11 boys’ title, while Alyssa Lock (Tweed Heads) was triumphant in the corresponding girl’s division. 

In the clash of the super-grams, Jordan Johnston (Kirra) dusted 3-year-old Jett Morrison (Currumbin) to be crowned king of the kids in the parent-assisted U/9 boys and girls’ division. 

The fun and games continued in the U/10 Bodyboard Expression Session with a 20-strong field of youngsters swapping their regular surfboards for bodyboards. 

Divisions included: Under 15 boys, Under 15 Girls, Under 13 Boys, Under 13 Girls, Under 11 Boys, Under 11 Girls and Under 9 Boys and Girls (parent assist).