Surf Dive N Ski Australian Junior Surfing Titles
Surfing Queensland
North Stradbroke Island, Queensland
28 - 29 November 2015
Zahli Kelly, Kai Warner, Sophie McCulloch, Macy Callaghan big winners
Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 5 December, 2015 - North Stradbroke Island - Six individual champions and seven school sport Australia teams champions were crowned on the final day of competition at the Surf Dive ‘n Ski Australian Junior Surfing Titles in amazing waves at Cylinder Beach.
Kai Warner started proceedings with a massive 9.75 single wave score after pulling into a classic cylinder tube and riding it for what seemed an eternity, the wave setting up victory in the blue ribbon under 18 boys final with a heat total of 15.50 to better Quinn Bruce (11.75), Harley Ross-Webster (8.60) and Zac Whightman (8.35).
In the under 18 girls final, Sophie McCulloch’s rail game and wave selection was too strong for Mia McCarthy (10.90), Vittoria Farmer (9.00) and Marnie Durant (4.75).
In a memorable moment for Australian junior surfing, Kyuss King scored a perfect 10.00 point ride after dropping into an incredibly perfect set wave and riding not one, but two deep tubes before finishing off with a nice top turn. King (18.75) beat Mikey McDonagh (12.50), Joel Paxton (9.20) and Billy Harrison (9.65) on his way to being crowned under 16 boys Australian Champion.
Macy Callaghan(17.50) racked up more than half a dozen turns on one leg burning wave to set herself up for victory over Pacha Light(11.50), India Robinson(10.90) and Bodhi Leigh-Jones(4.50) in the under 16 girls final, bagging herself a national title in the process.
Fittingly the best surfer throughout the competition in the under 14 boys division scraped home to victory in the final. Xavier Huxtable (14.75) took the title over George Pittar (13.55), Finn Cox (8.10) and Ry Dempsey (2.60) with a combination of powerful and stylish major manoeuvres beyond his years.
The same could be said for Zahli Kelly (15.50) who won the under 14 girls title over Sophia Fulton (11.25), Cedar Leigh-Jones (7.25) and Bella Wilson (6.75).
Six states were represented at the titles across Under 14, 16 and 18 age groups in both boys and girls divisions at the event that is considered the benchmark of junior surfing in the country. The Australian School Surfing Association Titles will be part of the event again in 2015.
The 2015 Surf Dive N Ski Australian Junior Surfing Titles will determine the selection of all positions on the Australian Junior Surf Team for the 2016 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in the Azores islands of Portugal.The competition will be held at Praia do Monte Verde, Ribeira Grande, São Miguel Island from September 17-24.
In addition to the prestigious title of Australian Champion, winners of the under 16 boys’ and girls’ individual age divisions receive a wildcard entry into the seven Subway Pro Junior events sanctioned by the World Surf League (WSL).
With past winners including World Champions Steph Gilmore, Chelsea Hedges, Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, Mark Richards, Tom Carroll and Damian Hardman, a win in this year’s event is a legitimate stepping stone to world stage glory.
The 2015 Surf Dive ‘n Ski Australian Junior Surfing Titles was proudly supported by naming rights sponsor Surf Dive ‘n Ski, Redlands City Council, Stradbroke Island Holidays, Stradbroke Ferries, School Sport Australia, Nikon, Subway, Surfing Australia, Surfing Queensland and the Australian Institute of Sport.
