JACKSON BAKER AND HOLLY WAWN TAKE OUT 2018 VISSLA GREAT LAKES PRO PRES. BY D’BLANC.
QUARTERFINALISTS DECIDED AT VISSLA GREAT LAKES PRO PRES. BY D’BLANC.
BOOMERANG BEACH, GREAT LAKES
Saturday, 10 February 2018
The Vissla Great Lakes Pro pres. by D’Blanc QS1,000 event ran through a big day of action that saw top seeds and big names battle it out for a chance to feature on final’s day tomorrow. The wind swung around and blew in all directions today, but the competitors stepped up and put on a show with aerials, carves and ripping turns.
Meah Collins (USA) was the form surfer of the day on the women’s side of the draw. Collins consistently posted excellent scores, even netting an 8.00 for a one maneuver wave after executing one of the biggest turns of the event on a tricky section. She has advanced to the Quarterfinals where she will face Sarah Baum (ZAF) when competition resumes tomorrow.
Meah Collins - photo by Ethan Smith / Surfing NSW
“I knew today was a day where you needed the right waves, so I tried to use my priority wisely and it worked out,” Collins said. “I had a bad year last year and didn’t seem to make as many heats as I’d like to, so I’ve been working hard and I am glad that it’s working here. Hopefully, I can keep the roll going tomorrow and into the up and coming QS6,000 events at Newcastle and Manly.”
Californian Alyssa Spencer (USA) booked a spot in the Quarterfinals after an impressive Round Three heat win that saw Philippa Anderson (AUS) also advance in 2nd position. Spencer has been competing in Australia since early January and will be looking to secure her best QS result of the year by advancing through tomorrow’s Quarterfinals, to better her 5th place at the Carve Pro.
“I’ve been loving my time in Australia,” Spencer said. “We have had some great waves and I made some great friends too. It’s been busy, there have been so many events back-to-back, but I’ve seen so much and had so much fun. After Manly though I am really looking forward to spending some time at home.”
Alyssa Spencer - photo by Ethan Smith / Surfing NSW
Philippa Anderson - photo by Ethan Smith / Surfing NSW
Winner of last week’s Mothernest Tweed Coast Pro Jackson Baker (AUS) was on fire again at Boomerang Beach. Baker advanced into the Quarterfinals after taking first place in a stacked heat that featured Sheldon Simkus (AUS), Dean Bowen (AUS) and Hiroto Ohhara (JPN), with Simkus also advancing in 2nd position.
“In the past, after I’ve won or had a good result I’ve lost first heat at the next one, so it feels really good to be through to the Quarters,” Baker said. “I broke my favourite board this morning, it would have been perfect for out there this afternoon, but this backup board seemed to work - so I’m happy. I feeling confident heading into the Burton Automotive Pro at home in Newcastle which was the goal of competing in these QS1,000s. That heat was so stacked — I saw the lefts and was worried that Bowen and Hiroto would blow up, lucky for me I survived and can come back to compete again tomorrow.”
Former WSL Championship Tour Competitor Matt Banting (AUS) is looking like he has not taken a backward step, despite sitting out the best part of two years with back-to-back injuries. The Port Macquarie local launched and landed big aerials, executed precision snaps and carves to drop near-perfect scores and book a Quarterfinal berth against Sheldon Simkus.
“Yesterday before my heat I had butterflies and I was nervous, but today I didn’t so I’m just working on building back up my surfing and experience,” Banting said. “The 20-minute heats go so fast and all the guys surf so good, so I had to be on my game. Winning yesterday and then another heat win today feels incredible, it’s the best feeling. We’re so lucky to be able to travel the world and surf and compete and I’ve been working hard to get back to this level. I’m fitter than ever so now I just need to keep surfing and preparing to hopefully get back on the Championship Tour. If it happens this year, great, if not, I’ll be back and next year and the year after because I believe I still have what it takes.”
Matt Banting - photo by Ethan Smith / Surfing NSW
Another former CT surfer who lit up the line-up at Boomerang today was Davey Cathels (AUS). Cathels only lives a few hours down the coast at North Narrabeen and has spent plenty of time enjoying the waves at Boomerang in his surfing life. The competitive experience paid off today as he amassed one of the highest two-wave heat-totals of the event thus far 17.75 out of a possible 20.
“I’m happy with that heat! An 8.50 and a 9.25, I’ll take that!” Cathels said. “The wind puffed up and it made it better and all the guys were ripping. It’s crazy to see the level of surfing here, it feels like it is a QS6,000, which is why I’m here. It’s good to get some practice heats before the big events coming up.”
The finals will be broadcast live on the 10th and 11th at www.worldsurfleague.com and on the WSL App. Head here for more information, highlights and images.
TOP MALE SEEDS GO BALLISTIC AT THE 2018 VISSLA GREAT LAKES PRO. PRES. D'BLANC.
BOOMERANG BEACH, GREAT LAKES
Friday, 9 February 2018
The Vissla Great Lakes Pro pres. by D'Blanc shifted to North Boomerang Beach for day three of competition where competitors were greeted with exciting two-foot shorebreak peaks.
Recent Mothernest Tweed Coast Pro Champion Jackson Baker (Merewether, NSW) continued to build on his WSL Qualifying Series campaign, nailing a solid victory in his round three heat today. Baker performed an eclectic mix of snaps and aerials to post an excellent 16.50 two-wave heat total to post a spot in the fourth round.
Jackson Baker - photo by Ethan Smith/Surfing NSW
“I really want to back up the result at Cabarita with a good finish here,” said Baker. “I’ve spent quite a bit of time up here freesurfing and shooting photos and I really love the area. With any luck, we’ll see a little spike in swell tomorrow and Sunday for the finals.”
Former US Open of Surfing Champion Hiroto Ohhara (JPN) and former World Championship Tour surfer Matt Banting (Port Macquarie, NSW) engaged in one of the most exciting heats seen over the duration of the Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series so far. In what was the first heat of the year for both surfers, both Banting and Ohhara went toe-to-toe over the course of the heat with the lead pin-balling back-and-forth between both surfers. However, Ohhara was able to gain the upperhand thanks to posting an excellent 8.00 scoring wave in the final minutes of the heat to claim the victory. Both surfers will make their next appearance in the fourth round. The heat was Banting’s return to competition after a pelvic injury ruled him out of competition for the last 15 months.
“This is my first contest for 2018, so it feels good to start with two excellent scores,” said Ohhara. “I saw all the surfers freesurfing this morning and how well they all surfed and I knew it would be hard to get through. The waves are so fun here, so I’m stoked to win that heat.”
“My last heat was at Sunset in 2016, so it’s a big contrast in waves and conditions from today,” said Banting. “Even though I was injured it was good to have that time off to refresh my brain. I didn’t have my first surf back until October last year, so I had close to 10 months out of the water. This was pretty similar to the waves at home, with really punchy and dredgy little peaks on offer, so I’m excited to keep building on the momentum.”
Matt Banting - photo by Ethan Smith/Surfing NSW
Davey Cathels (Narrabeen, NSW) showed why he was a former World Championship Tour surfer, dominating the peaks on offer. Cathels executed a mix of giant turns to claim his heat with a decent 13.85 heat total.
“First heat of the year is always good to get out of the way,” said Cathels. “I’m really using this event to get a few heats under my belt before Manly and Newcastle and hopefully I can get a bit of a rhythm going. “
Following on from the same momentum that saw him post the highest heat total of the event yesterday, Shane Holmes (Shelly Beach, NSW) took his surfing to the same level when he notched up an 18.05 two-wave heat total to take out his third round heat. Holmes will go into the fourth day of competition having posted the two highest heat totals and two highest wave totals of the event so far.
“The waves are so fun out there,” said Holmes. “I haven’t really had the results I’ve wanted at Maroubra and Cabarita so I hope I can get to the pointy end of competition here at Boomerang Beach. My boards have been feeling great and I hope a good result will prepare me for the upcoming Australian Boardriders Battle next weekend.”
Shane Holmes - photo by Ethan Smith/Surfing NSW
Event dates and locations:
Event One: Carve Pro
Location: Maroubra Beach
Date: January 18th – 21st, 2018
Event Two: Mothernest Tweed Coast Pro
Location: Cabarita Beach
Date: January 31st – February 4th, 2018
Event Three: Vissla Great Lakes Pro pres. by D'Blanc
Location: Boomerang Beach
Date: February 7th – 11th, 2018
Event Four: Vissla Central Coast Pro pres. by Slimes
Location: Avoca Beach
Date: March 7th – 11th, 2018
The Vissla Great Lakes Pro pres. by D'Blanc will commence each day from 7:30 am with the call for the day's schedule and location confirmed via the event hotline at 6:45 am. The event hotline number is 0458 247 212 which will leave a voice recorded message each morning of the event.
The Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series was developed for Australian and international surfers to gain ranking points and prize money on the WSL Qualifying Series. The Series also creates a NSW coastal road trip for all to explore the variety of waves, visit local communities and enjoy NSW surfing culture.
More information on accommodation and the event series will be housed at nswprosurfseries.com
The 2018 NSW Pro Surf Series will be proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. The series will also be proudly supported by Vissla, Randwick City Council, Central Coast Council, Destination Tweed, Mid Coast Council and Tourism, NBN, Toyota, Coastalwatch, World Surf League and Surfing NSW.
BIG SCORES AND BIG TURNS CONTINUE ON DAY TWO OF THE VISSLA GREAT LAKES PRO PRES. BY D’BLANC.
BOOMERANG BEACH, GREAT LAKES
Thursday, 8 February 2018
Big turns and big scores were the order of the day at the Vissla Great Lakes Pro pres. by D'Blanc as competition mowed through its second day.
As a previous event champion - taking out the Vissla Great Lakes Pro back in 2016 - Holly Wawn (Newport, NSW) showed she still possessed the skills to post impressive heat wins, taking out her opening heat. Wawn found a handful of little left handers over the duration of the heat, to notch up a respectable 13.25 two-wave heat total and lock in a second round berth.
“It’s always a nice feeling to get the first heat out of the way,” said Wawn. “There were a few fun little rights out there and while they didn’t have an insane amount of power, they were still fun. I’m looking forward to the next round.”
Having been in Australia since the World Junior Championship in January, South African Ford Van Jaarsveldt, has taken a liking to the punchy east coast beach breaks. Van Jaarsveldt made a solid impression in the second round when he performed an array of frontside snaps, carves and aerials to post a decent 14.25 two-wave heat total and take the heat out.
Ford Van Jaarsveldt - photo by Ethan Smith/Surfing NSW
“I’m pretty stoked to get that win. I had a pretty tough loss when I was in the Carve Pro in Maroubra, so it felt good to turn it around,” said Van Jaarsveldt. “I've just been loving my time in Australia and how nice the water is. I live in Cape Town and the water is usually freezing, so it feels good to compete in the warmth and the fun waves.”
Fresh off a runner-up finish at the recent Mothernest Tweed Coast Pro, Luke Hynd (Gold Coast, Qld) carried the same confidence into the second round at Boomerang today. Hynd synced his backhand attack with the playful right-handers on offer to post a series of solid scores, which allowed him to take out the heat with a 14.40 heat total.
“You’re only as good as your last heat, so I knew I needed to get another heat win under my belt,” said Hynd. “My gameplan was to just catch two sets and make sure they counted and thankfully it worked. My boards feel great at the moment so it’s filled me with a bit of confidence. Hopefully I can keep the ball rolling.”
Luke Hynd - photo by Ethan Smith/Surfing NSW
Central Coast native and 2016 WSL Australasian Qualifying Series champion Shane Holmes made his intentions clear when he demolished his round two heat, posting a giant 18.35 two-wave heat total, the highest of the event so far. Holmes' score consisted of two excellent scoring waves (eight and above), including a near-perfect 9.60 for a combination of giant snaps and carves. Holmes will now meet Timothee Bisso (FRA), Kyuss King (Byron Bay, NSW) and Toy Tanaka (JPN) in the third round.
“That felt really good,” said Holmes. “I spent a solid chunk of 2017 injured so it’s a really nice feeling to get back into the rhythm of surfing heats again. The right-handers out there were actually really fun, so hopefully, they continue over the next day or so.”
EXCITING OPENING DAY FOR 2018 VISSLA GREAT LAKES PRO PRES. BY D’BLANC
BOOMERANG BEACH, GREAT LAKES
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
The Vissla Great Lakes Pro pres. by D'Blanc got off to a flying start today with the opening rounds of the men and women revelling in the punchy three-foot conditions at South Boomerang Beach.
Excited by the potential for decent sections, Mitch Crews (QLD/AUS) forgot to screw in his fins prior to the start of his Round One heat. Despite the fact his fins could have fallen out of his board at any minute, the former Championship Tour (CT) competitor executed a barrage of mammoth turns to post two excellent wave scores in excess of eight-points. This put his fellow competitors into a combination situation (needing two scores) leaving Crews out in front. Crews’ fins finally gave way in the dying moments of the heat, when he lost the middle fin on his final wave of the heat and it was revealed only one side fin was screwed in the whole time.
“I did a lot of the QS 1,000 rated events this year to have fun competing and to gain momentum for the 6,000 rated events that are coming up shortly,” said Crews. “I forgot to screw my fins in for that heat though, but thankfully they held until in place the final wave of the heat. It wasn’t until the final wave that I felt it fall out and my board, maybe I have a little luck on my side (laughs).”
Mitch Crews - photo by Ethan Smith/Surfing NSW
2017 Vissla Great Lakes Pro runner-up and top-seed Philippa Anderson (AUS/NSW) made her intentions clear when she attacked her round one heat. Anderson remained patient over the duration of the affair, locking in 6.50 wave score early and then opted to sit with priority for the next 15 minutes until she was able to muster up a modest 5.00 wave to gain the upper hand against her opposition.
“I think I may have sat off the peak a little bit over the middle of that heat,” said Anderson. “I just tried to remain calm over the course of the heat as the clock counted down. If you let your nerves get to you in those situations, then it can all fall apart. I’m just stoked to be here, it’s a lovely day and the waves are fun.”
Having spent the five weeks in Australia following the World Junior Championship, Alyssa Spencer (USA) used her knowledge of Australian beach-break conditions to her advantage to take a convincing win in her opening heat. Spencer nailed a chain of backside turns and snaps to post an impressive 13.85 two-wave heat total and cement her spot in the second round.
“It was really fun out there. It was tricky but if you found them, it was good, I did definitely get flogged on a few,” said Spencer. “This is my first time to Boomerang and the place is beautiful. I’m loving it here, the beach-breaks are really fun, so hopefully, I can keep getting through a few more heats.”
Event dates and locations:
Event One: Carve Pro
Location: Maroubra Beach
Date: January 18th – 21st, 2018
Event Two: Mothernest Tweed Coast Pro
Location: Cabarita Beach
Date: January 31st – February 4th, 2018
Event Three: Vissla Great Lakes Pro pres. by D'Blanc
Location: Boomerang Beach
Date: February 7th – 11th, 2018
Event Four: Vissla Central Coast Pro pres. by Slimes
Location: Avoca Beach
Date: March 7th – 11th, 2018
The Vissla Great Lakes Pro pres. by D'Blanc will commence each day from 7:30 am with the call for the day's schedule and location confirmed via the event hotline at 6:45 am. The event hotline number is 0458 247 212 which will leave a voice recorded message each morning of the event.
The Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series was developed for Australian and international surfers to gain ranking points and prize money on the WSL Qualifying Series. The Series also creates a NSW coastal road trip for all to explore the variety of waves, visit local communities and enjoy NSW surfing culture.
More information on accommodation and the event series will be housed at nswprosurfseries.com
The 2018 NSW Pro Surf Series will be proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. The series will also be proudly supported by Vissla, Randwick City Council, Central Coast Council, Destination Tweed, Mid Coast Council and Tourism, NBN, Toyota, Coastalwatch, World Surf League and Surfing NSW.
