Australian surfer Owen Wright (Lennox Head, NSW) has began the 2009 ASP Australasian Pro Junior Series in perfect style, taking out the season-opening ASP Grade-4 Hurley Burleigh Pro Junior in tricky two-to-three foot (0.5-0.8 metre) pointbreak waves on the Gold Coast today.
On a day when Australians celebrate our great country, Wright made certain an Aussie lifted the prestigious junior crown, recording a two-wave combined total of 18.50 (out of a possible 20) to outclass Brazilian Miguel Pupo in an exciting, man-on-man final.
A thrilled Wright said winning his first Burleigh crown was made extra special by the Australia Day festivities.
“I dug deep and did Australia proud,” Wright said. “My friends and family were all on the hill supporting me, so I felt like I was due for a win. I think I did myself proud as well.”
Burleigh Heads yet again provided the ideal forum for the final day of competition, with a mass of people lining the point as the world’s hottest 20-years-and-under surfers went head-to-head in search of junior series glory.
Wright, 19, lived up to his reputation as one of the brightest young surfing prospects in the world, blasting past defending event champion and No. 2 seed Tamaroa McComb (Central Coast, NSW) in the Quarterfinals, Alejo Muniz (Brazil) in the Semifinals before dispatching of Pupo in the championship Final.
The lanky goofy-footer, who has only recently relocated from Culburra on the New South Wales South Coast to the righthand pointbreak of Lennox Head, proved unstoppable in the extended 30-miunte Final, flexing his superior competitive repertoire to set up victory with a pair of 9.25’s.
Despite Pupo hitting back with an 8.90 late in the exchange, Wright held on for a decisive victory.
Wright said he was pleased to snare victory from the international contingent after his disappointing ASP World Junior Championships campaign earlier this month in Narrabeen.
“I’m stoked to bag a win after getting knocked out by an international surfer at the World Juniors,” Wright said. “They’ve really been serving it up to us over the last few events, so to get one over them is awesome. I guess I just peaked at the right time.”
Finishing equal 3rd today was Australian Sam Wrench (Ulludulla) and Brazilian Alejo Muniz. Wrench’s Semifinal finish today represents his highest-placed finish at an ASP Australasian rated event and he will be looking to feed off this result when action continues at the next chapter of the series on North Stradbroke Island next week.
In Semifinal 1, Pupo ended Wrench’s dream of a maiden ASP Pro Junior win, netting a Semi-winning total of 13.60 to book a spot in the Final.
Semifinal 2 was a one-sided affair, with Wright leading from start to finish to send Muniz packing from the prestigious tournament.
Not so lucky were Brent Savage (Casuarina), Chris Friend (Twin Waters), Dean Bowen (Gerroa) and Tamaroa McComb (Central Coast), who all finished in equal 5th.
The next stop on the 2009 ASP Australasian Junior Series will be the Oakley Pro Junior which begins on February 3rd.
HURLEY BURLEIGH PRO JUNIOR RESULTS: ASP Grade-4 Pro JuniorFINAL:
1 - Owen Wright (AUS) 18.50
2 - Miguel Pupo (BRA) 14.90
SEMIFINAL RESULTS: 4 surfers remaining (1st and 2nd remaining)
SF 1: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 13.60 def. Sam Wrench (AUS) 11.35
SF 2: Owen Wright (AUS) 17.00 def. Alejo Muniz 9.25
QUARTERFINAL RESULTS: 8 surfers remaining (1st and 2nd remaining)
QF 1: Sam Wrench (AUS) 10.00 def. Brent Savage (AUS) 7.00
QF 2: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 13.50 def. Chris Friend (AUS) 10.10
QF 3: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 14.25 def. Dean Bowen (AUS) 8.50
QF 4: Owen Wright (AUS) 16.00 def. Tamaroa McComb (PYF) 13.75