RATING ALL THE PROS

WHO RULES IN BURLEIGH?:

DEFENDING Burleigh Pro champion Oney Anwar is back again to defend his title this week over the Australia Day weekend.

The Indonesian surfing professional from Lakey Peak, Sumbawa, is no stranger to the Gold Coast and Burleigh Point.

The former Palm Beach Currumbin High School student was sponsored by the Palm Beach McDougal family and spent his formative teen years on the Gold Coast.

Rated 80th on last year’s World Qualifying Series, Oney is keen to get off to a good start in 2018 at Burleigh Point and Queensland’s first World Qualifying event of the year kicking off tomorrow with men’s and women’s finals on Sunday.

“To prepare myself for this event, I travelled back to my home island (Sumbawa) and surfed Lakey Peak, one of the best waves around the world,” he said.

“I try to work out in the gym but am still recovering from a toe injury last year.”

Anwar was only seven when he learned to surf at Lakey Peak.

The McDougal family noticed how talented he was at such an early age and together with his sponsors Rip Curl helped sponsor him to the Gold Coast where he enrolled into PBC, the same school as his hero Mick Fanning.

“There’s no comparison in Sumbawa compared to what school is like here. For example, PBC has a surfing sport excellent training program,” he said.

Oney joined the Palm Beach Boardriders who took him in as one of their own. He said he liked surfing Palmy because “there’s not many people hassling for waves.”

But despite the crowds at Snapper’s Superbank, he says Snapper Rock’s is his favourite wave in Australia.

“Gold Coast is like my second home. I always feel very welcome and supported here,” he said.

“It’s the place where I basically grew up half of my life. I went to school here and got plenty of good advices from surf legends.”

Like every other kid competing on the World Qualifying Series, Oney’s dream is to make the World Tour.

“That’s my goal for this year,” said the 25-year-old, who has what it takes.

He has a fast solid rail game, can perform spectacular aerial moves and he surfs to enjoy.

No doubt he would love to make history as the first Indonesian pro to qualify for the World Tour.