Surf Coast juniors win
BELLS Beach surfer Rikki Bell-Warren and Jan Juc’s India Robinson claimed their respective state titles at the second event of the Victorian Junior Series at Gunnamatta over the weekend.
The event saw juniors from the Surf Coast and Bellarine Peninsula dominate the event, securing a win in each of the six divisions as well as taking out four second and four third placings.
As Bell-Warren took out the under-18 girls and Robinson the under-16 girls, they locked in unbeatable leads in their state title races with only one event remaining.
Bell-Warren’s experience outscored her opponents, with a two-wave total of 14.83 (out of a possible 20), with Jan Juc’s Ella Sweeney (7.87) in second and Izzi Rudland (6.57) third, and Phillip Island’s Bonnie Mullins in fourth.
In the under-16 girls final, Robinson was victorious with a two wave total of 15.37 over local Sophie Fletcher’s 14.83.
“It feels really good to have won today and nailed the state title. Now I’ve won it no one can take it from me,” an elated Robinson said.
“I got second overall last year and now I can focus on improving my surfing for the Australian titles at North Stradbroke Island later in the year.”
Robinson said she was going to work on her aerial manoeuvres.
“Adam Robertson, my coach, is getting me doing some trampoline work,” she said.
The under-18 boys division saw Barwon Heads’ Henry Hutchins two-wave total of 15.83 defeat Jan Juc’s Micky Robinson (10.87) and Point Lonsdale’s Max Lazarus (9.27).
In the under-16 boys, Barwon Heads surfer Billy Harrison defeated the series’ round 1 winner, Tane Bowden, in a high-scoring affair, beating his 9.7 with two excellent eight-point rides.
Placing third was the 2014 under-16 state champion, Jan Juc’s Tully Wylie.
Jan Juc’s Cole Fox claimed his maiden Victorian Junior Series event, winning the under-14 boys division.
Fox used tight and critical backside snaps on the outside section of the waves to defeat current under-14 ratings leader Phillip Island’s Codie Jeffery and 2014 Victorian under-14 state champion Jan Juc’s Xavier Huxtable.
Fox’s win means the race for the 2015 Victorian title goes down to the wire with Huxtable, Jeffery and Fox all in with a chance.
Meanwhile, 9-year old Barwon Heads surfer Ellie Harrison was a shock winner of the under-14 girls division
She defeated a strong field including the round 1 winner, Jan Juc’s Bella Wilson, Phillip Island’s Sage Goldsbury and Torquay’s Angelique Kefalas.
The final event of the series is scheduled for the weekend of May 9-10 at Jan Juc.