Lock building on belief
Perfect ride helps set up Pro Junior title triumph
TWEED surfer Alyssa Lock has taken a significant step towards qualifying for Australia’s team for the world junior championships by winning the nib Pro Junior at Newcastle.
Lock was the standout women’s surfer of the event, positing a perfect 10-point ride on the opening day of the competition on Saturday.
The Snapper Rocks club member continued her form yesterday, winning the final with a two-wave score of 14.40, to beat NSW Central Coast competitors Molly Pucklum (12.40) and Kirra-Belle Olsson (11.10) and Anna Dos Santos from Dee Why (9.30).
With a strong southerly hitting Newcastle yesterday, Lock mastered sloppy 1m conditions to take out her second Pro Junior event.
“It’s not my biggest win but it’s definitely a confidence booster as my second Pro Junior win,” Lock said.
“I finished school last year and can concentrate on my surfing goals in 2018 and I’m really looking forward to competing.”
Lock is juggling events on the World Surf League’s Junior tour with senior Qualifying Series events, where she hopes to gain enough experience to push towards her ultimate goal of a spot on the Championship Tour.
Evans Head’s Callum Robson won the men’s event to chalk up the biggest win of his career.
The 17-year-old notched a two-wave total of 13.10 to sneak past Jackson Roberts (12.55) of the Central Coast, New Zealand’s Te Kehukehu Butler (11.25) and Snapper Rocks club member Kai Tandler (9.90).
Tandler’s Snapper clubmate Dextar Muskens, who, like Lock, notched a perfect 10 on the opening day, was knocked out in the semi-finals.
Robson said the win was a great boost for his confidence ahead of the next Junior Qualifying Series event, the Sydney Pro Junior at Manly in a fortnight.