Lennox Head surfer Stephanie Single took out the women’s Vahine Pro Junior in an epic final day showdown Saturday. The Vahine Pro Junior final was an all-Australian battle, natural versus goofy-footer, with both girls tearing apart the clean running walls at Papara river mouth. Coffey used her powerful backhand attack, while Single unleashed her gouging forehand snaps. In the end it was Single who edged out Coffey by less than one point on the last wave of the event. This is Single’s first ASP Australasia Pro Junior Series event win and sees her move to No 1 on the ratings.
‘I’m really happy right now,’ Single said. ‘I’ve never won one of these before and I was hoping this would be my first win! When I first got here the surf was small and I was worried because I’m not very good in small waves, but as the surf got bigger I feel like I’ve kept improving. This win is going to give me a big confidence boost as I go off and try to do some ASP World Tour 6-Star events later in the year.’
Frenchman William Aliotti won the men’s Tahiti Nui Pro Junior. The level of surfing went thorough the roof as the competitors tore apart the clean three foot (1.5 metre) surf at Papara today.
The second annual Tahiti Nui Pro Junior carries an ASP 3-Star rating for the men’s division and for the first time the event has added a women’s ASP 3-Star division, the Vahine Pro Junior. This event offers vital points and prize money towards qualifying for the ASP World Junior Championships.
The Tahiti Nui Pro Junior final Aliotti take on the hometown hero Enrique Ariitu (PYF). Aliotti has been the most consistent performer throughout the event and he got off to an early lead. Ariitu fought back hard, launching and landing some massive airs but his scores fell just short and Aliotti took the title.
‘This is my first ASP Pro Junior win, I’m really happy,’ Aliotti said. ‘To be in Tahiti for it makes the win event better. Everyday I was focused and I didn’t fall much. Two years ago I did really well on the ASP Europe Pro Junior Series and then last year I did really poorly so this win will give me confidence when I go home to compete’.
