Nyxie Ryan on the crest of a wave that helped her to a heap of WSL qualifying points at Boomerang Beach.
Photo Surfing NSW / Shannon Hayes
Lennox Head duo Nyxie Ryan and Mikey McDonagh have taken the most significant victories of their careers, winning the 2023 Camplify Great Lakes Pro last week.
The contest was a World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) 3,000 event.
The pair faced bumpy 1–1.2 metre waves at Boomerang Beach.
The women’s final saw two of Australia’s most dominant up-and-comers in, Nyxie Ryan and Ellie Harrison, going head-to-head.
Both competitors posted mid-range scores early, which kept things tight in the 30-minute matchup, but in the end, it was Ryan who was able to back it up and take control. Harrison couldn’t find a wave that offered her scoring potential, leaving Ryan to defend her 2022 Boomerang title with a winning total of 12.66 (out of a possible 20).
‘This feels good — I’m super stoked,’ Ryan said. ‘It’s been a big couple of days, and to get the win, I had to surf four times today, so I’m exhausted, but I knew this would be the case, and it’s all worth it now.
‘It’s great for the two of us to represent our hometown of Lennox and hopefully make everyone proud’.
Mikey
Mikey McDonagh had a scare on the way to his win, after losing the lead then regaining it all in the final minute of competition. He came up against Sunshine Coast surfer, Taj Stokes, in the final and looked in control but Stokes was only looking for a mid-range score to take the lead.
With 45 seconds left, McDonagh let Stokes take a smaller wave, but Stokes did enough to take the lead, leaving McDonagh needing a 7.04. But with only four seconds on the clock he found a wave to earn the score and the win with a two-wave total of 13.34.
‘This is the best feeling in the world – I’m over the moon right now. That came right down to the wire there, so I’m so stoked to get the win,’ McDonagh said.
