Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Words: Sean Radich

Photos: Andrew Shield

Video: Sam Norwood

Dean Bowen is perhaps best known for his big wave charging, yet in the small Burleigh ramps he still managed to dominate on his backhand.

The day got under way with a stutter, as a lack of contestable waves forced a restart after the first ten minutes of heat one. But by the close of play, nine heats had been contested, and nine surfers were sent packing.

It didn't feel much like summer at Burleigh today Photo: Sean Radich

Brazil's big hope for the junior crown, Ciao Ibelli, kept his hopes alive with a strong win over Trials wildcard Eli Steele. The Brazilian World Junior Rankings leader took to the air, stomping a double-grab frontside air to score 7.83 and backing up with a solid 7.0.

Ciao Ibelli's frontside double-fisted punt. Photo: ASP/Kirstin.

But the big upset of the day belonged to another Von Zipper Trials wildcard entrant, Tim MacDonald, who dispensed with Billabong standout Ryan Callinan. Callinan had been recuperating from an ankle injury he received after ASL's Hot 100 trip in France, and just the other day in the warm-up for the World Juniors he tweaked his other ankle. Callinan even sat out the first round to try and give this new injury some time to recover, but he clearly struggled in his first competitive heat of the year, registering the lowest two-wave score of the contest so far.

Tim MacDonald beat Ryan Callinan, who was suffering from an ankle injury, and eliminated him from the contest.

With wave size dropping further and rain squalls battering the Point, the day’s competition was called off at around lunchtime. Some larger windswell is expected tomorrow and so organisers will make an assessment at 7.30am about continuing the contest.

The Billabong World Junior Championship Gold Coast will be held at Burleigh Heads from 21 to 19 January 2012. For more information and to see the Men's and Women's draws head to the website.

Frederico Morais might have spent too long enjoying the view of Gold Coast's skyline as he executed this layback waft. The Portugese junior was eliminated by Hawaiian Nathan Carvalho.

Tim MacDonald has seen the Goldy sights enough to not get distracted.

When the rain started to fall the best place to watch the action was under the shelter... Photo: Sean Radich

...Unless you had a spare surfboard lying around. Parko propped up on the Burleigh hill to watch his cousin Mitch Parkinson in action. Photo: Sean Radich

Mitch Parkinson came into the Billabong World Juniors thanks to a wildcard, and has an uncanny and effortless aerial ability, popping no-grab air reverses with ease. Photo: Sean Radich

But it was another Billabong junior powerhouse, Dean Bowen, who put an end to Mitch's run in the contest with strong backhand surfing like this.

Nathan Carvalho setting the fins free in his heat against Frederico Morais.

BILLABONG WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS GOLD COAST ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 14.83 def. Eli Steele (AUS) 8.17
Heat 2: Wade Carmichael (AUS) 12.83 def. Dale Staples (ZAF) 9.10
Heat 3: Tim Macdonald (AUS) 11.67 def. Ryan Callinan (AUS) 5.00
Heat 4: Nathan Carvalho (HAW) 16.07 def. Frederico Morais (PRT) 14.90
Heat 5: Dean Bowen (AUS) 15.00 def. Mitchell Parkinson (AUS) 10.60
Heat 6: Mateia Hiquily (PYF) 12.23 Creed McTaggart (AUS) 11.76
Heat 7: Kaito Ohashi (JPN) 16.14 def. William Aliotti (FRA) 9.07
Heat 8: Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) 16.43 def. Deivid Silva (BRA) 13.57
Heat 9: Caue Wood (BRA) 9.93 def. Kan Watanabe (JPN) 8.60
 
REMAINING BILLABONG WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS GOLD COAST ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 10: Kalani David (USA) vs. Dylan Lightfoot (ZAF)
Heat 11: David Van Zyl (ZAF) vs. Kaishu Tanaka (JPN)
Heat 12: Evan Thompson (USA) vs. Pierre-Valentin Labo (FRA)
Heat 13: Arashi Kato (JPN) vs. Michael February (ZAF)
Heat 14: Chase Wilson (USA) vs. Keala Naihe (HAW)
Heat 15: Dylan Kowalski (USA) vs. Andrew Doheny (USA)
Heat 16: Lucas Silveira (BRA) vs. Hiroto Arai (JPN