An Aussie Australia Day Assault

Words and Photos: Sean Radich

Video: Sam Norwood

What does Australia Day mean to you? For some it’s a day of quiet celebration to give thanks to this great country of ours, and some even take the big step to officially join our nation in a citizenship ceremony. For others it’s about BBQ’s and beers, and listening to Triple J’s Hottest 100. For some it’s a just a welcome day off work … for others it means getting hammered on the Burleigh Heads SLSC balcony and leering obnoxiously at any good looking young teenage girl who happens to walk along the boardwalk below.

But while Gold Coast’s finest embarrassed themselves with their frosty XXXX’s in hand, just a couple of hundred metres up the Burleigh Point for a handful of the World’s best under 21 surfers 2012’s Australia Day was all about pumping Burleigh surf and chocolate-tinted waves … and putting on a performance for the big appreciative crowd along the Point.

The epic storms that had battered South East Queensland miraculously eased up overnight, the winds dropped and the waves cleaned up – but not in colour, as they were still a rich, silt-tinted brown after all the river ways had flushed out into the ocean. An easterly swell was pushing through some solid 5+ foot outer set waves, which reformed into frothy little inside runners along The Rocky, allowing the big wave bombers, and small wave aerialists to show the best of their contrasting styles.

The most anticipated heat of the day was the all-Aussie “Jack-off” between 2011 World Junior Champion, Jack Freestone, and super-grom Jack Robinson. Everybody had been waiting for a couple of days to see how the 14 year old up and comer would fare against the junior veteran. But once the heat got underway, it was clear that Freestone would overpower the youngster with experience, versatility and power-carves, posting two 9.0’s for the events highest heat score so far.

Flying Freestone. Photo: Ted Grambeau.

“I was feeling a bit nervous going up against Jack, because I know what he’s capable of,” Freestone said after his trouncing. “It was fun to have a heat with him, I’ve been watching him since he was 10-years-old and I think he’s a great surfer. I was excited about the heat too, because there’s been a lot of talk in the last few days and I really wanted to get out there and try to beat him.”

And the Aussie celebrations didn’t stop with Freestone’s win. A few heats later Trials wildcard Wade Carmichael managed to eliminate the World Junior Rankings leader Ciao Ibelli, leaving the title door wide open for Garrett Parkes and Freestone. With Ibelli out of the contest, there are six surfers right now who could possibly win the 2012 World Junior Title depending on how the next days pan out.

But it didn’t all go Australia’s way on Australia’s 224th birthday. Burleigh Boardrider Thomas Woods couldn’t manage to use his local experience to muscle out Aeashi Kato, and early round ripper Matt Banting lost to Brazilian Ian Gouveia. A disappointed Matt Banting posted on Facebook this afternoon, “Fell down the rocks, broke my best board, lost my heat ... Yeaaah, Happy Australia Day to you too!!”

Jack Robbo tried valiantly with his much-loved aerial repertoire, but it wasn't enough against the 2011 World Junior Champ. Photo: Ted Grambeau.

However to restore some true Aussie pride, in the second last heat of the day Soli Bailey showed that his “surfing all day, every day” in Hawaii before Christmas was a good investment. Bailey beat Hawaii’s Keanu Asing at his own game, using the jet-ski assist to target the outside bomb waves and smashing powerful top turns to win the heat. And Dean Bowen must have been watching Soli closely, as in the final heat he employed a similar strategy to score a 9 and an 8 with his clean, carving style to progress through to Round 4.

The swell is expected to drop a little tomorrow, and hopefully the chocolate milk with disperse a little bit more. We’re getting down to the pointy end of the Championship now, so you’ll want to stay tuned to see who’s in the box seat to take the overall World Title over the next couple of days.

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.

The third strong contendor for the World Junior Title, Felipe Toloedo from Brazil has got an impressive aerial game...

...and he's got pretty darn solid turns to match.

Leader of the Autobots? Or just the Monster truck?

Now that Optimus Prime was open for business, one of the best spots on the Point to watch the action was from inside the Monster truck.

The view at the bar wasn't bad either.

Andrew "Droid" Doheny was trying to make the most of inside running choco-latte waves but lost out to Beyrick De Vries barnstorming the outside bomb sets.

This fiery red head must have thrown his mates into the cappuccino froth for making fun of his freckles.

It was good to see the kids proudly representin' ... and others wearing the regular Aussie flag.

BILLABONG WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS GOLD COAST ROUND 3 RESULTS:
HEAT 1: Mateia Hiquily (PYF) 9.67 def. Peterson Crisanto (BRA) 8.63
HEAT 2: Medi Veminardi (REU) 10.34 def. Chase Wilson (USA) 6.20
HEAT 3: Arashi Kato (JPN) 13.43 def. Thomas Woods (AUS) 9.30
HEAT 4: Jack Freestone (AUS) 18.00 def. Jack Robinson (AUS) 7.10
HEAT 5: Conner Coffin (USA) 14.70 def. Jake Halstead (USA) 12.44
HEAT 6: Ian Gouveia (BRA) 12.83 def. Matt Banting (AUS) 12.27
HEAT 7: Vasco Riberio (PRT) 10.70 def. Caue Wood (BRA) 7.90
HEAT 8: Wade Carmichael (AUS) 13.33 def. Caio Ibelli (BRA) 12.83
HEAT 9: Garrett Parkes (AUS) 13.60 def Tim Macdonald (AUS) 12.07
HEAT 10: Kaito Ohashi (JPN) 8.77 def. David Van Zyl (ZAF) 6.00
HEAT 11: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 17.20 def. Dylan Lightfoot (ZAF) 8.67
HEAT 12: Beyrick De Vries (ZAF) 14.00 def. Andrew Doheny (USA) 12.10
HEAT 13: Nathan Carvalho (HAW) 12.17 def. Marco Fernandez (BRA) 8.70
HEAT 14: Evan Thompson (USA) 10.43 def. Matt-Lewis Hewitt (NZL) 8.50
HEAT 15: Soli Bailey (AUS) 13.66 def. Keanu Asing (HAW) 12.57
HEAT 16: Dean Bowen (AUS) 17.43 def. Hiroto Arai (JPN) 7.36

UPCOMING BILLABONG WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS GOLD COAST ROUND 4 MATCH-UPS:
HEAT 1: Mateia Hiquily (PYF) vs. Medi Veminardi (REU)
HEAT 2: Arashi Kato (JPN) vs. Jack Freestone (AUS)
HEAT 3: Conner Coffin (USA) vs. Ian Gouveia (BRA)
HEAT 4: Vasco Riberio (PRT) vs. Wade Carmichael (AUS)
HEAT 5: Garrett Parkes (AUS) vs. Kaito Ohashi (JPN)
HEAT 6: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Beyrick De Vries (ZAF)
HEAT 7: Nathan Carvalho (HAW) vs. Evan Thompson (USA)
HEAT 8: Soli Bailey (AUS) vs. Dean Bowen (AUS)