Leila Hurst of Kaua‘i joined Caio Ibelli of Brazil to capture the Women’s and Men’s Association of Surfing Professionals World Junior Titles at the Billabong World Junior Championships in Burleigh Heads, Queensland, Australia, on Saturday. Hurst was one of three
Leila Hurst of Kaua‘i joined Caio Ibelli of Brazil to capture the Women’s and Men’s Association of Surfing Professionals World Junior Titles at the Billabong World Junior Championships in Burleigh Heads, Queensland, Australia, on Saturday.
Hurst was one of three surfers in the running for the ASP Women’s World Junior Title on Friday morning. She was the last one standing following front-runner Joanne Defray of France losing her quarterfinal fight to Kaua‘i’s Nage Melamed, states a news release from the Association of Surfing Professionals.
Kaua‘i’s Nathan Carvalho was narrowly edged out in the boys finals by Australia’s Wade Carmichael, 11.17 to 10.63.
Hurst claimed the title with a significant points lead over her closest rival, Philippa Anderson of Australia. Anderson dropped out of the running when she ended runner-up in the event to Alessa Quizon of Hawai‘i, the Australian needing the win in the final to claim the crown.
“I never want to be in that position again,” Hurst said in the release.
“Watching a final and having no control over if I won the ASP World Title, or if I lost. I was feeling so much pressure. I’m losing my mind right now, I never thought I had a chance to win this,” she said. “I’ve only just started to do well in contests again following a run of bad results, so I had low self-esteem coming into this event. It feels great to see what winning feels like again.”
Quizon passed the ASP World Junior Title to her fellow Hawaiian when she defeated the last contender in the final of the Billabong World Junior Championships.
Quizon had been a standout performer in all events, using her vertical backhand snaps to build up big scores in each round, including a 7.50 out of a possible 10 in the final to win the event over Anderson.
“I feel really happy,” Quizon said. “I’m so happy Leila won the ASP World Junior Title. A Hawaiian gets to take the title home, and I’m really stoked for her.”
Ibelli captured the men’s title in a surf-off to determine the champion after tying with Garrett Parkes of Australia.
During that surf-off, Ibelli started off with some minor scores while Parkes posted some scores in good range to give him an early lead.
Ibelli found a wave which linked up and unleashed some solid carves and a massive air-reverse to score an 8.67 out of a possible 10 to swing the momentum and take the lead.
But Parkes had a late opportunity to claim the ASP World Junior title, needing a 7.58 out of a possible 10. But he fell less than a point short despite landing a nice air-reverse at the end.
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