Australian teenager Wade Carmichael barreled his way to his biggest career victory by taking out a close and high-scoring final at the ASP Billabong Pro Junior Asia in excellent 1.5-meter surf at Keramas Beach on Sunday.
The 17-year-old Australian rising-star from Avoca Beach on New South Wales's Central Coast displayed nerves of steel in his come-from-behind win after James Woods of Australia opened the final with an outstanding 9-point ride.
"I was really concerned when Woods scored that 9-point ride early on, but I told myself to relax and concentrate on getting a great wave because there were lots of excellent waves," Carmichael said.
"I'd scored big prior to the final and realized I simply had to score a big one again" he added.
"When that large set approached mid-way through I knew the time had come to get the score - it lined up perfectly and I just rode the barrel hoping it would stay open and let me out, which it did and straight away I felt I'd taken the lead."
Carmichael scored an excellent 8.75 for the ride and combined with his earlier ride of 7.75 took the lead and left Woods chasing an achievable 7.5, which he was unable to find in the final 10 minutes.
For both surfers, this was their first-ever final and best-ever results in ASP Pro Junior surfing with Carmichael taking US$7,000 in prize-money and Woods pocketing $3,000.
"I was disappointed not to win, especially after that opening 9-point ride but I'm really pleased to have made the final of such an amazing event" said Woods.
"The waves have been great all week and today's finals were super high standard - second is a great result and the prize-money comes in handy."
In the semifinals James Woods stole a last-wave win over his younger brother Thomas Woods while Carmichael outclassed Blake Ainsworth by again riding deep barrels to advance.
This was the first-ever duel in ASP Australasia/Japan-sanctioned event which attracted surfers from Australia, Japan, Indonesia, New Zealand and the Philippine along with a few from South Africa, Brazil, Jamaica, Sudan and Hawaii.
| 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|