Stuart Kennedy dominates day two of Pro Junior
September 30, 2009
A return to form from past champion Stuart Kennedy headlined day two of the Billabong Pro Junior Bells Beach on the blustery Victorian Surf Coast today.
With a change of location to Jan Juc, due to a dissipating swell and strong off-shore winds, the best junior surfers in Australasia were out to cement spots in the prestigious Billabong ASP World Junior Championships.
2008 ASP Australasian Pro Junior champion Stuart Kennedy (Lennox Head, NSW) was a man on a mission this morning, posting the highest single wave and total heat score with an 8.25 (out of a possible 10) and 15.25 (out of a possible 20) respectively.
“It was really testing conditions today,” Kennedy admitted.
Granted two of the biggest and best waves of the day, Kennedy took his opportunity with both hands, highlighting to all his amazing talent.
“I was lucky with the waves I was gifted today. It was definitely about luck out there,” he said.
“I knew I had to make the most of the opportunity that presented itself.”
Having been the hottest property in the junior surfing sphere in 2008, Kennedy has struggled to adjust to life on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS), but is back for the final event of his Pro Junior career.
“Last year the fire inside burnt so intensely and I wanted it so bad, but this year has been a learning curve on the WQS,” he said.
“I have had a lot of time to focus and work on my surfing, but it has been hard work.
“This is my last event, so I want to go out with a win, or at least a good performance to carry me into next year.”
Another competitor bowing out of the ASP Australasian Pro Junior Series after this event is Josh Johnson-Baxter (Ocean Grove, VIC) who joined Kennedy in the winner’s list today at Jan Juc.
With Owen Wright (Lennox Head, NSW) holding the only guaranteed spot at the ASP Billabong World Junior Championships, the race for the final four spots is coming down to the wire.
Seeing top-rated seeds Dean Bowen (Gerroa, NSW), Garrett Parkes (Byron Bay, NSW), Christopher Friend (Alexandra Headland, QLD) and Noah Lane (Rainbow Beach, QLD) all securing a place in the round of 32 today, tension is mounting amongst the top ten as the competition flies into the business end.
PICTURE: Stuart Kennedy (courtesy of Surfing Australia).
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