Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship finalists get their place in the NAB Beachley Classic trials

Sally Fitzgibbons and Laura Enver from Australia, Sage Erickson from the USA and Page Hareb from New Zealand, were invited to compete in the most important WCT event of the season after making the final of the last Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships –WJSC-.

The NAB Beachley Classic, took place in Manly Beach, Sydney, from October the 9th until the 14th, delivering USD $100,000 in cash prizes, is the most important event of the Women´s WCT.

The four ISA finalists competed against eight others in the trials for a single spot in the main event. And after making it through four heats, the trial’s grand final presented Gold Medal Winner in the WJSC, Sally Fitzgibbons facing Bronze Medal winner, Sage Erickson.

After scoring 15.5 points out of possible 20, it was Fitzgibbons who made it to the Main Event, winning the trials and ensuring herself a couple thousand dollars for her bank account.

“I’m super stoked,” Fitzgibbons said after her win. “I just went out there to surf my own heat and get a few waves and I kept getting through heats and made it into the final.”

And that was just the beginning. The following day, the young ISA World Junior Champion, against all odds, won her first round heat against the seven time World Champion Layne Beachley, who placed second, and then elite surfer Claire Bevilacqua. Sally posted a convincing win and went straight to the third round, scoring 15.65, while Beachley scored 11.00 points and Bevilacqua 10.15.

“I am just over the moon!” Fitzgibbons said after her win which also included the day’s highest individual wave score, an 8.50 (out of 10.00). “I went out there and got those couple of rides I needed, I didn’t expect to get that far ahead. I’m just super happy.”

According to the event press release of that day, “Surfing through five rounds of competition during the Oakley Wildcard Trials on Monday, Fitzgibbons went on to reveal her true talent against the world’s best during Round 1, advancing seamlessly into Round 3.”

“Surfing the trials helped me to familiarize myself with the banks at Manly,” Fitzgibbons said. “Even though the conditions were totally different out there today, it was still similar and I was just lucky to get the waves I needed.”

Sally´s ride ended in the third round. Layne Beachley took revenge of her loss on the first round and beat Fitzgibbons by less than two points, 13.15 vs. 11.35. She went back home with the great experience of winning against the world’s best surfers and USD $3,500. Not bad for a 16 year old girl. 

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