Ellie Harrison pipped at post at junior WSL event

BARWON HEADS’ Ellie Harrison was beaten at the last minute in the women’s final of the Hydralyte Sports Surf Series QLD Pro Junior on January 19.

Sage Goldsbury won the women’s division in pumping waves at Duranbah beach, defeating Harrison, Raya Campbell (Coolangatta) and Lily MacDonald (Freshwater) respectively in an exciting comeback.

Harrison and Campbell were going back to back and stealing the lead from each other for most of the heat, leaving Macdonald and Goldsbury in a difficult position. With only one minute on the clock and requiring a high score, Goldsbury took off on a left-hander performing three powerful turns in the critical sections of the bigger wave – finishing with a creative turn to score a 9.35 (out of a possible 10.00). That wave combined with her 6.25 was enough to give her the win. She dropped her surfboard to the ground in happiness as she heard her score and the final hooter sounded.

“I can’t believe I just won the first Pro Junior comp of the year,” Goldsbury said. “I’ve been working pretty hard behind the scenes lately so I’m pretty stoked. I didn’t have a great start to the final – I managed to get a six and I knew I needed something big. Luckily, a wave came and gave me a last-minute opportunity to do something, so I decided to go nuts – and ended up getting the score and I was so stoked.”

George Pittar (North Manly) won the men’s division of the event, defeating Joel Vaughan (Bateau Bay), Lennox Chell (Avoca) and Marlon Harrison (Coolangatta) respectively in the final. Pittar put together an 8.6 and a 7.75 for a combined heat total of 16.35 to take the win over his fellow competitors.

“I had a shocker last year, so I didn’t come into this event with too much confidence,” Pittar said. “But I’ve been training and I’ve got my boards right so I’m ecstatic. I’m so excited that I’m shaking! It was a tough heat out there for sure – there was a lot of water moving and it was hard to know where everyone was. I was lucky enough to snag a couple and get the scores.”

The series will now head to Narrabeen in April, followed by Bells Beach in September.