Open, Masters Titles run in prime conditions

THE Mornington Peninsula produced ideal surfing conditions for two days of action at the Victorian Open Series and Victorian Masters Titles.

After a move away from usual location Gunnamatta Beach to Rye Surf Beach, more than 50 competitors were greeted with fun two- to four-feet waves at the weekend, laying the perfect foundations for some high performance surfing.

On Saturday, Sandy Point young gun Eva Bassed and Bittern’s Pedro Lani reigned supreme, taking out the Open Women’s and Open Men’s titles respectively in a fight for critical ratings points and a chance to surf in the Rip Curl Pro Trials in 2023.

Bassed looked like the one to beat from the outset in the Open Women’s field, showing off strong power and precision that stood tall on the steep walls of Rye Surf Beach.

The Sandy Point youngster posted a 7.50 early in the heat and followed it up with an even better 7.70 to give herself breathing room towards the end of the final.

“The conditions were amazing, definitely the best it gets for surf competitions,” Bassed said.

“The morning was glassy and even when the wind came up the bank was still epic.

“The whole comp was such a good vibe, and I had a couple of my friends out there as well, which was awesome.”

Finishing in second place was Sara Hickson (Rye), while third and fourth went to Sophie Fletcher (Cape Woolamai) and Angela Ball (Torquay) respectively.

Pitted against Round 1 series winner Willis Droomer (Jan Juc), previous junior state title winner Lucas Hickson (Rye) and Lewis Oates (Jan Juc) in the final, Lani played the spoiler to the in-form surfers, showing off his lethal backhand attack in front of his home crowd.

“I’m happy to get the win, especially with it being at home,” Lani said.

“We had really good conditions throughout the day and everyone was ripping.”

Hickson gallantly finished in second place, while Droomer and Oates came in third and fourth.

On Sunday, a swell increase blasted through Rye Surf Beach, bringing in peaky three-to-four feet waves for the Victorian Masters Titles.

Marcus Lens (Jan Juc) was rewarded for his commitment to the biggest waves of the day and was able to take home the Over 45 and Over 50 Men’s titles in smooth and silky style.

On the women’s side of the draw, incumbent Australian Over 60 Women’s champion Gayle Main was able to secure an incredibly long ride that earned her an 8.33 to take out the Masters Women’s title.

Other divisional winners to emerge from the Surf Coast, Geelong and Bellarine region included Tim Birnie (Over 35 Men), Adam Leslie (Over 40 Men) and Martin Rennhackkamp (Over 55 Men).

Scores from both events can be found at surfingvic.com/live