Gold Coast Queensland, Friday, January 28, 2011: WITH a junior surfing world record USD$25,000 first place prize on the line, Burleigh Heads local Thomas Woods spearheaded an Australian fight back on day-three of the Hurley Pro Junior as the event’s top seeds hit the water in the Round of 64.
Held in rising 1m conditions at the primary site of Burleigh Heads on Queensland’s Gold Coast, competitors enjoyed the early signs of a new swell, which is expected to see wave heights dramatically increase into the weekend ahead of a stellar final on Sunday (January 30).
However it was Woods’ aerial approach which impressed both judges and spectators alike today, as the crowd favourite posted a combined two-wave heat total of 14.40 (out of a possible 20) to account for South Africa’s Beyrick De Vries (11.75) Sol Pereira-Ryan (Snapper Rocks, Qld — 10.95) and New Zealand’s Buck Woods (5.95) who finished second to fourth respectively.