Surfing Western Australia

WA's Felicity Palmateer wins her third Pro Junior in South Australia at the Fantastic Noodles Pro Junior

Monday, 19 July 2010

Felicity Palmeteer (WA/Hillaries/Perth) won her third Association of Surfing Professionals Pro Junior event of the year taking out today's Fantastic Noodles Pro Junior in good 1m surf at Middleton Beach.

In a see-sawing high scoring and close final Palmeteer won on a final score of 15.00 out of a possible 20 to Airini Mason (Gold and Tweed Coast/Qld) on 14.65.

"It's been a great year for me and to win three of these events is quite surprising as I'm combining World Qualifying Series events as well" said Palmeteer.

"It was an exciting final out there today with the lead changing and toward the end I was nervous as Airini tried to chase down the score - It was a relief when the siren sounded and it was over."

Mason looked set to control the final early when she posted an excellent 8.6 ride which was the highest scoring ride in the final but she was unable to back that score up with a decent required second scoring ride while Palmeteer caught an 8.00 and 7.00 point rides to secure the win.

Mason disappointed but philosophical about her result.

"I've had two wins and now two seconds this season so I'm really well positioned to qualify for the ASP World Junior Series so that's good but then to be so close to winning today I'm sort of disappointed - I chased that second ride score but kept coming up just short of the required 6.7 score" said Mason.

Equal third today was Philippa Anderson (Newcastle) who went down to Mason in her semi-final and Codie Kline (Kingscliff/NSW) who was defeated in her semi final by Palmeteer.

Just one event remains in the Pro Junior Women's series and that will run in Sydney next month.

This event forms a crucial leg of the ASP Australasian Pro Junior circuit whereby professional surfers aged under 21 compete for points and prize money in a bid to become the Australasian Junior Champion and ultimately the World Junior Champion.

The event carries a Grade 5 boys rating and Grade 2 girls rating, and offers a stunning $36,000 prize pool, making the annual competition this years highest boys and girls combined event on the ASP Pro Junior Australasian circuit.

For the third year running the Fantastic Noodles Pro Junior organisers have decided to undertake a full Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions analysis and to commit to offsetting 100% of its associated emissions.

The Fantastic Noodles Pro Junior is supported by: Fantastic Noodles, Surfing South Australia, The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), Events South Australia, The Office of Recreation and Sport, UniSA, Hotel Crown Victor Harbor, Woolworths, Cutloose, Channel 10, Zero C Balance Carbon, and Swellnet.com.au.

The event is being streamed live at www.fantasticsurfing.com.au