The Champions Are Crowned

Video: Sam Norwood

The highlights from the final day of the Billabong World Junior Championship.

Caio Ibelli had no idea he was going to be crowned World Junior Champion today. The chances of Jack Freestone and Garrett being eliminated, and the chances of Wade Carmichael and Nathan Carvalho squaring off in the final were remote. So remote that Caio didn’t even bother getting out of bed this morning.
 
One hour before the “surf-off” Oakley Team Manager Beau Emerton was looking for his young Zilla. “Beau had to come and wake me up,” says Caio later with trophy in hand. “I didn’t bother getting out of bed because I didn’t think I could win. Once Beau came round I checked Facebook and realized I still had a chance. I guess I wasn’t really prepared but it’s worked out well. It was good, there was no pressure and I wasn’t thinking about it.”

How's the Champs' chairs? Men's winners Caio Ibelli and Wade Carmichael on the long carry from the beach up Burleigh Point. Photos: Sean Radich

At the start of the surf-off to decide the joint points leaders, Ibelli peppered the scoreboard before Parkes posted a solid score. But the Brazilian fought back with strong turns and aerial moves to take the lead. In the dying moments of the heat Parkes fought back with a big air reverse-to-regular, but fell short of the score he needed by less than half a point.

“I’m so stoked to bring the World Junior Title back to Brazil - I feel so amazing now!" Ibelli continued. " I want to thanks my family, my friends and Oakley for their support. Garrett (Parkes) is a good surfer and he’s at home in Australia so I knew I had to do my best.”

Reckon Caio Ibelli was excited with his win? Photo: Sean Radich

But if you thought the surf-off for the World Junior Title was dramatic, the final of the Billabong World Junior Championship between Wade Carmichael and Nathan Carvalho was even more nail-biting. As the clock was counting down the final seconds, Carmichael was left needing a mid-range score, he took off on a smaller wave a blasted one of the biggest fins-free turns of the event. The siren went and both surfers were floating in the lineup waiting for the scores to be announced. Carmichael only caught two waves in the 30 minute final, but that’s all it took for him to claim an epic come-from-behind victory.

“I’m over the moon right now, this is the best day of my life!” Carmichael said. “I’ve been training for this for the last few months, I wanted to have a big year and this is unbelievable. I wasn’t nervous that whole heat, even though I was sitting waiting for that second wave for a long time. But I was really nervous and freaking out after the heat while I was waiting for the score to be announced. Then they said I won and it was the best feeling.”

Wade wanging out the tail on his way to victory. Photo: Andrew Shield.

Just as everybody let out a collective sigh of relief after the intense men's finals, we all realised that we had to do it all again with the women ... and it didn't get any less tense as the girls fought it out. Hawaii's Leila Hurst was defeated in the semifinals, and Newcastle's Philippa Anderson needed to win the final to take the World Junior Title. However, Alessa Quizon spoiled the Aussie party and helped out her Hawaiian mate to win the women's event and gift Hurst the World Title.

“I feel really happy, this is the best result I’ve had in a long time,” Quizon said. “I’m so happy that Leila won the World Junior Title. A Hawaiian gets to take the title home, I’m really stoked for her!”

“I never want to be in that position again,” Hurst said. “Watching a final and having no control over if I won the World Title or if I lost. I was feeling so much pressure. I’m losing my mind right now, I never thought I had a chance to win this. I’ve only just started to do well in contests again after a run of bad results, so I had low self-esteem coming into this event. It’s feel great to see what winning feels like again.”

For full results go to www.billabongpro.com

The top four surfers on the World Junior Ratings get priority seeding into all ASP Prime and Star event in 2012.

1. Caio Ibelli (BRA)
2. Garrett Parkes (AUS)
3. Davey Cathels (AUS)
4. Jack Freestone (AUS)

Everyone was glued to the action off shore for the surf-off. Photo: Sean Radich

It was so busy that we had to make use of the RAV4's off-road abilities to create our own parking spot on the soggy grass.

Garrett Parkes stomped this air reverse in the surf-off, but it wasn't enough to overtake the Brazilian. Photo: Andrew Shield.

Caio Ibelli's top scoring wave of the surf-off had turns like this...

...and air reverses like this...(one)

...(and two). Photos: Sean Radich

Leila Hurst made the most of the small, choccy-flavoured waves close to The Rockbank with all it's washed up storm debris. Photo: Sean Radich

Leila Hurst and Caio Ibelli, the 2011 ASP World Junior Champions. Photo: ASP/Kirstin

2011 ASP WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPION SURF-OFF RESULT:
Caio Ibelli (BRA) 14.74 def. Garrett Parkes (AUS) 14.00

BILLABONG WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS GOLD COAST MEN’S FINAL RESULT:
Wade Carmichael (AUS) 11.17 def. Nathan Carvalho (HAW) 10.63

BILLABONG WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS GOLD COAST MEN’S SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Wade Carmichael (AUS) 11.84 def Medi Veminardi (REU) 8.66
SF 2: Nathan Carvalho (HAW) 16.50 def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 15.26

BILLABONG WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS GOLD COAST MEN’S QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Medi Veminardi (REU) 12.00 def. Jack Freestone (AUS) 11.50
QF 2: Wade Carmichael (AUS) 14.27 def. Ian Gouveia (BRA) 7.00
QF 3: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 15.74 def. Garrett Parkes (AUS) 14.4
QF 4: Nathan Carvalho (HAW) 12.13 def. Dean Bowen (AUS) 9.60

BILLABONG WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS GOLD COAST WOMEN’S FINAL RESULT:
Alessa Quizon (HAW) 13.67 def. Philippa Anderson (AUS) 8.67

BILLABONG WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS GOLD COAST WOMEN’S SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Philippa Anderson (AUS) 15.10 def. Nage Melamed (HAW) 9.34
SF 2: Alessa Quizon (HAW) 13.80 def. Leila Hurst (HAW) 6.94

BILLABONG WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS GOLD COAST WOMEN’S QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Philippa Anderson (AUS) 13,07 def. Sarah Mason (NZL) 10.83
QF 2: Nage Melamed (HAW) 15.00 def. Joanne Defay (FRA) 12.67
QF 3: Leila Hurst (HAW) 15.67 def. Felicity Palmateer (AUS) 14.76
QF 4: Alessa Quizon (HAW) 10.83 def. Sarah Baum (ZAF) 8.97