Jesse Mendes defeats Ramzi Boukhiam in Final to clinch CHIKO Pro Junior title at Newcastle’s Surfest
Brazil’s Jesse Mendes clinched the prestigious CHIKO Pro Junior crown by getting the better of Morocco’s Ramzi Boukhiam in the Final that went down at Merewether Beach in New South Wales, Australia, on Sunday, March 11.
The victory earned Mendes the coveted $20,000 prize money as well as the coveted Association of Surfing Professional (ASP) Junior rating points that the 4-Star ASP Men’s Junior Qualifying event had on offer.
The surfing conditions at the primary event site had turned out to be pretty demanding during the initial rounds of the competition, testing the skills and perseverance of the young surfers who had flown from around the world to attend the event. However,
the size of the wave had decreased considerably, making it much easier for the young guns to find big scores.
Mendes and Boukhiam had done exceptionally well to survive the challenging conditions during the early stages of the heat and continued to exhibit a formidable form as the conditions improved to eventually make it into the Final.
As the battled for the coveted event-title, prize money and ASP Junior rating points got underway, Boukhiam got off to an excellent start, opening his account with a solid 8.00-point wave. He continued the charge to immediately follow his first business-wave
with a 4.25-point wave to get to move to a heat-total of 12.25 points.
Mendes, on the other hand, found himself trailing behind his rival after opening his account with a 6.75-point wave. As the heat entered its final moments, the Brazilian stepped up his surfing to unload a series of sharp powerful turns on his second business-wave,
earning an 8.15 for the effort and consequently moving to a heat-total of 14.90 points. The score turned out to be a decisive one, sealing the fate of the Final in his favour.
“I feel amazing!” Mendes said during his post-Final interview. “It’s been a while since I’ve won a major contest. I’ve been training hard and staying with some friends here in Australia and it’s been great. Everyone at this contest has been surfing so amazing,
and the waves have been some of the best I’ve ever had in competition. The Australian competitions are some of the hardest in the world, so I’m stoked to win. It’s a great warm-up for the ASP 6-Star Burton Toyota Pro next week.”
The surfing fans would be able to catch the young guns of surfing in action once again at the next 4-Star ASP Men’s Junior Qualifying event, Vans Pro Junior, which is scheduled to start at Huntington Beach, California, United States of America, from March
28.
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