The third event of the Junior Men Rising Series, a part of the IBC World Tour, wrapped up at Dbah Beach, Gold Coast, Australia, on July 6th.
It was an exciting last day of competition, with semifinals and finals that showed these young surfers are the future of our sport. The waves weren’t huge, but the level of surfing was still really impressive from the four riders remaining in the contest.
The semifinals were super close, both decided by just tenths of a point, which just shows how high the level is for these young athletes.
The first heat of the last day featured two excellent competitors – Chase Thompson (Australia) vs. Kaito Sato (Japan). They battled it out until the final horn, but only one could advance to the big final. Chase Thompson took the win with a total score of 13.54. Kaito Sato didn’t make it through but still finished in a well-deserved third place, showing his talent.
The second semifinal, between Bodi Hugin (Australia) vs. Ossian Mackenzie (Australia), was decided by just half a point. Once again, Ossian Mackenzie delivered a solid performance, just like he did the day before, surfing with incredible consistency. He won his heat with a score of 13.33 and made it to the final. His friend and fellow Aussie, Bodi Hugin, also surfed great, finishing with a score of 12.83. He just missed out on the final but earned a spot on the podium.
For the final heat everything was set for an epic showdown between these young Aussie talents (Chase Thompson vs. Ossian Mackenzie). It was a close, exciting final with both riders giving it their all, and it all came down to tiny details that kept the judges busy.
As expected, it was a battle with both surfers pushing hard. Chase threw down an incredible air (7.17 points), but in the end, Ossian’s consistency paid off. Ossian, son of Aussie pioneer Steve “Bullet” Mackenzie, connected with two good waves and finished with a total score of 13.83, earning him the title of new Future Pro’s champion.
01. Ossian Mackenzie (Australia)
02. Chase Thompson (Australia)
03. Kaito Sato (Japan)
03. Bodi Hugin (Australia)
