The WA Pro Surf Series concluded in style yesterday with Charli Hately (Burleigh Heads, QLD) and Jack Thomas (Yallingup, WA) emerging victorious at the Cape Naturaliste Pro presented by We Are Feel Good Inc. to claim their first ever wins on the World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS).
The second stop of the series delivered incredible performances from local, interstate and international competitors, wrapping up a week of non-stop surfing action and epic waves in Western Australia.
Injidup Carpark provided challenging finals day waves, with surfers seizing their opportunities in windswept 3-4 foot waves and taking full advantage of the powerful conditions to showcase their talent.
Fifteen-year-old Charli Hately (Burleigh Heads, QLD) stamped her authority on the competition and cemented her status as a star on the rise to take out her maiden WSL QS victory, the goofyfooter’s Gold Coast roots shining through in her powerful backhand attack.
Hately’s aggressive approach saw her fend off a fierce challenge from local favourite Willow Hardy (Margaret River, WA), with just 0.4 separating the pair when the final siren sounded. Hately posted a two-wave combined total of 13.07 (from a possible 20), edging out Hardy who finished on 12.67.
“This is a day I’ll remember forever, the waves were actually pretty fun and to share a final with Willow was great,” said Hately. “It’s been the best trip to Western Australia, and one I won’t forget any time soon.”
Willow Hardy (Margaret River, WA), capped off a memorable WA Pro Surf Series with back-to-back finals in Mandurah and Yallingup. Hardy locked in the highest score of the final, a 7.00 (from a possible 10), but was unable to find the second score she needed to overcome Hately.
“I’m pretty stoked to make the final, the Cape Naturaliste Pro was the first QS I ever competed in, so to make the final this time is pretty special,” Hardy commented. “This gives me great confidence going into the next events in Asia, and hopefully we score some good waves over there.”
The men’s final saw event standouts Jack Thomas (Yallingup, WA), and 2016 ISA Under-16 World Junior Champion Willis Droomer (Jan Juc, VIC), locked into an intense showdown that saw the lead change multiple times, the two men pushing each other’s performances and their own scores higher with each exchange.
Thomas, known for his fluid style and devastating power, dug deep to drop an excellent 9.00 (from a possible 10), for a clutch two-turn combination of manoeuvres in the dying minutes to overhaul Droomer’s lead and finish on a combined total of 16.10 (from a possible 20). The final hooter sounded with Thomas standing in the shorebreak absorbing the moment, before an army of ecstatic friends and family rushed to the water’s edge and chaired him up the beach victorious.
“To win in front of friends of family in my hometown is just incredible!” said Thomas. “That was a tough final with Willis, we were going toe-to-toe the whole way. I’ve surfed four times today so I’m pretty tired, but to win my first QS event feels amazing and gives me so much confidence before heading to the Phillipines and Taiwan.”
Willis Droomer (Jan Juc, VIC), was the most consistent male surfer across this year’s WA Pro Surf Series with runner-up finishes in Mandurah and Yallingup. Eighteen-year-old Droomer’s electric surfing saw him drop a combined total of 15.33 (from a possible 20) in the final, marking a memorable end to his time in Western Australia.
“This is my best result in a QS, and it was great to just lock in here in WA and come away with two finals is amazing,” said Droomer. “There’s some similarities to Victoria with long period swells and some power in the waves, so I felt comfortable here and am stoked with the result.”
The Cape Naturaliste Pro presented by We Are Feel Good Inc. capped off an exciting WA Pro Surf Series, which saw back-to-back World Surf League events held in Mandurah and Yallingup, creating an unforgettable coastal road trip for surfers and spectators alike. The high-stakes competition and electric atmosphere at both events reigniting the passion for pro surfing in WA.
“The WA Pro Surf Series has made a triumphant return this year,” said Surfing WA Event Manager Justin Majeks. “We’ve had incredible waves in both Mandurah and Yallingup, and the level of surfing has been outstanding. Congratulations to Charli Hately and Jack Thomas for their amazing performances here at the Cape Naturaliste Pro. We look forward to continuing to build on this success and bringing the series back bigger and better in the future.”
Competitors will take their momentum from Yallingup into a series of QS5000 events scheduled to start in Asia next week. Surfers will head to the Phillipines, Taiwan and China for the final events of the year.
Follow all the action from the Cape Naturaliste Pro presented by We Are Feel Good Inc through the World Surf League event site: www.worldsurfleague.com/events/2024/qs/292/cape-naturaliste-pro/main
The Cape Naturaliste Pro is proudly presented by We Are Feel Good Inc, and supported by Surfing WA, World Surf League, City of Busselton, WA Government through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, Tourism Western Australia and Royalties for Regions, Creatures of Leisure, Strong Pilates Busselton, Peko-Peko, Budget, Tasman Holiday Holiday Parks, Minute Man Press Perth and Caves House Hotel.
For more information surfing events held in WA be sure to checkout: www.surfingwa.com.au
About The West Australian Pro Surf Series:
The WA Pro Surf Series is set to return in 2024 and has been established for local, Australian and international surfers to gain ranking points and prize money on the WSL Junior Tour and Qualifying Series. The series also creates a WA coastal road trip for surfers to explore the wide variety of waves, amazing local communities and unique surfing culture of Western Australia.
