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WQS
powerhouse Rhys Bombaci (Kiama Downs) claims the Harbord Community Bank
Pro at Freshwater While a freezing cold front from the south made life uncomfortable out of the water , the positive side was is produced a solid South swell that saw wave heights reach the 1-2 metre mark over the course of the event , giving way to some epic action from a host of this country’s best surfers.
The Open Men’s draw was stack with talent and it was a real battle from the outset with surfers having to raise the bar just to get though the early rounds. Leading into the final Bombaci was clinical in his attack , with the powerhouse posting a series of high range scores but you could feel he was leaving some fuel left in the tank for an all out assault on the final with #4 rated ASP Pro Junior surfer Chris Salisbury (Avalon) , fellow WQS competitor Michael Spencer (Lake Murmorah NSW) and local charger Leigh Mc Mahon (Curl Curl NSW) all in red hot form going into the decider ,in fact it was Salisbury blistering attack that was turning heads with the 20 year old dominating on the punchy right hand peaks at Freshwater. Going with the flow of the contest , it was Salisbury who fired the first shots of the final (6-0) putting together a solid combination of turns on a mid size set wave. Bombaci then went to work putting a good score on the board with a (5.5). The defining moment came at the ten minute mark when he broke away from the pack and picked off a wide set wave and with a long running wall in front of him the experienced campaigner unleashed a series a critical top to bottom turns in the pocket of the wave with the judges rewarding him with a near perfect 9.5 score. From their it was a two horse race and Salisbury wasn’t finished returning serve with an epic 8.5 ride of his own but in the end time was the enemy and it was Bombaci who claimed a epic victory with Salisbury having to settle for what was an impressive 2nd placing with Spencer 3rd and Mc Mahon 4th. Bombaci received $1200 for his efforts and he was elated after the win saying ‘’ So Stoked to get a win her at Freshwater, I had to fight hard with Critter (Salisbury) pushing me all the way. I’ve had a couple of finals here in the past so to win finally is a major relief. The waves were really fun and it got bigger during the day, so there was plenty of punchy section out their to hit. ‘’My strategy was to build during the event and with such a staked draw I knew I had to step it up every time I was in the water. The waves were pumping for the final and with everyone sitting together I decided to break from the pack and I got lucky when a solid wide set popped up and when it doubled up I knew it had the potential to be a big score , so I just went as hard as I could on every turn. “’The win great for me as it’s a real confidence booster going into the next leg of the WQS in Ski Lanka’’ For Salisbury, it was another opportunity to fine tune what is becoming a world class contest act. With four events left on the Pro Junior series, the dynamo will be setting his gaol on gaining a place in the World Junior Championships Final results 1st Rhys Bombaci (15.00) $1200.00 2nd Chris Salisbury (14.00) $600.00 3rd Michael Spencer (7.5) $500.00 4th Leigh Mc Mahon (7.00 ) $400.00 Ken Ward (Manager) representing the Major sponsor, Harbord Community Bank Branch Spoke at the presentation saying ‘’Its was great to be a part of this event , the Harbord Community Bank has invested over $150 thousand dollars in community projects over the past 12 months and it is great to be a part of this event at our local beach. The wether wasn’t great but the surfing was fantastic, so congratulations to all the winners and to those who competed over the weekend.’’. Their was plenty of action in the other divisions with Josh Hay (Cadets) ,Connor O’Leary (Juniors) and Brendan Hay (Grommets ) all posting amazing victory during the two day event. Results 14’s Boys 1st
Brandon Hay, 2nd Josh Szeele , 3rd Jackson Baker, 4th Sam Bond
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