Vette squared up on her backhand, dropping a 5.8 for two manoeuvres to secure the win narrowly over New South Wales surfer Lily MacDonald.
The ride took Vette’s two-wave total to 11.45 to MacDonald’s 11.25.
“There are lots of left-handers at home and my backhand is definitely my go-to. When I saw that last wave in the final I knew I could get the score. I’m just so stoked.”
Vette contributed to a Kiwi title double.
Gold Coast-based Whangamata surfer Tane Bowden won the boys’ final to secure a place at the World Surf League world junior championships in Taiwan in November.
Needing to place first or second in the final to qualify for the worlds, Bowden — a former Jan Juc resident — scored 15.50 to head off Queensland’s Marlon Harrison on 12.55.
“I just put my head down, fought through the pressure and got it done,” said Bowden.
“I’m just so stoked right now. New Zealand is the flag I surf under, but Victoria was such a special place for me to live. I used to surf here every day, so it’s so awesome to win this back at Jan Juc.”
Finals were shifted from Bells Beach to Jan Juc because of the small swell.
- WSL Championship Tour (CT) contender Ricardo Christie is back in action at the Billlabong Pro Ericeira Qualifying Series (QS) 10,000 contest in Portugal.
The event was on standby this morning, with Gisborne-Mahia surfer Christie’s round 2 heat next in the water.
He faces France’s Maxime Huscenot, South African Adin Masencamp and Australian Caleb Tancred.
The QS is the tier below the CT. Christie is sitting 31st on the CT and 109th on the QS.
