New Zealand surfer Paige Hareb staged a giant-killing act when she beat Australian world junior champion Sally Fitzgibbons in a fiercely fought final of the Billabong Pro Junior Series at Coffs Harbour, Sydney, yesterday.
Competing in powerful 1m waves at Diggers Beach, Hareb, from Taranaki, opened her account
with an 8.75 (out of a possible 10) and followed up with a 7.75 off her very next wave, leaving Fitzgibbons to play catch up for the rest of their 30-minute heat.
"I was pretty nervous out there," Hareb admitted. "Sally seems to be winning everything at the moment; she's right on form so to beat her today was pretty special."
While Fitzgibbons has won a total of four events this year including the six-star world qualifying series event at Phillip Island and the world junior championships in Sydney, Hareb's win marked her first of 2008.
"Sally is pretty far ahead of us girls on the ratings so I'm definitely going to need a few more big results to catch her but I'm going to try," Hareb said.
Rated fifth in the ASP Australasian Pro Junior Series, Hareb has had a good run in Australia this year, finishing second to Fitzgibbons at the world junior championships, and reaching the semifinals of the world qualifying series at Phillip Island.
Another New Zealander, Airini Mason, took an early heat lead over Fitzgibbons but was beaten for a spot in the finals in the last five minutes. She scored 13 (out of a possible 20) against Fitzgibbons' 13.05.
- NZPA
