Dean Bowen (Gerroa, NSW) is US$25,000 richer after winning the fourth annual Hurley Burleigh Pro Junior on Australia Day.
cha-ching
A fit looking Bowen claimed the prestigious title after defeating Chris Friend (Alex Headland, QLD) in a King Kong style battle.
The NSW powerhouse got off to a good start in the 0.5m waves. A bit of a State of Origin clash ensued as each surfer trumped the other’s score. Friend gave Bowen a run for his money for the entire 30 minute heat, finally leading Bowen to retaliate with a 9.17 (out of a possible 10). Despite a perfect start and great surfing, Friend did not manage to snag the wave he needed in the dying minutes of the final.
In the face of tiny 0.5m waves the spray off both surfers’ rails impressed the judges and the heat was full of healthy scores.
Friend was vexed but gracious. “It was a great event, everyone was ripping through the whole week but Deano smoked me so what can I say?” said Friend at the prize giving.
“To come so close and not be able to walk away with the US$25,000 is disappointing, but in saying that placing second is still a great result,” Friend said.
“Dean is such a competitor in the water and he’s as Aussie as they come so it’s great an Australian walked away with the cash in the end,” he said.
As for Bowen, another day another dollar? “I’ve been thinking about it (the prize money) for the last two months” he laughs. “I’m stoked about the money but I want to save it all up and hopefully do something good with it,” he said.
“I was definitely really motivated. I had a bad start this year. I lost second round at Bells and I got knocked in the third round of the world juniors so it’s good to get some form again and get on a roll…the whole goal is to win the junior series and this is going to help me,” said Bowen.
“Those small little right handers…that’s kind of my forte,” said the renowned big wave surfer with a spark his eye.
Contest in Context
Overall the competition was fierce in a field of over 130 international contestants hungry for the title and cash. But a talented pack of Australians pulled out all the stops to deny the international onslaught, ensuring a particularly Aussie vibe on Australia Day. Out of the four Australian semi-finalists, two were from the Gold Coast: Mitch Crews and Blake Ainsworth.
Crews: doing the GC proud
The Gold Coasters captured the crowd’s attention with the extra energy they were able to give to the challengingly small conditions. While the surfers were unable to pull off big airs their exhibition of flow and style was commendable.
As the event was forced to relocate to the Spit due to the lack of swell competitors were forced to approach their heats with patience and choice wave selection. Mitch Crews described the event as a “wave catching competition.”
A clear contest highlight was Crews’ quarter final heat against an in form Peterson Crisanto (Brazil).
Needing an 8.5 ride with a minute on the clock, Crews plucked a wave from who knows where and carved a series of powerful turns as the crowd held their breath. The wave chalked up a winning 9.17 and impressed Crews’ fans, including former world champion Barton Lynch who jumped out of his beach seat with a smile wide enough to split a watermelon.
Bowing out in the semi-finals to fellow Queenslander Chris Friend was a clear disappointment for Crews.
“I’m pretty disappointed to have come so far and to get third. But I guess it just makes me hungrier for the next event,” admitted a dismayed Crews.
At the time of printing Crews has the number one position atop the ASP Australasia Junior Men’s ratings holding a 770 point lead over his nearest rival Davey Cathels (Narrabeen, NSW). This is the last year in the junior series and he has his eyes on the big picture.
“I really want to try and win the junior series this year…my main focus is that. But I am going to move into a few WQS’. I have a year to really think about my surfing and work on it and try and improve…I want to get to that level so in a few years time I will be surfing good enough to make the WCT,” said the Currumbin surfer.
How far away is the WCT for Crews? “Who knows, its hard to say, I want to say I’m close but I’ve still got far to go….I’m just going to take it step by step and see”.
“I really want to try my best and do as best as I can not only for myself but for the Gold Coast,” he said.
Hurley’s Heart of Gold
Bob Hurley recalls the first time he met a professional surfer. It was a very long time ago, at Huntington Beach. Swimming in to the shore to recover his board Hurley saw Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew surfing the shore break. He invited the at the time world champ to surf out the back with the local boys.
Hurley remembers Rabbit saying to him, ‘that’s awesome thanks! But I’m just having a blast with the kids here in the shore break; you know they really energise me’.
Bob and Rabs reminisce
The founder of Hurley International thought about that for years and it really changed his life. He’s thankful for that.
At the press launch Hurley gave Rabbit a replica of the board he used to ride, shaped by Lee Stacey, so that when the waves are small Rabbit can ride it with his kids. Rabbit was chuffed.
The company’s focus is still on junior surfing. Presented by Nike 6.0, the Hurley Burleigh Pro Junior offers a total prize pool of US$50,000. It is twice as much as any other junior contest this year. In claiming the world’s richest junior surfing prize the investment into junior surfing has sparked industry interest.
Bob Hurley hopes the initiative will raise the profile of professional surfing to ensure the respect he thinks it deserves. As junior contenders define the sport for the future Bob Hurley, who flew out from his home in California, says he is happy to “take an active part in an investment towards the future…to make surfing better.”
“These guys are going to decide the sport for the next ten years…junior surfing is it… (The junior surfers) work hard and they deserve a continued elevated experience, elevated prize money,” says the founder of Hurley International.
Young surfers “stimulate us all to imagine what the future could be,” he says at the event’s launch. “We’re really inspired by the kids. We would like to help them with their dream and keep elevating everything…the future is all about the kids right? We just want to be a part of that,” the Californian continues.
It is a lucrative sport. “Surfing globally is a $25 billion business, whereas in the late 80’s it was probably a $1 billion dollar business …where’s all the money going? First priority should be the athletes who are growing your business,” points out Hurley himself.
Having visited the Gold Coast dozens of times the founder of Hurley International has a special regard for Burleigh and describes it as a “home away from home.” It is the first time in ten years that he has been back on the Gold Coast and the Californian was stoked.
“For me to drive up and see that (Hurley) sign on the headland, it’s amazing, really heart warming,” says Hurley.
“I love it (Burleigh Heads), and it hasn’t changed a ton. When you’re sitting over there you’ve gotta be thinking this is one of the best places in the world…right?”
The investment is in line with last year’s landmark decision by Hurley to offer US$100,000 first place prizes for the WQS six-star Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing and the ASP World Tour Hurley Pro.
Hurley boasts record first place prizes in these two WQS events. However, the total prize pool for each is $145,000, which is on par with all but one of the other 27 six-star WQS events (and $110,000 less than the equivalent woman’s WQS, mind). So what it comes down to is the amount Hurley awards specifically to the first place winner.
Keri and Pat
Celebrated Californian surfer Pat O’Connell (you’ve seen him in movies such as The Endless Summer II) is Hurley’s Vice President of sports marketing. He says that scattering the total prize pool through the whole pack of surfers instead of concentrating on the first prize “ultimately breeds a little bit of stagnation, everybody is just cruising because they’re all getting a couple of bucks.”
It makes sense. Who wouldn’t be hungry for a golden carrot?
“Ultimately the money will filter down,” asserts O’Connell.
“But for right now it’s important to put it at the top. Also, it’s like shooting a missile at the rest of the industry saying hey look we’re willing to put some money into the first prize, are you guys willing to step up and really put some more into it?” he asks.
But will the move create a mob of spoilt surfers? Not according to Barton Lynch, 1988 World Champion.
“I won the original pro junior in 1983 and got a trophy,” Lynch says laughing. “I think that if you’re a good surfer, a motivated kid you’re going to want to win whether it’s a trophy or 25 grand…really when push comes to shove,” he affirms.
“The money is going to help evolve their careers, create opportunities, set them up for life… 25 grand is a down payment on a house, mate. I think it’s a fantastic thing to do,” says Lynch.
“I think that a lot of us feel that the surfers more than anyone have been the underpaid element of the business…they are the whole culture of the business and it’s nice to see Hurley elevate it to the level it should be,” continues Lynch.
Economics aside, Lynch’s child like enthusiasm for the surfing is obvious. “I watch the aerial moves and I think it’s such a bummer that I’m never ever going to feel that! I’m never going to be able to actually experience it…it must just feel so incredible …to fly through the air and land clean into another turn!” he laughs.
Keriruri's Point 