Local surfers on fire at Gas Bay
Margaret River surfer Jerome Forrest has booked his place in the trials for the Margaret River Pro in April.
Forrest conquered large swells and strong winds to claim victory at the opening event of the HIF WA Pro Am Series last weekend.
He defeated an all-star lineup of WA's best surfers at Gas Bay.
Forrest pulled out some of his best surfing on route to the Open Men's final, scoring the wave of the weekend for the event's only perfect 10-point ride in his semifinal.
The timely confidence boost saw Forrest capitalise on his local knowledge, scoring a near-perfect 9.70 from a possible 10 in the 25-minute Open Men's final to claim an impressive win.
Despite the best efforts of WA stalwart Drew Everest from Duncraig and brothers Dave and Matt Delroy-Carr, who all challenged at stages, it was 2011 HIF Pro Am Series champion Forrest who walked away with the win.
"I'm so stoked … this has been a sick event and thanks to all the boys," he said.
"I've just flown back from a month on the road and it's great to be back home and earning my spot into WA's biggest surfing event."
Former world tour competitor Claire Bevilacqua from Yallingup showed her experience and class to take out the Open Women's division.
Bevilacqua wore multiple sets on the head, but was able to slip into the best waves of the final.
An excellent 8.00 was the difference as Bevilacqua defeated former Junior National champion Emi Campbell and local talents Bailee Hastie and Ella Massie from Margaret River in a one-sided affair.
"These events mean so much to me," Bevilacqua said.
"I'm thrilled to see some of the young girls I coach now competing the same events that launched my career."
The event saw some of WA's best up-and-coming juniors move up into open competition for the first time.
The under-21 Pro Junior final was brimming with talent, as Yallingup's Felix Leaver, Margaret River's Josh Burke and Jed Mattinson and Ace Van Peer from Mandurah went all-out. Leaver, 15, turned heads and wowed the crowd, dropping two eight-point-plus rides to edge out defending under-21 State champion Josh Burke by less than half a point in an emphatic backhand performance.
Big-wave hero Paul Paterson from Yallingup showed his pedigree by taking out the hotly contested over-35 Masters and over-40 Senior Masters divisions in style.
