Avoca teenager Caleb Tancred prepared for his shot at the world junior championships with a maiden qualifying series win at the Port Stephens Toyota Pro on Sunday.
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The 17 year old came up against fellow teenager and lifelong rival Mikey McDonagh from Lennox Head in the final of the Men’s QS1000 at Birubi Beach.
In what was his first World Surf League QS final, Tancred surfed a smart heat, waiting patiently for set waves in the small, inconsistent conditions.
He posted a 7.33 out of a possible 10 early for a series of strong backhand snaps.
He then waited with priority as McDonagh stayed busy, catching a number of smaller waves on the inside.
Only needing a small score in the dying minutes, the Avoca native took off on a set wave, sealing the deal with a heat total of 14.16.
“To be honest it didn’t feel like a QS final, it was like sharing a pro or state junior final with Mikey,” Tancred said.
“Getting up at 4.40am [Sunday morning] to drive back up here from the Central Coast, I didn’t think I would make it this far.
“I really wanted to just make it into the man-on-man finals which I had never done before.
“To come away with the trophy feels unreal.”
Having competed against each other since they were 7 years old, the heat was nothing new for McDonagh and Tancred except that it was the first QS final for both of them.
For McDonagh, winning two from two pro junior finals in recent years meant he had a 100 per cent success rate heading into the match-up.
He looked destined to end up on the podium as he consistently posted solid heat wins throughout the event.
However, the Lennox Head native came short in the final.
“We’re childhood rivals and best friends so it’s definitely weird to share a QS final with Caleb,” McDonagh said.
“Getting a runner-up usually stings but this isn’t stinging at all. Getting second here is a huge confidence boost heading into 2019.
“I had to surf five times today and I adopted the mindset that every heat was a bonus. I’m in a bit of shock, to be honest.”
On their way to the final, Tancred overcame Northern Beaches surfer Harley Ross while McDonagh was too good for Lliam Mortensen, also from the Northern Beaches, making it a clean sweep across the top four for NSW competitors.
Earlier in the day, Merewether’s Morgan Cibilic was eliminated just short of the quarter-finals.
This also meant he fell just short of taking out the WSL Australia / Oceania Regional Qualifying Series. Instead, the title went to his fellow Merewether resident Jackson Baker.
The Women’s QS6000 will resume on Monday for round four.