CRONULLA goofy-footer Joey Sear took the biggest win of his career, taking a win in the Open Men's division of the 2015 BCU Australian Surf Festival at Coffs Harbour on Sunday.
The Elouera boardrider's domination continued when Sear smashed out a series of massive hooks to post a total of 15.90 (out of a possible 20 points) to claim the prestigious title.
In an action-packed final, all surfers managed to lock in heat totals in excess of 12.00 points. Fellow finalists Samba Mann (Coolangatta, Qld), Dale Lovelock (Warana, Qld) and former Australian champion Russ Molony (North Entrance, NSW) all showed moments of brilliance and remained within striking distance of the win, but when the final hooter sounded it was Sear who sealed the deal.
"I've wanted to win an Aussie title for so long now," said Sear, 26,
"I trained really hard for this event so to take it out is the best win of my life. I got to the final in 2012 and finished third to Russ, so to go two positions further feels incredible.
"The whole vibe of the final was awesome; everyone was calm and just took turns catching waves. It really adds to the good feeling when it's like that."
As a bonus, all four finalists have booked their spot in the upcoming ISA World Surfing Games next year.
In a double win for Surfing Sutherland Shire surfers, current NSW age champion Nichola Turner managed to find the best waves in her final, taking out the Australian Over-35 Women's.
The Cronulla natural-footer linked together a chain of solid turns to post a respectable heat total of 9.75, which gave her the edge over fellow finalists, Sue Levett (Manly, NSW), Cheryl Peat (Seaford, NSW) and Sandra English (Budgewoi, NSW).
The win has solidified Turner's position in the upcoming ISA World Masters.
"I'm so lucky," Turner said.
"This was my next goal after winning state, so I'm over the moon to get the win. All these other women inspire me to surf better, so to get a win feels incredible."
