Surfer Holly Wawn ends ‘crap year’ on high note with podium finish at Port Stephens Pro

It was a year surfer Holly Wawn would rather forget but at least it ended on a high note.

Holly Wawn at the 2019 Port Stephens Toyota Pro.

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Northern beaches surfer Holly Wawn has finished the year with a splash, recording her best performance of the past 12 months with a third place at the 2019 Port Stephens Pro.

While Wawn has missed out on qualifying for the world tour, she will start 2020 as the highest ranked Sydney surfer on the qualifying series which kicks off at Manly in March.

But it is the confidence boost of surfing well after “a crap year’’ that Wawn said was most important.

“Getting a big result to finish the year off is great,’’ Wawn said after being beaten by 20201 world tour rookie Isabella Nichols for a spot in the final on Sunday.

“It has been a bit of a tough year. I just haven’t been doing so well this year so it was good to get some scores.

“I was starting to doubt myself.’’

Surfer Holly Wawn finished third in her final qualifying series event of the year.

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Hindering Wawn this season was a fractured elbow sustained when she tripped over onto concrete at the US Open.

“It was ptretty disappointing so this result has really lifted me,’’ she said.

“It’s made me realise this is what I really want to do.

“The dream is to qualify for the world tour so hopefully went year is a good one.’’

Wawn said having the opening event of the year at Manly will be a significant advantage for local surfers.

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“It’s so good. I love surfing there,’’ she said.

“All my friends and family come down. It feels comfty.’’

The Sydney Surf Pro event at Manly will open the new Chalengfter series which included tournament at Piha, New Zealand, Ballito, South Africa, Phillip Island in Victoria and Sunset Beach, Hawaii.

Originally published as Surfer Holly Wawn ends ‘crap year’ on high note with podium finish at Port Stephens Pro