Tweed Coast Pro: Sarah Baum and Jordy Lawler claim huge QS victories
The first leg of the 2023 Australasian QS wrapped up at Cabarita Beach in northern NSW. See who starred as some of the big names on tour made a huge statement of intent.
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Some of the big guns on tour have flexed their muscles with some stunning performances as the first event of the Australasian leg of the WSL Qualifying Series (QS) wrapped up at Cabarita Beach in northern NSW.
After some of the country’s best young surfers lit up the waves at the Pro Junior event over the weekend, tour veterans Sarah Baum and Jordy Lawler took out the open women’s and men’s divisions of the Tweed Coast Pro in clean, three-foot conditions, and in doing so made huge steps towards qualification for the WSL’s Challenger Series.
The QS, with its various regional divisions, acts as a third tier of world surfing, with the top surfers earning a spot on the second-tier Challenger Series. From there, the best performers on the CS then qualify for the WSL Championship Tour – the pinnacle of world surfing.
TWEED COAST PRO JUNIOR: the stars from who made waves
In what was one of the best-ever finals at the QS level, both Lawler and New Zealand’s Te Kehukehu Butler went punch for punch in the men’s final with some excellent surfing that wouldn’t have looked out of place on the CT.
In a see-sawing contest that could have gone either way, it was ultimately decided by a brilliant 360 air rotation that jagged North Narrabeen star Lawler a 9.07 (out of a possible 10) and set up a two-wave total of 15.74.
It was a tough heat to lose for Butler, who was excellent in the final, with scores of 7.77 and 7.67 meaning that he lost by just 0.30 points.
“I don’t know what feels better right now, the points or the winning feeling,” Lawler told WSL. “It’s been a few years since getting a win like that, so I just had to sit out there for a moment and take it all in.
“I forgot what this feeling was like, and I’ve got a lot of friends down here and my brother, so this feels really special,” he added.
“I’m keen to get on a bit of a roll over these next few events and get back onto the Challenger Series in 2023.”
Meanwhile in the women’s event, Newcastle-based South African Sarah Baum capped off a week-long masterclass with victory over 17-year-old Coco Cairns from Noosa.
In a clash of styles and generations on the QS, Baum prevailed with a two-wave of total of 13.06 against Cairns’ 11.43 to pick up her first QS win since 2020.
While Baum has already qualified for the Challenger Series on account of picking up a South African wildcard spot, the win nevertheless puts her in strong form as she attempts to better her 10th-place finish last year and qualify for the CT.
“I can’t even believe this; it hasn’t sunk in yet,” Baum said. “I felt like I was struggling out there and couldn’t find the waves I was hoping for, but in the end got a couple of hacks in, and it was obviously enough to get me over the line.
“This is definitely the biggest win of my career, and I’m stoked to get it done at the start of this run of events so I can surf with some comfort in the next few. It feels good to have all this hard work and commitment pay off, and I hope to keep it going now.”
As the season-opening event of the Australasian wraps up, we’ve profiled the surfers who starred at Cabarita.
The top performers from the Tweed Coast Pro
Sarah Baum (South Africa)
Winner
The Newcastle-based South African, who surfs for the East End Boardriders Club, broke through for her first QS victory since 2020 with some brilliant surfing at both Cabarita and Kingscliff this week.
Baum is one of the rare athletes who already has her ticket booked for the second-tier Challenger Series on account of receiving a South African wildcard, and has shown she will go close to bettering her 10th-place finish last year in her quest to book a spot on the top-tier Championship Tour.
Jordy Lawler (North Narrabeen)
Winner
One of the more experienced surfers in the men’s draw, Lawler was absolutely brilliant all week, winning the final with a 360 air rotation manoeuvre worthy of winning any heat.
The Tweed Coast victory is the 28-year-old’s fifth on the QS and first since the Sydney Pro at Manly in 2019. With this kind of form, he’ll be confident of not only making the Challenger Series but also giving it a big shake in the search for a CT spot.
Coco Cairns (Noosa)
Runner-up
The 17-year-old’s decision to sit out the Pro Junior event and focus on the QS was vindicated as Cairns made it all the way to the final at Cabarita.
The Noosa Boardriders Club star was excellent all week, claiming the scalp of experienced surfer India Robinson on her way to second place.
Te Kehukehu Butler (New Zealand)
Runner-up
Along with Lawler, the 22-year-old was the outstanding surfer of the men’s event and was incredibly unlucky to go down in one of the great QS finals.
The former Australasian Junior Champion might still be chasing his first QS win, but if he keeps up this form he surely won’t be too far away.
Jahly Stokes (Buddina)
Third place – eliminated in semi-finals
It’s been a big week for the 16-year-old, who finished second in the Tweed Coast Pro Junior event on Saturday.
The twin results cap off a brilliant start to 2023 for the Sunshine Coast surfer, who finished fourth in the U18 Australian Junior Championships in December.
Alister Reginato (Alexandra Headland)
Third place – eliminated in semi-finals
Although he bowed out at the semi-finals, the North Shore Boardriders star quite possibly had the most spectacular highlights reel of the event, racking up the highest combined score of the event with 18.00 (out of a possible 20) in the round of 32.
But he wasn’t done there. In the round of 16 the Sunshine Coast star threw caution to the wind with a massive backside full-rotation air-reverse to earn a near-perfect 9.50 to move into the quarterfinals.
Ellie Brooks (Coolangatta)
Third place – eliminated in semi-finals
The Tweed is a happy hunting ground for the Coolangatta surfer, who picked up her best QS result since also finishing third at the Tweed Coast Pro in 2018.
An experienced surfer, the 26-year-old will be looking to get back onto the Challenger Series after competing on the WSL second-tier tour in 2021.
Kyuss King (Byron Bay)
Third place – eliminated in semi-finals
An artist, musician, actor and surfer, the quadruple threat went close to defending his Tweed Coast Pro Crown with a string of excellent performances at Cabarita.
After a series of injuries over the years, the 22-year-old will be hoping that the third-place finish sets him up for a strong QS tour and hopefully another spot on the Challenger Series.
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