Gold Coast Pro champion Mikey McDonagh of Lennox Head upsets Sammy Pupo in final at Snapper
A local surfer has broken through for his first title on world surfing’s Challenger tour sparking wild scenes at Snapper Rocks. “Best day of my life.” Full story and photos
Gold Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Gold Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A rising surfer just south of the Gold Coast has sparked wild celebrations with an upset Gold Coast Pro win at Snapper Rocks.
Lennox Head’s Mikey McDonagh - often compared style wise to three-time world champion Mick Fanning - was greeted with raucous cheers from a big group of supporters on the sand after downing ex-Championship Tour surfer Sammy Pupo in Saturday’s final.
“I don’t know what to say, I’m trying to process this,” an elated McDonagh said. It catapults him to the top of the World Surf League’s Challenger Series rankings, considered the launch pad for the main pro tour.
“I don’t even know if it’s real. It’s the best day of my life.”
The 22-year old who had not made a quarter final on the Challenger Series last year took out Josh Burke of Barbados in the semi after downing fellow Australian Dakoda Walters in the quarter-finals earlier in the day.
In a pulsating finals day, US-born, Hawaii-raised sensation Erin Brooks, 16, won the women’s final downing Brazil’s Luana Silva. Earlier, Silva had knocked out Australian favourite Sally Fitzgibbons who had been among the form surfers for the week.
Awards ceremony host Ronnie Blakey told McDonagh “that was one of the greatest celebrations we have seen” and asked if it had sunk in.
McDonagh said he was going to need a “serious moment” before his first Challenger Series win - at a revered home point break like Snapper Rocks - sunk in.
“I”m still blinking. I don’t know if this is real,” he said adding often you have dreams where something really good happens and then you wake up: “But it seems kind of real.
“I don’t even know what to say but I’m so happy to have all my mates here, so close to home. It’s the best day of my life. Big thanks to my mum, my dad, James Wood, you guys help me so much.
“The Challenger is a crazy high level. I hadn’t cracked the quarters, so to just crack the quarters at this event was a bit of a monkey off my back and I felt like once I got into those rounds I could actually unshackle the chains and show a bit of my surfing. It’s a long year but I’m super stoked to start this way and hopefully get to the end goal.”
Runner-up and defending champion Pupo, of Brazil, said: “Congrats to Mikey - he didn’t get into the final because he was lucky. He’s surfing amazing. So good job man, you’re surfing amazing.
“Now for me it’s just backing up the big result. Last year I almost didn’t qualify with the win, so now I have to back it up - so let’s do it.”
Brooks set the finals day alight in her semi by charging straight into a clean barrel in the first exchange of the heat, scoring a perfect 10 point ride, knocking out Aussie Isabella Nichols.
Brooks said the waves were “pumping all day” and “I was just really excited to be out there with only one other girl”.
On her perfect 10-point ride, she said on the winner’s podium: “First, thank the Lord for letting me make that wave because I didn’t even think I was coming out. But I knew whoever got that wave in the semi was probaby going to win.
“It was the most perfect wave I have seen anytime I have been out at Snapper and I was lucky to get it.”
Earlier in the competition week, Gold Coast-based Macy Callaghan also nailed a perfect 10 during a heat - the first for a female in the Challenger Series.
Asked how she felt about being ranked number one in the Challenger Series heading into round two, Brooks said: “It feels really good to start out with a win.”
The Gold Coast Pro drew huge crowds to Coolangatta’s beachfront all week, with special moments including two world champion expression session heats - featuring legends of the sport Kelly Slater, Stephanie Gilmore, Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, Chelsea Hedges, Dingo Morrison and former qualifying series tour surfer turned music sensation DJ Fisher.
The Challenger Series now heads to Narrabeen in Sydney.
Next year, Snapper Rocks will be part of surfing’s glamour main world tour, the Championship Tour.
More Coverage
‘Nothing out of ordinary’ as $140k put in different account
More than $140,000 from a flailing Gold Coast weight loss business was deposited into the bank account for a related IV therapy business, leaked documents have revealed.
‘I get catfished a lot’: Why Bianca Dye is hosting singles night
Gold Coast media personality Bianca Dye says the online dating scene is getting worse — and she’s got some war stories to tell.