Gold Coast surfer Isabella Nichols through to Round of 24 in Doyle Partners Women’s Pro in Newcastle

A finals appearance in the 2019 Doyle Partners Women’s Pro put her on the path to a Championship Tour rookie card and Isabella Nichols hopes another good one will set up for a big 2020.

A FINALS appearance in the 2019 Doyle Partners Women’s Pro put her on the path to a Championship Tour rookie card and Isabella Nichols hopes another good one will set up for a big 2020.

The Gold Coast surfer has progressed through to the Round of 24 in the Qualifying Series at the Newcastle on Wednesday after winning her Round of 48 heat with a two-wave total of 11.17 in bumpy three-foot waves.

“This was my first heat of the year and I went into it quite nervous,” Nichols said a year after finishing runner-up.

“It was an excited nervous because you always want to do so well in the first heat of the year. “I was thinking about that a lot and then got lost at sea and was sitting too far down the beach. I couldn’t hear what the scores were and knew that the others were getting more waves than me so I wasn’t sure if I was actually going to make it.

Isabella Nichols on Day 3 of Newcastle Surfest Pro. Picture credit: WSL

“I’m glad to get through and be here in Newy. I love starting the year here – it’s such a cool place with great waves, great people and great food.”

Now residing in Newcastle, Julian Wilson only has a small distance to travel to compete at the annual Surfest Newcastle Pro and the current world no. 11 certainly looked right at home on Day 3 of competition.

Wilson made light work of his opponents, posting a 15.93 heat total to win his opening match-up.

Wilson mixed his trademark progressive aerial antics with power and finesse on the rail to progress into Round 3 at his local beach Merewether.

“I’m really loving waking up in my own bed then coming down here and surfing a heat,” Wilson said.

“The level of surfing here is really high so it’s a great way to get back in the swing of things and it looks like we’ll have waves all week which is awesome.”