Outstanding Coalcliff surfer Billie Melinz has won the inaugural Mick Lowe trophy as Illawarra Junior Surfer of the Year.
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Fourteen-year-old Melinz has had an amazing 2013, winning the state under-16 surfing title at Maroubra, finishing runner-up in the Australian Junior Surfing Titles in Kiama and being selected for Australia in next week's World Junior Surfing Championships in Ecuador.
"Billie feels really honoured to have won the first Illawarra Junior Surfer of the Year award," Billie's father Ed said.
The award was initiated by Surfing Illawarra and named in honour of Illawarra's former elite world surfing professional Michael Lowe.
"Having an Illawarra junior represent Australia on the world stage made Billie clearly the top candidate for the award," Surfing Illawarra president Paul Charlton said.
Ed Melinz said a $500 donation from Surfing Illawarra through the BlueScope WIN Community Partners would be for Billie's costs of travelling to South America for the world junior championships.