IT WAS sealed with a dab.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
If it’s a fitting enough celebration for Australian Test cricketer Usman Khawaja and English Premier League football star Paul Pogba, then it was the perfect occasion for emerging surfing talent Macy Callaghan.
Riding a wave of success back to shore at Bombo Beach, the teenage Australian raised her arms in the now world famous gesture, after making the most of light conditions at Bombo Beach to dominate the World Surf League junior championships final on Monday.
A mid-afternoon call was made to push on with the finals, with forecasts of small swells to come.
And so Callaghan forged ahead, showing her potential as future tour star by posting scores of 8.17 and 7.50, winning 15.67 to 4.60 against Hawaiian Mahina Maeda.
“I’m so excited, this is the biggest event I have ever been in so to win is amazing,” Callaghan said.
“That heat was really tricky, there wasn’t a huge amount of waves so you really had to pick the good ones.
“Once I got the 8.17 I knew I was in a good position and could just keep building on it, then my confidence just kept building.
“2016 was so amazing for me so to start off this year like this is just a dream, I can’t wait for what lies ahead.”
Completing a stunning Aussie double, Ethan Ewing, who is touted as a successor to Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson on the international tour, also took out a one-sided final at Kiama.
In fading light and with limited opportunities, Ewing managed 11.34, as American Griffin Colapinto struggled in the conditions, finishing with 1.97 after chasing seven waves. Ewing now joins an illustrious list of junior champions including Parkinson, Andy Irons and Gabriel Medina.
“This feels so amazing,” Ewing said.
“Coming into this event as the top seed gave me confidence from the get go and it all just kept running smoothly from the start of the week.
“It all just went to plan. It was funny because Griffin and I talked about the chances of the two of us meeting in the final early in the week so the fact it happened was really cool. Griffin is a great friend of mine so it is special to share this with him.”
In a whirlwind 12 months, Ewing has won the Australasia Junior Qualifying Series and finished runner-up on the Qualifying Series, booking himself a spot on the 2017 elite Championship Tour.
It’s something the young Stradbroke Island star had never set out to do in such quick succession.
“I never planned on any of this happening,” Ewing said.
“This is a great way to start my year off and I can’t wait for the start of the tour.”