adminOn August 30, 2009 twenty-year old Bret Burcher from Ulladulla, NSW took home the biggest win of his career after winning the Red Bull Junior Surf Masters final at Cornulla presented by Mick Fanning.
The waves were decent for the competition, turning into perfect meter-high waves with light offshore winds for the final. Bret was equally matched in the final with Tahitian Tamaroa McComb. Both surfers had scored the highest waves in the competition and advanced through the qualifying heats on Friday. Bret was ahead in the final heat when a priority error caused him to fall behind Tamaroa. They battled through the final heat, with Bret ultimately getting a set wave and the highest score in the final three minutes for a winning score of 15.65.
Coming from behind for a win in front of Mick Fanning was a dream come true for Bret. Not only did he pocket the greatest winnings of his career so far, but he did it with the 2007 ASP Men’s World Champion watching.
The total purse for the event was $45,000. Some surfers were hand-selected by Mick Fanning and seeded directly into the main event. Mick Fanning liked this event, and was especially pleased to see fellow NSW surfer Bret come from behind for the win. He likes when underdogs keep on battling and show fierceness in the end. Bret nailed his final left-handed wave perfectly. Mick especially liked being able to hand over a $10,000 check to the winner. It is important for young surfers to win this kind of money as it can really help their careers.