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.

In the torched format, only the best wave of the 20-minute heat is scored for each surfer. This leaves only one score at the end of the heat, the surfer with the single best wave gets priority the next heat while the surfer with the lowest score does not advance. After the heat, the scores are set back to zero.

The young surfers have a lot to prove at this event, especially since it is in front of Mick Fanning, the 2007 ASP Men’s World Champion. Mick Fanning and the competitors are excited about the torched format because it allows for the underdog to come from behind and take the win. Every heat is a fresh start and whoever gets the best wave wins.

The recent Red Bull Junior Surf Masters event at Cornulla offered some decent small waves, with Brett Burcher bringing home the win and $10,000 to pay off some debts.

Surfers at the Fantastic Noodles Intense Wave Invitational in South Australia got a taste of competing in really big surf. This event was designed to give young Australian surfers the chance to compete on big waves in familiar waters, better preparing them for the waves they’ll face on the ASP tour in Hawaii and Tahiti. Gold Coast’s Blake Ainsworth won this event and took home his $11,000 prize.

Giving young, talented surfers the chance to compete and win in these types of events, and for such big prizes, ensures that Australia will remain a force on the ASP tour in years to come.