Keanu Asing has got his 2017 requalification quest off to a solid start after taking out the Komunity Project Great Lakes Pro over the weekend. Held in pumping surf at Boomerang Beach, the Hawaiian delivered on his status as the event’s number one seed by posting high scores all week, including the only perfect ten of the contest.
In the final, Asing matched up against last year’s winner Wade Carmichael in a battle of the stocky natural-footers. Using the same gutsy backhand attack that won him the Quiksilver Pro in France last October, Asing had Carmichael on the back foot from the outset, opening with a clean tube and then following it up with a 9 and a 9.73 for a formidable two-wave total. Carmichael fought hard to get back into the exchange, answering with a 9.13 of his own, but in the end the thickset lad from the Central Coast fell short of the required target.
For Asing, the win comes as a great start to 2017, after the self-proclaimed underdog from Honolulu was knocked off the world tour at the end of last year despite claiming his first CT victory. Following his win today, he told the WSL that he’s hungry to set things right this season.
‘I'm looking forward to this year,’ he said. ‘I feel like I have a lot to prove after falling off tour so starting it with a win is awesome.’
On the women’s side of things, sixteen-year-old competitive sensation and current world junior champ Macy Callaghan found herself back on the winner’s podium after a brief hiatus, taking out Newcastle’s Philippa Anderson in a one-sided final. The long-limbed natural-footer was on fire throughout the event, using her impeccable backhand to consistently post scores in the nine-plus range. The win is Callaghan’s fifth of the year and sees her way out in front on the women’s qualifying series rankings as she looks to take her near-untouchable form into some of the upcoming higher rated events.
The Aussie leg will now move to Newcastle for the QS6000 Maitland and Port Stephens Toyota Pro, which kicks off on February 20.
