Exactly this time one year ago, Jacob Willcox (whom you can see shredding here) cut a forlorn figure on the couch of his parent’s house as the party raged on just up the road.

The WSL circus had come to town and it was Jay Davies who stole the glory with a win in the trials before playing wrecking ball in the main event.

But for a mistimed step chasing a late night bus after a school function, it very well could have been Willcox who’d been on a tear long after famously dispatching Slater in Portugal to announce his ascension onto the world stage.

A badly broken lower leg, a few months on the couch and plenty of time to think can lead to outcomes for most surfers, but the time healing solidified Willcox’s resolve to get back into the winners circle and today at Mainbreak he did, booking a berth into the main event in the process.

“I gotta say it felt pretty good to be competing at home in front of all my friends and family,” Willcox said shortly after being chaired up the stairs originally put in place long before he was even born.

“And I was pretty happy to be in a final with Jerome (Forrest), we pretty much surf together every day so it was a cross between a free surf and a heat.”

Similarly, Felicity Palmateer locked horns with fellow Sandgroper (a West Australian colloquialism) Mikaela Greene to take a win and a spot in the main event.

“It feels great to win a competition, it’s been a while since I’ve won anything,” Palmateer said.

“I’m feeling good, confident and looking forward to competing against the best female surfers in the world.”

Jacob Willcox | Stranger Things Have Happend from Isaac Jones presents. on Vimeo.