In the end the final came down to US born Damien Hobgood and a local West Australian.
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But that local was Yadin Nicol, not Taj Burrow as a lot of people anticipated.
Hobgood overcame a string of injuries over the past few years and took out the competition using a strategy of taking chances early, rather than waiting for larger waves. Another great example of how making the most of even the smallest opportunities as they arrive, can led to amazing things.
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‘When the waves are small it’s kind of like you either hedge your bet on waiting, or getting busy, and fortunate enough no big sets came and it paid off for me’ Hobgood explained.
Talking about the win he added…
‘This place is magical around here and I’ve always felt like connection with it, even when I first came here, and yeah she was good to me today’.
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Yadin said he’ll be back next year and ‘try and go one better’.
