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Carly Shanahan. Images: Ethan Smith / Surfing NSW

Walters, Shanahan, ranked #3 and #4 on world junior tours

Angourie surfer Dakoda Walters and Wooli’s Carly Shanahan are ranked, respectively, number 3 and 4 on the World Surf League’s (WSL) junior boys’ and girls’ tours.

Over the weekend, Walters won the NSW Pro Junior at Wanda Beach, Sydney, Shanahan finished second in the girls division.

Walters exhibited an innovative and stylish approach in the final, performing a handful of aerial manoeuvres and carves to notch a 14.65 two-wave heat total, defeating top rated tour surfer Xavier Huxtable (Jan Juc, Vic).

Walters dedicated the win to recently deceased Angourie surfing icon Dave ‘Baddy’ Treloar.

“This is a pretty sick feeling,” Walters said. “I began doing a few juniors at the start of the year, but didn’t really get any results; so to get to this stage and share some fun waves with the guys in the final is pretty cool.

“Coming into this year, I wasn’t sure if I was going to do the Pro Junior events, but I really wanted to prove to myself that I could win one.

“Baddy was the biggest legend ever, so it’s awesome to get this win for him.”

Bodhi Leigh-Jones (Avalon, NSW) scored 13.85 to defeat Shanahan, 13.25, in a tightly contested final.

The WSL sanctioned Pro Junior events form part of the 2019 WSL Australasian Junior Qualifying Series, which can provide the best surfers with an opportunity to win a world title at the 2019 World Surf League Junior Championships, tentatively set to go ahead at Jinzun Harbor, Taiwan (Nov 26 – Dec 1).

Boys
1 – Dakoda Walters (Angourie, NSW)
2 – Xavier Huxtable (Jan Juc, Vic)
3 – Tane Bowden (NZL)
4 – Taj Stokes (Sunshine Coast, Qld)

Girls
1 – Bodhi Leigh-Jones (Avalon, NSW)
2 – Carly Shanahan (Wolli, NSW)
3 – Pacha Luque-Light (Gold Coast, Qld)
4 – Nyxie Ryan (Lennox Head, NSW)

Dakoda Walters. Images: Ethan Smith / Surfing NSW