MARGARET RIVER surfer Bailee Hastie will be looking for a home advantage this weekend when she competes in her first Subway Surf Junior Pro event.
The 18-year-old will take to the water in the second of seven competitions throughout the series.
Hastie said knowing the local breaks was an advantage.
“Having it at your local break is always a big help, and it’s really exciting to be able to compete in front of your friends and family,” she said.
“It should give all the local competitors a bit of a leg-up.”
But Hastie admitted it came down to who caught the best wave in the water.
“It’s going to be really hard competing against people from over east – you kind of get used to coming up against the same people a lot so it’s a whole new challenge,” she said.
“I’m just going to go out and make the most of my heat.”
Surfers from four different nations including Indonesia, New Zealand and Japan, will line-up in a revised one-day format for the event.
Hastie will be joined by fellow local Kael Walsh, the current Australasia Junior Pro ratings leader and winner of event one on the Gold Coast last week.
The 16-year-old is keen to back up his performance in the powerful waves that have groomed his surfing.
“I’m so amped to have an event here in WA,” he said.
“It will be great to show some of the boys around and hopefully we score some good waves for the comp.”
Emi Campbell and Mia McCarthy will also compete as locals.
“The waves are big and powerful over here and that’s how we like it,” McCarthy said.
“It’s definitely an advantage having an event here in WA.”
The event kicks off on Saturday, February 6 at Gas Bay.
