A RECENT trip to Japan helped Louis Gillick ride one more wave towards a place on the Association of Surfing Professional’s (ASP) prestigious world tour.
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A second place in the ASP’s GoPro Junior Games was one of his best ever results and he is now riding a wave of confidence.
The conditions at Tsurigasaki Beach suited Gillick’s powerful style.
“I am what you would call a power surfer and I produce more of a spray,” he said.
Japan is not renowned for big surf but the Culburra Beach resident did enjoy the conditions at Tsurigasaki Beach.
In Japan he also surfed in a world tour qualifying series event but did not get the result he wanted.
The qualifying series was held at Shonan and the waves virtually non-existent.
“The swell would have been about one foot high,” he said.
“We would not surf conditions like that in Australia.
“You would need a typhoon in Japan to get the surf we get here in Culburra.”
Gillick, in the qualifying series, did earn some valuable points but finished in 17th spot.
The qualifying series for open for surfers, while the GoPro event was an under 20s competition.
“There was a quality group of surfers in both events and they came from all over the world,” he said.
Things, earlier on in the qualifying series, looked good for Gillick
At one stage he was in eighth spot nut slipped down to 16th after surfing some unfamiliar venues in Tahiti and New Zealand.
Venues for the next qualifying series have not been announced but Gillick hopes for as many Australian venues as possible.