Chris friend, Perth Standlick and Chris Salibury have recently returned from Europe and the cold cold Scottland. This is there adventure...

Chilli from Nathan Foster on Vimeo.

The Sunshine Coast's Chris Friend has been involved with Chilli's Project Black for the past year.  Here's a couple clips of Friendy surfing at home in Queensland.

Thoughts Allowed Chris Friend from Chris Friend on Vimeo.

Chris Friend has secured a position in the 2010 ASP World Junior Championship Tour.  Friend finished the ASP Australasian Pro Junior Series inside the top five, and will join Mitch Crews, Davey Cathels, Jack Freestone and Dean Bowen in the Australian team.  Friendy heads to Bali for the first event, the Oakley World Junior Challenge at Keramas in October.  Good luck Friendy!

Gold Coast, Queensland: Chris Friend (Alex Headland, Qld) today won the prestigious Mick Fanning Red Bull Junior Surf Masters held at Broadbeach (Gold Coast, Australia). In excellent, one-metre conditions, Friend outpointed youngster Matt Banting (Port Macquarie, NSW), in a thrilling final which was decided by the smallest of margins.

In a seesawing final, Friend posted a combined two-wave heat total of 14.60 (out of a possible 20) to Banting’s 14.50 clinching the win by only 0.10 of a point. One of 12 Mick Fanning hand picked wildcards, Friend was in blistering form throughout the entire with the elated Sunshine Coaster ecstatic with his historic win.

“I finished second in the Hurley Burleigh Pro Junior at the beginning on the year and missed out on $25,000 at that event, so this is definitely a nice reward,” said Friend. “To surf in front of two-time world champion Mick Fanning was a massive thrill and competing against Australia’s best junior surfers always pushes you to want to do well,” he said.  

 

Friend was one of only a handful of the country’s top junior surfers selected by Mick Fanning to compete in the event, which is a specialty, invitational competition. For his efforts today, Friend walked away with a whopping $AUS 10,000 – one of the biggest cheques in professional junior surfing.

Meanwhile, Matt Banting once again solidified himself as a future surfing champion with the 16-year-old giving away up to four years age difference to some of his rivals. Banting will undoubtably be making massive inroads into the Pro Junior series in years to come. 

There was also plenty of action outside the surf, there live music from Brisbane indie sensation Yves Klein Blue sending the crowd abuzz. Stoked to give something back to the groms, Mick Fanning attended the Finals today to show his support and also check out who the next big name in surfing will be!

Friend looking good on a little something new we have been working on © Surfing QLD

In pumping 4-6ft waves on Queensland’s notorious South Stradbroke Island, Friendy edged out good mate Mitch Crews to take out the Couran Cove Island Resort Pro Junior. The suspenseful final was a close one which saw the lead change multiple times before Friend shut the gate with a 9.50 registering a combined two-wave total of 16.00 (out of a possible 20) to Crews’ 15.0.

For a more, in depth (one sided) account of the event, why not check out Chris's own blog entries on Friendly Fire - The Couran Cove Coup at Surfing Life online magazine

Friendy getting ferocious at the Spit. © Shield

Hi Everyone,

The guys at Australia's Surfing Life magazine have asked me to start a blog on their site called Friendly Fire; A Modern View Of Junior Surfing & Memoirs by Chris Friend

I'll be writing entries after each event, so check it out & get it on your blogs!

Thanks talk soon

Friend

...well not as many Cigar's as he could of bought with US$25K!     Friend making it look easy.                Image courtesy Surfing Australia

“To come so close and not be able to walk away with the USD$25,000 is disappointing, but in saying that placing second is still a great result” said Friend, & one that secures him a position in the Quiksilver Pro Trials at Snapper next month.

After a solid performance in the Billabong World Junior Championships last week at North Narrabeen, Chris Friend landed himself in the final of the Hurley Burleigh Pro Junior this week on the Gold Coast, Queensland Australia.

Friend was on fire throughout the event, looking virtually unstoppable in the small clean conditions, posting the highest heat scores of each round.

"Chris is gunna be good this year. He's dialed his equipment, that board looks flawless!" said Volcom Oz team manager, Matt Bemrose

Defeating Gold Coast's Mitch Crews in the semi-final, Friend debuted in his first final of the year, unable to get the better of Dean Bowen in a see-sawing battle.

Friend has maintained his 4th position on the 2010 ASP Australasia Junior Men’s Ratings & will be looking to go one better as the series heads to South Stradbroke Island for the Couran Cove Pro Junior later this week.

Chris is quite the avid Tweeter...

Follow his progress on www.twitter.com/thechrisfriend

We sent a bunch of our team kids down to Bells Beach to tackle the Bodizypher's (Point Break) 50 year storm prediction...

Laura Enever brought home 1st in the the event meanwhile taking out the 2009 ASP Australasian Pro Junior Series. Onya Laura!


Our mate Teal Vanner from Kangaroo Island was a definite standout in this event which was to mark the end of his Pro Junior career. He took home 3rd place... Well done Teale & welcome to the real world!


Chris Friend donned a spiffy new orange wetsuit for the event... at least it kept him warm! His overall ratings see Chris secure a position in the World Junior Championships at Narrabeen this coming January. Great work Friend!


Following in the footsteps of fellow Chilli ambassador Ben Dunn, Oscar made the trip from Old Barr (NSW) to show em what he's got. Oscar left an impression with his smooth style & attack... Keep tuned for more on the youngster!

Images © Surfing Australia