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Australian
Jay Thompson is the Maitland Toyota Open champion for 2007. The
relatively unknown 24 year-old surfer from Burleigh Heads pocketed a cheque for
$US10,000 and grabbed 1500 valuable World Qualifying Series (WQS) ratings points
after his maiden win in a professional surfing event. 
Thompson,
who came third in the world U/18 Grommet titles in 2001, finished the tour last
year ranked 35th in the WQS ratings. His previous best result
in the pro ranks was 5th in a Super Series event in France in 2005. The
win at Merewether sees the former Australian U/16 title holder go to the 4 star
Central Coast Pro at 71st position in the WQS rankings. 
In
the final, Thompson (15.17points) defeated the Association of Surfing Professionals
(ASP) World Tour surfer Phillip MacDonald (12.67) of Cronulla in Sydney, who finished
12th on the elite tour in 2006. His highest individual wave
score in the final was an 8.17 to MacDonald's 7. 'Bottle' as
he is known to his mates around the world, started his campaign at Merewether
in the round of 64. 
This
was the first WQS event Thompson has surfed in 2007 after making the decision
to skip the surfing season's opening leg of WQS events in Brazil. "I
wasn't mentally prepared to start at the beginning of the year. I've been working
really hard on my fitness and doing heaps of training and I just felt the time
was right to surf here at Merewether. 
"We
do so much travelling, I just wanted to get everything right before starting out
on my one goal this year of qualifying for the main tour," he said. Thompson
rang his parents immediately after leaving the water, but they weren't home. "I'm
dying to tell them and they will be over the moon I reckon," he said. The
natural foot has a tattoo on his left torso dedicated to the memory of his older
brother Vaughn. His sibling died in a tragic accident on the
Gold Coast in 2005. Thompson said the only thing that could
have made the win sweeter was if Vaughn was here with him. "I
really miss him and I know he'd be happy for me to get this win today," Thompson
said. "I'd dedicate the win to him but I already dedicated
the win I had at the single fin classic at Burleigh in January, so I can't really
do it here as well. "But I'm thinking about him." Runner
up Phillip MacDonald said he was disappointed he could not continue the form which
saw him win all previous five heats since he began the competition in the round
of 64. "I really wanted to win, I've been surfing well
all competition but I just didn't get the waves," a deflated MacDonald said. Twenty-eight
year-old MacDonald, who finished 12th on the elite tour in 2006, said he was pleased
Thompson would have his name etched on the winner's trophy. "This
is good for Bottle. He needs the points and I don't, so good on him," he
added. Many of the competitors at Merewether will now drive
a hour south to Soldiers Beach on the New South Wales' Central Coast, where the
round of 256 in the 4 star WQS event commenced this morning. | 
