Form Guide Enever Hoping For Hometown Win

In: Form Guide by Stu Nettle 0 Comments Sun 31st Jan '10

Tags: laura enever , jim beam surftag , sarah leach

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A win at the Junior World Championship at her local beach of North Narrabeen this week will bode well for Laura Enever, 18, the next-gen of women's surfing.

The best up-and-coming talent in surfing has arrived on the northern beaches to challenge the world famous wave and fight it out for the title - a title which should earmark a future ASP world crown.

Local knowledge and a competitive upbringing among North Narrabeen Boardriders is one thing that no other professional female surfer has behind them, including Enever's ultimate rival, current ASP title holder Stephanie Gilmore.

Craig 'Tooky' Stefan, long-standing member of North Narrabeen Boardriders, says tribalism from local '2101' North Narrabeen surfers to protect the break, one of the most consistent on the east coast of Australia and in the world, is the secret to several surf champions the postcode has produced. He also says Laura will have what it takes to become the next female world champion.

"Laura, hands down, is our best prospect of a female world title holder - any girl surfer who wants a crack at North Narrabeen has to go on the same dog-eat-dog lifestyle that all of us went through, and that pushes them, it's a great training ground for a competitive young girl surfer."

"It's a competitive melting pot of surfers fighting their way through, and the girls are treated no different than the men."

"Laura, and any of the girls from the Jim Beam Surftag team, are a product of their environment," said Stefan.

For two years running North Narrabeen have claimed the Jim Beam woman's Surftag Australian crown, a five-member team event in which surfers, professional and amateur, compete for their local beach and qualify for the national final.

Elle Northery, 27, a member of the Surftag team says the culture at North Narrabeen helps produce champions, "The guys help push you, and there's a lot of surfers to look up to and observe to become a better surfer," said Northery.

Enever, who just returned from a last-minute trip with fellow surfers Stephanie Gilmore and Sally Fitzgibbons to P-Pass, Micronesia, ahead of the world junior championship this week agrees with Northery, and is passionate about her local club.

"I don't think I would be where I am today if I didn't grow up surfing around such amazing surfers. There is only a few girls that surf at North Narrabeen, but everyone is like a big family and has always pushed and supported us all, the girls even surf against the boys at North Narrabeen Boardriders which I think has been one of the best things for my surfing. I would love to one day add my name to the list of surfing champions from North Narrabeen," said Enever.

"To win a world title in front of my hometown would be amazing," said Enever.

The girls are up to round three in the Billabong event. Enever beat Tyler Wright and now comes up against Felicity Palmateer from Western Australia in the quarter finals. //SARAH LEACH

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