Merewether’s Jackon Baker etched his name in the history books by winning the hometown City of Newcastle Pro at the weekend.
He became the first Novocastrian male to hoist the Mark Richards Trophy above the head at Surfest, beating others such as Luke Egan, Matt Hoy and Ryan Callinan in claiming the feat.
The 2022 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) rookie surfed with incredible confidence all throughout the event, consistently posting high scores in every heat with the judges rewarding his trademark power hacks and impeccable wave choice.
But, Baker saved his best performance until the final.
He snared the highest two-wave total of the competition, a 15.50 (out of a possible 20) to secure the biggest victory of his career.
“To win this event on home turf and be able to dedicate it to my mum and repay the people who put this thing on every year feels amazing,” Baker said.
“To have my biggest win and MR (Mark Richards) be on the trophy is crazy.
“I had to think a lot about doing this event but thought it would be a good warm up for Bells.
“A few of those waves were quite Bells-like, so I want to head down there with this confidence and make the cut and bring on the rest of the year.
“This win means so much to me, my family and my community so I couldn’t be happier.”
In the final, Baker overcame former CT competitor and professional surfing veteran Nathan Hedge who, at 42, put on an inspirational performance to finish second, and only miss CS qualification by one spot.
Local hero and CT surfer Ryan Callinan finished third with Billy Stairmand from New Zealand fourth.
Meanwhile, Macy Callaghan captured the AAP Consulting Women’s Pro.
After falling off the elite CT at the end of 2021, she came into this year’s regional Qualifying Series unsure of which direction her career might take.
Following a win at the Central Coast Pro then backing it up at Newcastle with another triumph, Callaghan will be off to the Challenger Series as the regional top seed as she looks to re-qualify for the dream tour.
In the final, she surfed the perfect heat, only catching two-waves to post a solid heat total of 14.84 (out of a possible 20) to overcome South Africa’s Sarah Baum, who now resides in Newcastle, along with Kiwi Paige Hareb and Hollie Williams who each locked themselves in a spot on the Challenger Series.
“I feel like I’ve put in a lot of hard work over the years and to see it come back to me with two wins feels amazing,” Callaghan said.
“Especially that they’re both so close to my home – that’s really special.
“I’ve been competing at Surfest since I was 15.
“I won the cadet cup back then, then I won my first Pro Junior and now this – Newcastle has been good to me.
“This is a great way to finish the QS season and I’m looking forward to heading into the Challenger Series feeling positive and keen to give it a good go.”
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