By CHERIE DONNELLAN
JAN JUC surfer Jack Perry was a big winner in the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach over Easter.
Perry finished first in a trials competition to earn his place in the main event then won an “expression session” before the men’s finals on Tuesday.
Perry confessed he was “surprised” to reach the main event, saying just competing was something “to tick off [his] bucket list”.
Perry dropped out of the pro running after losing successive heats against competitors including reigning world champion Joel Parkinson.
He posted a score of 8.87 in the first round against three-time Rip Curl Pro winner Parkinson then lost his second-round sudden-death heat despite improving on the scoreboard with 12.17, short of heat winner Brazlian Gabriel Medina’s 15.90.
Perry won $1000 for his performance in the 20-minute expression session.
Brazilian surfers dominated the heats, with Adriano de Souza, William Cardoso and Filipe Toledo entering the quarter finals.
De Souza, 25, went on to ring the bell with a final score of 16.26, pipping American competitor Nat Young’s 15.83.
Australian surf stars Mick Fanning and Parkinson expressed disappointment after early knockouts in the finals.
Taj Burrow was the only remaining Australian to compete in the semi-finals before losing to rookie Young.
