Surf Coast local the one to watch

Jan Juc's Willis Droomer will be the one to watch in round two of the Victorian Open Series and the Victorian Masters Titles. (Liam Robertson)

The Mornington Peninsula is set for a big weekend in surfing with Round 2 of the Victorian Open Series and the Victorian Masters Titles heading to the open beaches of the region.

With points on the line to qualify for the Rip Curl Pro Trials, the Victorian Open Series will see the best surfers in the state battle it out at Gunnamatta Ocean Beach.

Current U16 ISA World Junior Champion and Open Series rankings leader, Willis Droomer (Jan Juc) will be the surfer to watch over the weekend.

Droomer has good history with the region, winning the Under 16 Woolworths Junior Surfing Titles event on the Mornington Peninsula in 2021.

On the Women’s side of the draw, local surfer Ava Holland (Dromana) sits atop of the rankings after taking out the first round of the series on the Surf Coast.

Holland will be looking to continue her red hot form from 2022, after winning the prestigious Skull Candy Oz Grom Open at Lennox Head as well as the final event in the Woolworths Victorian Junior Titles on the Surf Coast.

The Victorian Masters Titles will also be held on the weekend, re-igniting old rivalries with the best Over 35 surfers in the state converging for their annual gathering.

Surfers to look for include current Over 60’s Australian Women’s Champion, Gayle Main (Queenscliff), WorkSafe Tradies Challenge Champion Arthur McKenzie (Phillip Island) and multiple Victorian Champion Mark Walker (Seaford).

The Victorian Open Series Round 2 will be held on Saturday January 28 with the Victorian Masters Titles to be held on Sunday January 29.

Live scores, schedule and heat draws for the event can be found on surfingvic.com/live

The Victorian Open Series and Victorian Masters Titles is supported by QUIT Victoria, VicRoads Community Safety Grants, Cancer Council Sunscreen and Surfing Victoria.