By Natalee Kerr
Jan Juc surfer Xavier Huxtable has secured a spot at the WSL World Junior Championships following an impressive performance at the Pro Junior this week.
The 17-year-old told the Indy he was “stoked” to qualify at Jan Juc on Wednesday for the world titles.
“I’m really happy as it was a big goal of mine heading into this year,” Huxtable said.
“I was just trying to take it as it is and not get too worked up – stay calm and relaxed and take it heat by heat.”
After riding his way through the heats, quarter-finals and semi-finals, Huxtable scored a 8.15 and 6.95 wave in the final to progress to the world stage.
Placing third overall from Australia/Oceania, Huxtable claimed the last spot to represent the region at the world titles in Taiwan this November.
The Jan Juc teen said he surfed some “real fun waves” during the competition as his family watched on from the shore.
“Dad, mum, everyone was down there… it helped a lot having them there,” he said.
Huxtable first began surfing a decade ago in Torquay alongside his dad and “just fell in love with it”, he said.
The talented grommet said he hopes to “keep enjoying his surfing” with a dream to one day get a world title under his name.
Pro surfer Nikki van Dijk was the last Victorian before Huxtable to make the championships in 2012, according Surfing Victoria’s Liam Robertson.
“She won that year at the world juniors and then went onto qualify for the world tour, and has been on it since,” he said.
“So this is big deal for us and it’s just fantastic for Xav.”
