charlie holt

YOUNG gun Charlie Holt was just one good wave away from winning the men's event at the Port Macquarie Festival of Bodyboarding yesterday.

Holt took on a hot field in the final, including world champion Pierre Louis-Costes at breakwall and finished runner-up.

He beat Louis-Costes and Andrew Lester, but it was Jeff Hubbard who was too classy with a score of 16.13.

Holt was close behind on 13.43 in what was his grandest day.

It's the biggest result I've ever had in a competition and it was the hardest I've tried to go for a win, he said. "They were also the hardest guys I've ever come up against so it was a good experience.

Surprisingly, I was pretty confident because it was my home break. I know the waves more than they did, but they were too good. They can pick them.

The 18-year-old surfed his best week, beating top riders like Port Macquarie's three-time world champion Damian King.

He said he was simply in the zone.

I don't think I've had a rhythm this good in a competition, he said. It's definitely given me the confidence because it's shown that I can be competitive against these guys. If the wave came to me I could have got the win. They probably had the wave-knowledge up on me.

After Holt's heroics King attempted to win the drop knee event, but fell short to finish third behind Sacha Specker.

It was pretty frustrating,” King said after the final.

I knew I needed a 10 and I got the wave, but didn't handle the floater.

Despite surfing well, King said the day belonged to Holt.

That's a dream come true for him. To get second here in front of everyone would be pretty surreal for him, King said.

He's been a good kid growing up and I'm stoked that he went well. I'm probably happier that he went well rather than I went well, it was good to see.

In the women's event Isabella Sousa relished the breakwall location and won the final quite easily.

charlie holt

charlie holt

References:

charlie holt Image borrowed from:- http://www.saltwaterwine.com.au/charlie-holt/w1/i1001263/