Umina surfer takes out pro comp

Umina surfer Glenn Hall has taken out a pro surfing competition and claimed US$85,000 in prize money at Merewether Beach in Newcastle on March 14.

The 28-year-old nicknamed "Micro" won his first world surfing tour event after defeating South African Brandon Jackson.

The event was part of a competition that attracted around 650 competitors from around the world from March 2 to 14.

Hall, who competes under an Irish passport so he can enter European surfing competitions, contested his first world tour event at Newcastle 14 years ago when he was just a "grommet with a dream".

"I won $300 here when I was 14 and convinced Mum to let me use it to enter the Qualifying Series the next week," Hall said.

"I stayed at Warren Smith's house with Rhys and a heap of other groms.

"Newcastle has great memories for me."

After a week of mostly ordinary conditions affected by onshore winds and average surf, Merewether turned it on with blue skies and offshore winds for the final day of competition. The morning offered clean one to one-and-a-half metre waves and provided contestants with the opportunity to get some of the best scores of the week.

Thousands of locals and visitors descended onto Merewether to witness the final.

Fellow Umina surfer Drew Courtney bowed out of the competition in his quarter final event against Hall finishing with 13 points against Hall's 13.90 score.

Courtney is set to head to Bell Beach in Victoria at the end of the month as part of the Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour.

Website, 14 Mar 2010 Steve Robertson, Global Surf News Website, 17 Mar 2010 ASP World Tour