| Via World Surf League Stella Green (AUS) and Hughie Vaughan (AUS) have claimed victories at the 2025 Newcastle Pro Junior, the second event of the World Surf League (WSL) Australia / Oceania Junior Qualifying Series (JQS). The pair overcame a huge field of the region’s best 20-and-under surfers, all searching for a spot at the WSL World Junior Championships to be held later this year. After Day 1 saw super fun, clean surf at Newcastle Beach, Finals Day was contested in big, windy and challenging conditions at Merewether Beach with Green and Vaughan coming out on top. Stella Green (AUS) has claimed her maiden WSL victory at the Newcastle Pro Junior, claiming an impressive heat win in the Final, overcoming Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri (ESP), Meika Locke (AUS) and Sky Brown (GBR), who finished second, third and fourth, respectively. Green carried serious momentum into the event after finishing second at the recent Phillip Island Pro Junior, and with back-to-back career-best results, she now sits at No. 1 on the WSL Australia / Oceania regional junior rankings. Hughie Vaughan (AUS) has made the perfect return to competition after a few months out with injury, winning the Newcastle Pro Junior. It was Vaughan’s second win at a SURFEST Newcastle Pro Junior and has put him in a great position to return to the World Junior Championships after he had to withdraw injured from that event earlier this year. Vaughan was a standout all event and dominated the Final, where he took down Willem Watson (AUS), Lennix Smith (AUS) and Sol Gruendling (AUS), who finished second, third and fourth, respectively. “This is my first event back after having two months out of the water with an injury,” Vaughan said. “I’m definitely happy to be back on the horse and competing again. I’ve been doing SURFEST events forever now, and it feels like home. I stay in my own bed, so it’s just really comfortable for me. It’s super important to me to get back to the World Juniors, so it’s good to get a good start to the season.” The 2025 Newcastle Pro Junior ran at Newcastle Beach and Merewether Beach from May 17 – 18, 2025. |
Hughie Vaughan and Stella Green Win The 2025 Newcastle Pro Junior
