Santa Barbara’s Conner Coffin posted the highest score and upset defending champion Jack Freestone of Australia in the first round of the Oakley World Pro Junior surfing championship in Canggu Bali, Indonesia on Tuesday.
In a see-saw battle, Coffin won with 16.53 points. Freestone scored 15.57.
The lead went back and forth, but Coffin was given the edge with his powerhouse carves on the 3.5-foot waves at Echo Beach.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a heat against Jack (Freestone) before,” Coffin told the ASP. “It was super fun, there was no hassling, we were just taking turns on waves. It was sick! We’re friends and there’s no hard feelings, he came up and high-fived me afterwards, and that’s the way I like to compete.”
