Next Generation Shines as Pro Junior Takes Over Day Three at Phillip Island Pro

CAPE WOOLAMAI, Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia (Saturday, February 28, 2026) – The best 20-and-under surfers from throughout the Asia Pacific (APAC) region hit the spotlight for day three of the World Surf League (WSL) Phillip Island Pro Qualifying Series (QS) 4000 and Junior Qualifying Series (JQS) events. Two-to-three-foot beachbreak peaks set the scene for the action at Cape Woolamai. Men’s Round of 64 and Round of 32 and women’s Round of 32 were completed in the JQS.

Current Challenger Series (CS) surfer Willow Hardy (AUS) utilised her reliable backhand attack to hammer multiple turns down the line and post a 7.83 (out of a possible 10), the highest single-wave score of the day for the women. The 19-year-old Western Australian is sitting just outside requalification for the CS this season. Though the JQS event carries no QS rankings implications, Hardy took a confidence boost from eliminating Ziggy Aloha Mackenzie (AUS), the surfer whose QS position she is aiming to overtake. Mornington Peninsula’s Sophie Wilkinson (AUS) also progressed from the heat, advancing into the Quarterfinals in second place behind Hardy. 

“I’m having the best time here, I always have such a fun time,” Hardy said. “The waves are super fun, a bit smaller today, but that little bank is so fun. Nice little rippable right. I’m feeling good. I’ve had a really fun start to the year. Obviously, I’m chasing a pretty big result to get back onto Challenger here, but I’m just having the best time. Like, not too much pressure on myself, I’ll just see what happens, but either way, I’m having so much fun.”

Ocea Curtis (AUS) and Rita Suzuki (JPN) also moved into the JQS Quarterfinals with solid heat totals. After a shock exit in her opening heat in the QS, Curtis was excited to get the win and progress along with Jasmine Studer (INA), who found a last minute buzzer-beater to claim second place.

Many of the standouts from the men’s QS 4000 carried their form into the Pro Junior, most notably Eden Hasson (AUS) and Dane Henry (AUS), who topped the Round of 64 performances. Hasson posted an excellent heat total of 16.50 (out of a possible 20) in the very first heat, before Henry continued his run of 9-point rides with a near-perfect 9.93 for an inverted full-rotation air reverse.

“It was a nice way to start off the Pro Junior campaign,” Henry said. “I got that 5.60 at the start, just surfed it real cruisy, nice and easy. That was our plan. Go out, get one, get the ball rolling, and then that set came through. I was going to do a few turns, and I just couldn’t help myself. The wind perfectly puffed up right as I was coming up to the section, and yeah, just centered. The back end of the heat probably needed some work to win the event. I’m going to need to tidy that up, but I’m really keen to get the ball rolling and get a pretty good score on the board.”

Others who have already bowed out of the QS had strong starts as they restarted their campaigns in the juniors, including Taj Air (AUS) and Okie Fraser (AUS), who both earned 8.33’s in the Round of 64. Fraser was later eliminated in the Round of 32 by Air and fellow Western Australian Maverick Wilson (AUS), who had also lost out in the same first heat as Fraser in the QS. Sammy Lowe (AUS), Ocean Lancaster (AUS) and Davi Glazer (AUS) also found redemption with strong junior performances. Glazer was happy to find his form on a clean, right wall to earn a 7.83 and win his Round of 64 heat, before advancing ahead of Henry into the Quarterfinals with a Round of 32 win.

“I had a bit of a shocker in the QS, so it’s good to get back out there and get the nerves out of the way,” Glazer said. “It’s super fun, the waves are really clean, really good sets. Let’s keep it rolling. It seems like it’s going to be pretty similar to this tomorrow, hopefully they’ll run us.”

The 2026 Phillip Island Pro QS 4000 and Pro Junior events will run at Cape Woolamai, Phillip Island, Bass Coast From February 26 to March 4, 2026. For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.