Manly surfer George Pittar has claimed his maiden Championship Tour (CT) win, beating four world champions in the process at the Margaret River Pro on 26 April.
George, 23, made his Rookie debut last year, and now sits at number two on the CT rankings. In typical Beaches style, George called the win ‘insane,’ saying the week of competition had been like a ‘dream.’
“(I got) gifted waves every time I was having a heat,” World Surf League reported. “I had three (match ups) in a row where I got a wave in the last minute. It’s just crazy.”
At the same competition last year, George got cut from the CT, so to return and triumph, beating three world champions in the process, left him ‘shaking.’
“That was a full dream coming up there,” George told WSL. “It’s so hard to win one of these comps. I can’t believe I did it.”
To win, George had to beat a string of Brazilians, including current world champion Yago Dora, and in the final, three-time champion Gabriel Medina.
“To go out in the final against Medina, who’s someone I’ve looked up to since I was a kid and such a crazy competitor, he’s just a giant in my book. To have him in the final and then win it, I don’t have too many words.”
Born in Vanuatu where he learnt to surf, George’s family moved to Manly in his early teens, where he developed his craft on the Beaches. He now heads to the Gold Coast for the third and final CT event in Australia for this season.
WorldSurfLeague.com