Forster's Ross Cadden is the 2020 King of the Box after taking out the open men's division of the prestigious surf contest at Port Stephens' Box Beach on Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 18-year-old beat highly regarded Central Coast competitor Sandon Whittaker, local talent Mike Clayton-Brown and Newcastle's Adrian Catt in the final and earned a handy $1000 winner's cheque for his efforts.
He was understandably stoked with the achievement.
"It was so good," Ross said.
"It's definitely the biggest win I've had in my career."
I'm just trying to surf as much as I can and see where surfing takes me.
- Ross Cadden
Held in small surf that deteriorated considerably throughout the day, Ross progressed through four heats before finding himself in great synch with the ocean in the final.
"I kept getting waves under everybody," he said.
"I was pretty lucky to get a couple."
To top it off, Ross returned to the Great Lakes on Sunday for Boomerang Beach Boardriders' last contest of the season and continued his winning ways by taking out the open men's final.
While it's yet to be officially announced, Ross believes the result was enough for him to take out his first ever club championship and have his name etched alongside his brother Shane's, who won the championship in 2019.
"I had to win the last comp to win overall," Ross said.
"It's the best feeling ever."
Having just completed high school, Ross now wants to turn his attention to chasing more contests, with the aim of giving the World Qualifying Series a crack in the future.
Ideally this pursuit will lead to him qualifying for the sport's elite circuit, the World Championship Tour.
"I'd love to get on the tour," Ross said.
"It's been a dream of mine since I was young."
You may also like: Surfing the Spectrum soon to hit Forster's shores
But while that lofty goal lies ahead, Ross has more immediate results to achieve, with a strong showing at the Australian Open of Surfing at Kiama on his radar this weekend.
Having suffered some tough losses earlier in the year, Ross says he's gained a lot of confidence from his recent results and feels like he's on an upward trajectory.
"I'm pretty happy with how I'm surfing," he said.
"I think I've got a bit stronger. A bit smarter as well.
"I'm just trying to surf as much as I can and see where surfing takes me."
Thank you for valuing local journalism with your subscription. While you're with us, you can also receive updates straight to your inbox from the Great Lakes Advocate. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, sign up here.
