Mitchel Ross edged out top seed Jackson Baker late in the final to claim his fourth Ray Richards Memorial Man on Man title at Merewether on Sunday.
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Ross, who last won the Merewether Surfboard Club event 16 years ago, defeated 19-year-old Baker 12.34 points to 11.17 points.
A remarkable re-entry on a wave in the final three minutes proved the difference for Ross, who joined former world junior champion Chad Edser as a four-time winner of the Ray Richards title.
They both sit one title behind all-time leader and championship tour surfer Ryan Callinan.
Ross had defeated Jake Sylvester in the semi-finals and Paul Parkes in the quarters after beating Mark Yazbeck.
Baker, who two weeks ago won a world qualifying series event in Japan, beat Paul Carroll, Marc Adam and Travis Lynch to earn his chance at a maiden win in the man-on-the-man event.
The Ray Richards event is named after the late father of four-time world champion Mark Richards, a Merewether club pioneer and one of Newcastle’s first surf shop proprietors.