At just 18, Victorian Ellie Harrison knows she has time on her side to make the Championship Tour.
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And it was the same measured, patient approach that helped her secure her biggest win to date on Sunday when she beat Kiwi Saffi Vette 14.16 to 11.4 in Surfest's Newcastle Racecourse Women's Pro at Merewether.
Harrison was in control throughout, racking up early scores of 5.0 and 6.17 to leave Vette chasing a 5.41 at the halfway mark.
She extended the lead with a 7.83 then a 6.33 from two-turn frontside combos. It meant Vette needed an 8.39 in the final 10 minutes, a score she was unable to find.
Harrison was already assured of a Challenger Series spot but Sunday's 5000-point win gave her top place in the regional qualifying series.
"I've got such a soft spot for Newcastle and this event, I've always wanted to win it," Harrison said.
"I've seen Bronte [Macaulay], Macy [Callaghan], so many amazing surfers win it, so I'm just so grateful to take the win and it was the goal.
"I'd got a few seconds before this event and I'm just really happy."
She was 12th on the Challenger Series last year and was keen to push higher in search of a top-five finish and the CT.
"I had a crack last year and I did better than I thought, so this year the goal is to qualify," she said.
"But it's like this event, take it heat by heat, event by event and just take my time. I've got years ahead of me so I'm not rushing."
Vette joked to friends after the final that Harrison "smoked me" but she was ecstatic with her Surfest campaign.
The 22-year-old, who will surf for New Zealand at the Olympics this year, defeated former CT competitors Nikki Van Dijk and Macaulay to make the final and the CS.
"I'm really stoked. I had to do really well here to qualify," Vette said.
"I feel like I had the really hard side of the draw, so to beat all those girls is crazy to me. That's a win in itself.
"I've looked up to those girls for a long time and I knew they weren't going to hand it to me, so it was just to keep my composure and confidence.
"Just sticking to my guns was really important, so I'm glad I did.
"Ellie got a few good corners and I just couldn't scrape into anything that could give me two turns, and that's what let me down.
"But I'm happy with my surfing and I'm really stoked with how I surfed today, so all's good."
Merewether's Philippa Anderson bowed out on Saturday in the round of 16 but she still made the Challenger Series.
Anderson was ranked second on the Australia/Oceania standings before Surfest, which is the qualifying series finale. She dropped only one spot.