Australian Matt Banting continued his devastating run of form at the Australian Open at Manly Beach, winning the Pro Junior competition as well as reaching the last eight in the ASP 6-Star event.

Banting posted the highest heat total of the event so far in the morning as he raced into the quarter-finals with a near-perfect 19.33 out of a possible 20.

The Port Macquarie native then returned to the water in the afternoon wrap up the Pro Junior title, flooring compatriot Tim Macdonald with his superior aerial display.

“I’m over the moon right now!” Banting said.

“I’ve been trying to win an ASP Pro Junior Series event for the last two years, I’m so happy! Tim (Macdonald) rips, just to be in a heat like that with him means a lot because we’re good mates. I just want to see how well I can do in the ASP 6-Star finals tomorrow.”

The rest of the day was also full of drama as top seeds Joel Parkinson of Australia and South African Jordy Smith both crashed out of the tournament.

Brazilian Alex Ribeiro made light of the small two foot (one metre) waves for a second straight day to beat Smith fell to another Brazilian Tomas Hermes in heat five.

“This is a dream for m.!” Ribeiro said.

“I am so happy, that was the best heat of my life! When I was little I would watch all of Parko’s movies and I remember watching him surf at home in Brazil, so to be in a competition with him is so good for me, but now I just have to try and focus on the quarter-finals.”

New Zealander Billy Stairmand also created a stir when he knocked out in-form Mitch Crews, coming from behind with a last-minute left-hander to defeat the Australian.

“I started off slow and I heard that Mitch (Crews) was getting some good scores down the beach, so I was lucky to get that good left at the end and get through the heat,” Stairmand said.

“I’m just stoked to start the year off good, this event is close to home and I’m having a great time.”

Australian Adrian Buchan managed to escape the curse of the seeds as he found two long lefts to beat Adam Melling.

“That was a good heat, it was a good test for me,” Buchan said. “Adam (Melling) looked really strong at this event, he’s been working hard over the last few months so it’s good to win that one.

“I just found some nice little lefts that did the trick for me. I like to take to air if I have to, and if the section is right, but I know my rail work can get me some big scores too. It’s been a good summer for waves at home, I haven’t surfed waves this small in a while, but I’ve got good boards that are working out there.”

In the women’s Junior Pro, Australian prospect Nikki Van Dijk claimed her second consecutive title, defeating compatriot Philippa Anderson.

“I’m so so happy!” Van Dijk said. “It’s a great start to the year, I know I said the same thing at the last event, but it’s still all sinking in.

“To win here at the first Australian Open means so much. The crowd on the beach is insane, I though it might make me nervous, but during the heat it just felt normal. The waves were good and Philippa (Anderson) just got unlucky that I caught the good ones.”

Round of 16 results:

Heat 1: Evan Geiselman (USA) 13.66 beat Kolohe Andino (USA) 10.00

Heat 2: Alex Ribiero (BRA) 14:50 beat Joel Parkinson (AUS) 11.90

Heat 3: Billy Stairmand (NZL) 13.67 beat Mitch Crews (AUS) 11.76

Heat 4: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 14.83 beat Adam Melling (AUS) 11.20

Heat 5: Tomas Hermes (BRA) 13.13 beat Jordy Smith (RSA) 12.24

Heat 6: Matt Banting (AUS) 19.33 beat Glenn Hall (IRL) 12.57

Heat 7: Jesse Mendes (BRA) 12.44 beat Peterson Crisanto (BRA) 12.00

Heat 8: Granger Larsen (HAW) 11.50 beat Keanu Asing (HAW) 8.00

Quarter-finals line-up:

Heat 1: Evan Geiselman v Alex Ribiero

Heat 2: Billy Stairmand v Adrian Buchan

Heat 3: Thomas Hermes v Matt Banting

Heat 4: Jesse Mendes v Granger Larsen

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