Mushy and Robbo to slug it out for a 2010 Rip Curl Pro wildcard.

L-R Mushy & Robbo

Last year Adam Robertson showed us all what can be done by securing a wildcard into the Rip Curl Pro.

In case you've forgotten Robbo surfed through the trials, qualified for the main event and ended up coming 2nd to Parko in the final.

This is not the first time a wildcard has had a great result. In 2001 a 19 year old, Mick Fanning won the event as a wildcard.

Since then Fanning has gone on to win 2 World Titles.

This year the importance of the wildcard slot is magnified with the new, one WCT rating system.

In the past if you were a WQS surfer competing in a WCT event the competing surfer would not get any points to add to their overall year tally.

If the new system had been in place last year, Robbo's results would have elevated his ranking in the WQS substantially putting him in a position to possibly qualify for the 2010 WCT.

This year WQS surfers will not have to wait until 2011 to qualify for the WCT, but could qualify by mid year 2010. So it is very important for all surfers top get a good start to the season.

Robbo in the "Vic the Place to Be Trials" 2010 can he do it again?

There are 19 other surfers who would be very keen to eliminate him and stop him from going one better this year.

One who is, is his mate, local, Nic Muscroft former 2009 WCT surfer, attempting to re-qualify.

Nic will certainly have the fire in his belly to re-qualify. Has bucket loads of experience on his side to do the job.

16 Victorian surfers from the Pre Trials Event held Sunday 28th March. 4 of which will progress through to the Vic the Place to Be Trials, made up of 8 surfers held held Monday 29th March where they will battle it out for the one wildcard spot.

There are 3 wildcard spots for the event. 2 have already been allocated.

#1 16 year old Gabriel Medina from Brazil. Fresh off the back of a string great results, one of which was a 6 Star WQS win in Brazil.

Lets not forget Newcastle's skinny 16 year old Nicky Wood winning the Rip Curl Pro at Bells in 1987. It's only impossible until someone does it.

#2 Stuey Kennedy from Lennox Heads. This year Stuey is out to prove he's got what it takes to mix it with the best of the best.

By his own admission he would have been disappointed by his early exit as a wildcard from last years event. 12 months more experience on the grueling WQS. Making a WQS final in his first year on tour. The highest placed Aussie in the Billabong World Pro Junior event at Narrabeen early January this year under his belt, we'll see a different Kennedy

#3 The Victorian Trials wnner...who will that be? I guarantee you one thing, who ever it is, it will be an experience they will never forget. Surfers to watch Adam Robertson, Nic Muscroft, Jack Perry and former WCT surfer from Phillip Island, Glyndon Ringrose. Having said that, don't discount any of the trialists. They've all been given an opportunity for good reason, they all RIP!

The Girls!

Surfing Victoria has allocated four spots for the Pre Trials.

Amy Stewart (local), Nikki Van Dijk, George Fish, India Payne. The winner of the Pre Trials will surf against Tyler Wright in the Ford Fiesta Trials for a wildcard into the Rip Curl Women's Pro.

RANDOM PORTUGAL

Mushy on Portugal:

I rate the area really high for waves. There's always somewhere with swell, and heaps of the angles to the coast for good winds.

Comparisons..pretty good variety of waves here, so some are similar to home. The left from round 1 was similar to the one in the Canaries that I won last year. The water is pretty nice, a lot warmer than usual. Sweet in a short arm or steamer.

I'd definitely come back to get supertubes on, coz that place looks so good.

I've been staying with all the Quiksilver guys and I've just been hanging and surfing with them. Belly has hooked us up with a pretty nice house.

Food.. we have had a chef with us at the Quik pad so haven't eaten out much. It's usually really hard to find meals with veggies here so its amazing to have a dude cooking for us.

Can never go wrong with a Sunset. No matter where you are.

A pot of gold up for grabs.

Mushy and the Anchor Man stare down.

Photographer, Dan Warbrick, no matter what gear he uses, takes a great photo.

Wes Schaftenaar "International Man of Mystery" with giant killer Owen Wright. Can win this event!

Scotty Hargraves and a private conversation.

The brains trust, chowin' down. L-R Gary Dunne, Neil Ridgway, Arna Campbell & Claw, restraining himself from his trademark jump and hand rubbing.

Turn left at the tree that looks like a dog, then right at the dog that looks like a tree. Got it guys?

Thinking, thinking.

Former WCT surfer, now jetski driver, Phillip Island's Glyndon "Ringa" Ringrose

JT hard at work, Hmm, looks like he's just had a surf to me.

B1 at the entrance of crazy town.

Photos: Wes Schaftenaar

ANOTHER 17th IN PORTUGAL FOR MUSHY

The heat started slow with both surfers throwing down scores around the two mark.

Martinez snags a barrel on his forehand and gets the first real heat score of 6.50.

Mushy falls on his next two waves.

With around 12 minutes remaining Martinez finds another forehand barrel and scores 7.67.

Mushy's in combo-land.

Martinez holds priority. Mushy paddles deeper looking for a right. The previous heat Bede Durbidge scored an 8.67

on a great right hand barrel. Nothing seems to be working in Mushys favour. A quick in and out right.

Back on the lefts he picks off what looks like a great wave. First turn, throws up a critical upside down vert reo

and quickly into another, but unfortunately his back foot slips. Scores 3.97 essentially for one turn.

This wave would have put him back in contention if a little bit of luck had been on his side.

Picks off another left but doesn't offer much scoring potential. 3.67 for two turns.

With Martinez holding priority, Mushy resorts to a successful Slater tactic, and sneak waves under opposition priority.

Time runs out, in what was a slow heat for good waves.

Another 17th for Mushy's collection.

THE WAITING GAME IN PORTUGAL

With the trials done and dusted, the event is ready to go!

Unfortunately the waves didn't come to the party for an immediate start.

The whole place is buzzing in anticipation on the arrival of a big swell to eventually kick-off the event.

There are two swells being talked about at the moment, the first being six meters of open ocean due to hit tomorrow, and the following is five meter due for the weekend. So there will be no shortage of size. If the winds cooperate we should see plenty of action here at the Search CT in the first half of the waiting period.

I caught up with Surf Coast local "Mushy", former world champ, Mick Fanning and Ben Dunn the other day, and even though conditions have been small so far, they said they have been getting amongst it. They have also been busy getting their big wave quivers organized in anticipation of the big swells.

"Mushy" is pumped, and can't wait to sample a few barrels that "Super Tubos" has to offer. He's also more than ready, to shake off his string of 17^th place finishes. Hopefully the Surfcoast local can "break on through to the other side" Good luck Mushy.

Check out the Rip Curl Pro Search webcast LIVE via live.ripcurl.com

Wes Schaftenaar

Mushy & Dunny and extra's Photo: Zac Goates / Wes Schaftenaar

Nothing happening here. Photo: Zac Goates / Wes Schaftenaar

Juc with Spring Creek development in background. Photo: Dan Warbrick

Just like Juc, with fishing boats. Photo: Dan Warbrick

Grid lock. Photo: Dan Warbrick

Got nothing here. Photo: Dan Warbrick

Battle stations. Photo: Dan Warbrick

Waiting, waiting, waiting. Photo: Dan Warbrick

MUSHY'S JOURNEY TO THE WCT

Victorian surfers qualifying for the ASP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR, are few a far between, so when Jan Juc local, Nic “Mushy” Muscroft qualified for the 2009 tour there were a few celebrations in town.

"Mushy's" surfing journey started when he was 8 years old, when dad, Denis would take older brother, Nigel, surfing. Nic would tag along, but at the time, was more interested in building sand castles rather than surfing.

Born in Geelong and living in Bambra, the Muscroft boys went to “Deans Marsh Primary School”.

The closest waves to Bambra were at Fairhaven. It was along this stretch of coast that Mushy learnt to surf.

He joined the “Otway Boardriders Club” along with his dad and brother, and it wasn't long before he was winning the Cadet and Junior divisions.

In the late eighties the family made the move to Jan Juc.

The weekends in the Muscroft family were typical of an Aussie surfing family. Away competing in State rounds, or the newly adopted “Torquay Boardriders Club” contests.

Mushy continued to win. Finished year twelve at Oberon High School and then focused on his surfing.

After finishing in the top 10 of the Pro Junior Series, he jumped on the WQS merry-go-round.

In Hawaii 2006, after six years slugging it out, he came agonizingly close to qualifying for the WCT, but fell one place short.

2007 Mushy was first alternative for the WCT tour.

Hawaii 2008 was his big break-through and he qualified for the 2009 WCT.

The 2009 season so far, hasn't gone as well as he would have liked. Injury setbacks and just plain old bad luck, have slowed his ratings progress, but there have been positives along the way that justify his position in the top 45.

Nic has the Hawaiian leg of the WQS and WCT tour to look forward to in November and December.

Having tasted success in Hawaii before, it's a golden opportunity for him to take advantage of Hawaii's big powerful waves to climb up the ratings and re-qualify.

We wish him the best of luck and will be cheering him on from the Surf Coast.

Bustin' fins on his first new surfboard.

Oberon High School state champions team member.

Hawaiian poster boy!!