Mason Wins at Raglan

NZ surfer Airini Mason has scored her second Billabong Pro Junior Series title for 2007 by winning the girls’ division of the $13,000 Raglan leg. The 18-year-old beat pre-event ratings leader Sally Fitzgibbons (Gerroa, NSW) in the semi-final before defeating Ashleigh Smith (Cabarita, NSW) by 16.75 to 12.40 in the final. “I just had so much fun in that final,” said Mason. “I was lucky that those two bomb waves came my way and I’m really happy to win here in NZ. It’s so good to get a first place, it is the best place in the world.” Mason moved from Gisborne to Australia’s Gold Coast two years ago. In 2006 she became the first NZ female to win the Australasian Junior Series, at just 16 years of age. She is now top of the Pro Junior girls’ leader-board, with just four events remaining in the series.