PORT Stephens’ rising international surfer Eden Hasson is savouring one of his proudest achievements in the 2024-25 World Surfing League (WSL).

The reigning Australian Under 18 national champion from Boat Harbour claimed a top five finish at the recent 28th Siargao International Surfing Cup in the Philippines.

Regarded as the most prestigious surf contest in the Philippines, the gifted Hasson reached the quarter-finals of the coveted WSL Qualifying Series 5000 event staged at Cloud 9 – the country’s premier surf break.

Eden registered 12.23 points in his quarter-final showdown with top ranked Filipino surfer John Mark Tokong (17.70).

The Siargao-born surfer, who was the winner of this year’s La Union International Pro, advanced to the semi-finals where he was eliminated by Victorian Xavier Huxtable.

Tokong, who is popularly known as “Marama”, is the first Filipino to qualify for the WSL Challenger Series and currently ranked number four in Asia.

Gold Coast sensation Oscar Berry was crowned champion in his first-ever WSL Qualifying Series final, edging out fellow countryman Huxtable with 11.90 points to 11.56.

Anna Bay’s Josh Stretton, 22, also produced top quality surfing to reach the round of sixteen, registering 10.50 points to finish ninth overall – only to be pipped by the emerging Huxtable (10.83) and local hero Tokong (11.10).

Huxtable (11.40) set up an all-Australian final when he eliminated the 28-year-old Tokong (9.34) in their semi-final showdown.

Earlier, Hasson took full advantage of the four-foot sets at Cloud 9, with some exceptional barrels, to blitz his second-ever heat in an international qualifying series.

The 18-year-old opened the final heat of the day by driving deep in the barrel and toying with the foamball, to post the highest single wave score of the event, a near-perfect 9.10.

He then backed it up with a 7.17 to post an impressive 16.27 (out of a possible 20) heat total.

Eden and Josh backed up their strong showings in Siargao by reaching the round of 32 at last week’s Taiwan Open of Surfing at Jinzun Harbour in Taitung County.

After mastering the three to five foot surfing conditions in the early rounds, Hasson finished a creditable 25th and Stretton an impressive 17th in a quality field.

Gold Coast’s reigning world junior champion Sierra Kerr, 17, won both the women’s Siargao and Taiwan Open of Surfing events to chalk up her fourth career qualifying series victory.

By Chris KARAS