Siblings win wildcards for Cape Pro

Yallingup siblings Josh and Emma Cattlin have been selected as the local wildcards to compete in the Cape Naturaliste Pro next Thursday.

The four-day World Surf League Qualifying Series 1000 event will return for its second year and is Yallingup’s only internationally rated surfing event.

Josh, 19, and Emma, 17, were chosen by the Yallingup Boardriders Club to represent the Capes and it is hoped the Cattlins will ride a wave of success for an underdog win on their home breaks.

Emma has quickly grown to be one of WA’s best female surfers, capturing multiple State Championship titles earlier this year.

At 16, she represented Australia at the ISA World Junior Championships in the US and this year she claimed the prestigious Queen of the Point crown at Trigg.

Emma said it was an honour to represent Yallingup and to compete alongside her brother.

“Having World Surf League Qualifying Series events here in WA is such a massive opportunity and I look forward to playing host to a few girls from the east coast,” she said. “I really look forward to showing off this beautiful landscape and competing in the waves I know and love so much.”

Older brother Josh has also enjoyed a glittering junior career and has been a stand-out over the past few years.

Josh said he was hoping to get the all-clear to surf the event after a recent ankle injury.

“I wiped out pretty badly about 10 weeks ago and tore a bunch of ligaments and sustained some cartilage damage as well,” he said.

“I’ve been working with a great local physio, Trevor Lawrence-Brown, who has been amazing and helped Taj (Burrow) get back from his knee reconstruction.”

City of Busselton Mayor Grant Henley congratulated the local duo and said he was excited Yallingup surfers would get the chance to compete against an international field on home soil.

“It is great for Yallingup to host this qualifying event and it is such an amazing opportunity for these two wildcards,” he said.