WALLABI Point's Luke Reading will have a big say in who wins the world women's surfing championship in Hawaii this month.
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Reading jets off to Hawaii on Friday to judge the Target Maui Pro, the final event of the tour.
The title will be won by one of three Australians, Stephanie Gilmour, Sally Fitzgibbons or Tyler Wright. Gilmour has 64,200 points, Fitzgibbons 60,700 and Wright 59,400.
"Not only are they all from Australia, they're all from NSW too, so that's good news for the Blues,'' Reading said.
"It's going to be interesting.''
He admits he feels more pressure going into this round knowing that the world championship hangs on the result.
"The pressure's going to be amplified a bit,'' he said.
Surfing is set down to start on November 22. Reading has heard some big swells have started to come in at Hawaii, which will be a further test for the surfers.
"The women handle them pretty well, they get in and have a go anyway,'' he said.
Reading is living the dream. He admits he lives an idyllic lifestyle. He's not long back from Portugal where he judged a men's world tour event, won by Australian Mick Fanning. Earlier this year he was in Tahiti and Brazil. "I've been to a couple of other countries as well,'' he said.
"I'm not home too often.''
He not only judges world tour events but qualifying rounds as well.
Judging rounds on either the men's of women's tour or world qualifying events is now virtually his occupation, mixed with running the Saltwater Surf School.
He's in an elite group of 10 to 12 judges worldwide.
"Once you get to this level it's pretty well a fulltime job,'' Reading explained.
"There are regional judges who are still part-time.''
Reading started judging on the world stage about five years ago.
It was initially his goal to surf on the world tour when he was younger.
However, when he realised that wasn't going to happen, he turned his attention to judging.
At 27 he's one of the youngest judges on the tour.
"I'm about 10 years younger than most of the other guys,'' he said.
"So I have some catching up to do.''
Hawaii will be his last official engagement for 2014.
"I'll have a bit of a break after this and then get ready for next year,'' he said.
