Oakley Pro Junior

ASP Grade 5 Men's Pro Junior event
North Stradbroke Island, Queensland
9 - 13 February 2010

Four Surfers Remain As 2010 Oakley Pro Junior Prepares To Enter Finals Day

North Stradbroke Island, Queensland -- Only four surfers remain in the running to be crowned champion of the prestigious 2010 Oakley Pro Junior with the event’s semi-finals and final to be held tomorrow on North Stradbroke Island (Queensland, Australia).

Number-one seed Mitch Crews (Currumbin, Qld), Matt Banting (Port Macquarie, NSW), Davey Cathels (Narrabeen, NSW) and Jodi Watson (South Coast, NSW) are the final four surfers left in the draw, which began earlier this week with a  field of 140 of the world’s best international junior surfers.

It was action aplenty today as the Grade – 5 AUD $30,000 event e ntered the pointy end of competition with Main Beach (North Stradbroke Island, Queensland) serving up a contestable 0.5m swell for the round-of-16 and quarter finals. In a close affair, Coolangatta (Qld) surfer Jack Freestone was narrowly eliminated in the quarter finals by good friend and fellow Gold Coaster Mitch Crews (Currumbin, Qld).
 
Freestone was edged out by just over one point with Crews scoring a combined two wave total of 12.50 (out of a possible 20) to Freestone’s 11.10.
 
Crews who is the current ratings leader, continues his absolutely stellar run during this year’s Australasian Junior Men’s series and advances through to the semi-finals where he will now meet Port Macquarie’s (NSW) Matt Banting for a place in the final.
 
“Wow, it’s a bit of mixed emotions winning that heat,” said a relieved Crews.  “Jack (Freestone) is a really good friend of mine and with the waves being a little slow today, some tactics had to come into play and its never fun knocking out your mates,” he said.

Meanwhile, Davey Cathels (Narrabeen, NSW) eliminated fellow Northern Beaches competitor Chris Salisbury (Newport, NSW) during the quarter finals.
In the closest heat of the day, Cathels registered a combined two-wave total of 14.50 (out of a possible 20) to Salisbury’s 14.15, with both surfers trading blows until the final siren before Cathels sealed the win with a 7.75 ride (out of a possible 10).

Cathels will now meet Jodi Watson (South Coast, NSW), who eliminated the last international competitor, Hawaiian surfer Alex smith. Concluding tomorrow, the 2010 Oakley Pro Junior is the first stop of Oakley’s international junior surfing series, which has grown to become one of the most notable in the world.

Top competitors from this week’s event will qualify for the October’s Oakley ASP World Junior Event (Bali), where they will compete for their share in the world’s richest junior surfing prize-pool of USD$75,000.

The Oakley Pro Junior is proudly supported by Xbox 360, ASP Australasia, Surfing Queensland, Waves Magazine, Red Bull, Stradbroke Ferries, Stradbroke Island Beach Hotel, Stradbroke Island Holidays, Redland City Council, surfermag.com, Surfing Magazine and wavewatch.com  
 
The Oakley Pro Junior will commence February 9 and conclude on February 13, 2010. 

Industry News 

New Quiksilver Store uses traditional Indo materials

ocated in the busy shopping area and the famous Monkey Forest Street in Ubud Bali, Quiksilver has just opened a brand new store showcasing the best of Quiksilver, Roxy, and DC surf, fashion, and streetwear products.

What makes the Quiksilver Ubud store so unique is the use of traditional materials such as the Silakarang Stone from nearby Gianyar, the environmentally friendly use of Bamboo and Rattan for it’s interior decoration which makes the store blend right in with the surrounding environment.

Michael Hirsiger, Quiksilver SE Asia Marketing Executive stated, “these elements combined with traditional Ubud materials, the hand painted local artists artwork on Quiksilver surfboards allows this store to be a hit with locals and tourist alike. Trully representing what Ubud is best known for, being the cultural capital of Bali”.

The new Quiksilver store offers a complete selection of apparel and accessories, ranging from board shorts and bikinis, to T’shirts and hooded sweatshirts, as well as full range of accessories like bags and back packs. Not only does the Ubud store incorporated Quiksilver and Roxy but also has a full range of the world famous footwear brand DC Shoes.

www.quiksilver.com