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

Oakley Pro Junior Series

Tour stops hit Australia, Japan, France, California, South Africa, Brazil & Indo

After two years of building the most notable Pro Junior series on the planet, the Oakley Pro Junior Global Challenge has evolved into a fully sanctioned Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) series of events including the first stop on the new multi-event ASP World Junior Tour.

The Oakley ASP World Junior Tour event, formerly the Championship event of the Oakley Pro Junior Global Challenge, has become the first stop on the 2010 ASP World Junior Tour, running at the high-performance wave of Keramas in Bali from October 2-13, 2010.

The event will continue to boast a massive $75,000 prize purse for the men's division and expand from an18-man to a 48-man field made up of six representatives each from ASP Australasia, ASP South America, ASP North America and ASP Europe, five representatives each from ASP Africa, ASP Hawaii and ASP Japan, as well as, additional wildcards. The event will also include a women's division with a field of 18 vying for a $20,000 prize purse.

The addition of the Oakley World Junior Tour event will help crown the undisputed ASP World Junior Champions who will be the male and female surfer ranked No. 1 after the completion of the ASP World Junior Tour.

"Oakley is excited to be part of such a major change to junior surfing around the world," said Ronny Nelson, Oakley Sports Marketing Manager. "This revolution, that the Oakley Pro Junior Global Challenge helped spur, is long overdue. Surfers will now have more than one chance to prove who is the top junior, which will help determine a true champion. We have high expectations for our event in Bali this year. The world's best juniors will compete during optimal conditions at Bali's best high performance right-hand reef break of Keramas."

Over the past several years, Oakley has hosted a series of ASP-sanctioned regional Pro Junior events around the world that have also served as qualifiers for the Oakley Pro Junior Global Challenge in Bali. Oakley is maintaining its commitment to the world-wide regional events, which will continue to provide crucial ASP regional points to qualify for the World Junior Tour events.

This year's Oakley Pro Junior series kicks off Tuesday, Feb. 9-13 at North Stradbroke Island, Queensland, Australia with a $25,000 ASP Grade-5 men's event.

Oakley Pro Junior

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

Brazilian Surfers Lead International Charge On Day-One Of The 2010 Oakley Pro Junior

North Stradbroke Island, Queensland -- Two up-and-coming Brazilian surfers, Peterson Crisanto and Marco Fernandez lead a host of internationals dominating proceedings on day-one of the 2010 Oakley Pro Junior.

Held in tricky 0.5-1m conditions at Adder Rock, one of North Stradbroke Island’s (Queensland, Australia) lesser known breaks, Crisanto and Fernandez today signalled their intentions as one of the favourites to take out first prize in the Grade – 5 AUD $30,000 event.

Fernandez opened his account in one of the first heats on the day, registering a combined two-wave total of 13.35 (out of a possible 20) before Crisanto backed up his countryman with 15.60 (out of a possible 20) both easily advancing through to round-two.

Running from February 9-13, The 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. Also impressing in his first round heat was American star Nat Young, with the Californian continuing his great form throughout a string of Australian Pro Junior events this summer.

Young advanced through his heat with a combined two-wave total of 12.50 (out of a possible 20) eliminating Blake Levett (Palm Beach, Qld) and Michael Mallalieu (New Zealand) who finished third and fourth respectively. 

This week’s Australasia Oakley Pro Junior will spearhead 2010’s international series which includes competitions in South Africa, USA, Brazil, Japan, and Europe - culminating in Bali with the Oakley ASP World Junior Event, which has just been confirmed as part of the brand new ASP World Junior Tour (WJT).

The Australasian Oakley Pro Junior is one of the richest and most prestigious professional junior surfing events in the world and the event’s lineup reflects that.

Team News

Billabong re-signs Saffas Joubert, Staples, Bromley

 In a significant moment for South African Surfing, Billabong has announced the resigning of three of SA’s top junior surfers onto their Pro Junior Team.  Dale Staples, Matt Bromley and Shaun Joubert have all resigned contracts with Billabong thus ensuring their respective positions on the fabled Billabong Surf Team for another few seasons to come. 

Shaun Joubert (18), who hails from Mossel Bay in the Eastern Cape has been heralded as a contest and freesurfing freak. His 3rd place in the U16 divsion of the ISA World Surfing Games, multiple Billabong Junior Series Titles, as well as multiple SA Championship wins all bear testament to his calculated, polished approach. 

Yet Shauns’ freesurfing is where he also excels and his highly acclaimed section in Billabong’s latest international film, Still Filthy,  as well as numeorus magazine cover spreads and video sections have gained Shaun both local and international respect and one of the worlds top up and coming junior surfers.  
After recently completing matric and having just returned from a magazine surf trip to Morrocco, Shaun now heads off to Australia to compete in the Australian Pro Junior Tour as well as a select number of World Qualifying Series events.

On top of his competetive schedule, Shaun has alo been invited to attend the Billabong International Pro Junior Camp in Hawaii later this year, after which he returns to South Africa to compete in the Pro Junior Tour as well as secure a place in the the Von Zipper wildcard trials for a spot in on one of the most antcipated W.C.T events of the year; The Billabong Pro J-Bay. 

“I'm really happy to resign with Billabong,” said Shaun. “I hope together we can reach the top and achieve great things on the way there.”
When asked what his objectives looking forward were, “My main goals for the year are to win South Africa's pro junior tour, and gain as many WQS points as possible - aiming to at least end in the top 80.” answered Shaun.

Long time friend and equal charger, Dale Staples (19) who resides in the picturesque town of St.Francis Bay is arguably one of the most naturally gifted surfers to come through the SA Junior Ranks. An incredibly stylish, clean boosting, barrel-master, Dale has the full repertoire and natural-born talent to really turn heads in international competitive and free surfing circles. 

Dales numerous competitive accolades are as well established as his free surfing ability and include the Rip Curl International Grom Search Champion title, the inaugural Billabong Challenge Champion as well as multiple Billabong Junior series wins. 

Perhaps his most acclaimed competitive success came this past year when Dale ploughed his way past some of the best Junior Surfers in the world to claim 3rd place in the Billabong Junior Series event in the cooking barreling waves of Keramas in Bali. 

Like Shaun, Dale now heads to Australia to ply his trade in the highly competitive Australian Pro Junior Series. He then returns to South Africa to compete in the local Pro Junior Series as well as Battle it out in the Von Zipper Wildcard Trails for a spot in the highly anticipated Billabong Pro J-Bay W.C.T event in July this year. 

“I’m amped to secure my future with Billabong again” said Dale. “Apart from the incredible privilege of surfing with such amazing surfers, I’ve always loved the Billabong Brand, particularly the product so I’m stoked to know I’ll be wearing Billabong clothing for the next couple years”

Local Big Wave charger and Barrel Master, Matt Bromley (18) completes this illustrious Billabong Junior Surf Team. The Capetonian Charger from Kommetjie, like Shaun, has also just completed school, although his age belies his credibility as one of Cape Town’s most prominent big wave, cold water barrel riders.

Industry News

Ventura, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz represented in Tribute to the Masters Shape-off presented by US Blanks

- Encinitas -- Foam will be flying during the Tribute to the Masters Shape-off presented by US Blanks honoring Santa Barbara legend Renny Yater. Six premier California shapers have been chosen to replicate a classic Yater design. The shapers are Todd Proctor, Nick Pallandrini, Dennis Ryder, Michel Junod, Matt Moore and Wayne Rich. 
  
"For me, to be asked to participate, it's the honor of a lifetime," said Santa Barbara shaper Wayne Rich. "Renny is a shapers shaper, and a man I've looked up to for a very long time. In my mind he's the classiest gentlemen in the surfboard building business, and he's been a great mentor to me."
  
The six shapers will each be allotted two hours in the US Blanks shaping bay in which to replicate a classic Yater Spoon. The Yater Spoon, a board that won the heart of Miki Dora, as well as thousands of other surfers, is not an easy board to craft. The shapers will be put to task as the Yater Spoon offers unique volume changes, bottom roll and rail foils. The winning shaper will receive a check from US Blanks for $1000.
 
The Tribute to the Masters Shape-off presented by US Blanks is part of the Sacred Craft Consumer Surf Expo weekend, to be held April 10 & 11 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. In addition to the shaping competition, there will be a vintage surfboard and surf memorabilia 'Antique Roadshow' event, additional live shaping, laminating, hundreds of state-of-the-art surfboards, wetsuits, surf gear, live music, art, surfboard demos, Primo beer, movies, giveaways, and tons of fun. 
 
WHO:         Surfers, Shapers, Designers, Craftsman, Manufacturers
WHAT:       Surfboards and the culture that flows from them.
WHEN:       April 10 & 11 2010; Sat. 10am-6pm; Sun. 10am-4pm
WHERE:     Ventura County Fairgrounds @ C Street
WHY:         Because surfers really only care about two things; waves and the equipment to ride them with.
HOW:         $10 at the door includes TransWorld SURF subscription and door prizes including surfboards and one week stay at Joyo's G-Land Surf Camp.  

www.sacredcraftexpo.com

ISA Updates

ISA President Fernando Aguerre Announces Key Hire  |

 La Jolla -- The International Surfing Association (ISA) President, Fernando Aguerre, today announced that Bob Mignogna will be joining the ISA Staff in the newly created position of Director General on March 1st, 2010. 

Mignogna is the former VP of Operations for ASG’s publications (Surfing, Surfer, Skateboarder, Snowboarder) and one of the founding advisors of the Surf Industry Manufacturer’s Association, SIMA. Since 2003, he has built a successful strategic planning consulting business concentrating within the surf and skate industries. 

ISA President Fernando Aguerre said: “The continued growth of the ISA including its National Federations (NGBs) and our push for surfing’s inclusion in the Olympic Games requires the creation of the position of Director General.  Bob’s business experience, knowledge of the industry, and love for surfing are an ideal mix for this job.  I will continue to serve as President and act as the CEO of the ISA, while Bob will focus on the execution of the strategies and business plan set by the ISA Executive Committee and its member federations.”

Reporting to Aguerre, Mignogna will manage the day-to-day operations of the La Jolla based International Federation and governing body of the sport, as recognized by the International Olympic Committee.  He will support Aguerre in overseeing continued development of the ISA’s feature event properties, the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship and the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games, as well as helping to develop all other aspects of ISA’s worldwide programs, including efforts to bring surfing into the Olympic Games. 

“The ISA, under the leadership of Fernando Aguerre has done an admirable job building the sport’s infrastructure on every continent in the world,” says Mignogna.  “It is clear to me that the ISA has been a strong force in surfing’s explosive worldwide growth during the last decade.  The ISA’s agenda is to continue its work towards a better surfing future for all surfers around the world, something very close to my heart.”

About the International Surfing Association (ISA): The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the World Governing Authority for Surfing. It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running world championships since 1964 and the Junior World Championships since 1980.

ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of over 50 countries on six continents. Its headquarters are located in La Jolla, California. It is presided by Fernando Aguerre, first elected in 1994 in Rio, and re-elected six times since. The ISA's four Vice Presidents are Alan Atkins (Australia), Robin de Kock (South Africa), Mike Gerard (USA) and Karín Sierralta (Peru). 

www.isasurf.org

Surf Health

Surfers and bankers join forces on the beach for skin cancer

 Surfing Australia and Suncorp today launched a new partnership aimed at spreading the SunWise message nationally, specifically targeting Australian surfers and beachgoers in 2010.
 
Sunshine Coast surfers Grant Thomas, Blake Wilson and Dimity Stoyle joined Suncorp staffers on Mooloolaba beach to launch the new partnership. Surfing Australia CEO Andrew Stark said he was excited to be partnering with Suncorp on such a vital health issue.
 
“We are very happy to be working with such a dynamic financial services provider to deliver the important SunWise message to surfers across Australia,” Mr Stark said.  Suncorp Bank Executive General Manager for Marketing Mark Reinke said working with Surfing Australia would allow Suncorp to reach more people with its skin cancer message.
 
“The partnership will give us access to surfers and beachgoers at events across Australia where we can deliver the skin protection message to the people who need it the most,” Mr Reinke said. “The new relationship with Surfing Australia represents the start of an exciting new chapter for the SunWise program. ....

Sorted Surf Festival 

Boscombe, Bournemouth UK
20 - 21 March 2010

Boscombe, Bournemouth to host first contest at new venue

 Sorted Surf Shop is pleased to announce the first Surf Contest on the newly completed artificial surf reef at Boscombe, Bournemouth. Sorted will be joining forces with many of the surf industries giants to bring a surf contest and festival to the beach at Boscombe. March 20th and 21st are two days to keep in your diary.

The weekend will consist of Surfing and Bodyboarding competitions and there will be activities and demonstration stands with equipment for all to try. The contest categories will consist of a Mens Open, Mens 35+, Ladies Open, and Juniors (under 18's). The contest will also host the first leg of the British Bodyboarding Annual Championships.

Exciting prizes will be provided by the events main sponsor Rip Curl while demonstration equipment to try out will be provided by Tiki, Rusty & Firewire for surfboards, Jimmy Lewis & Tiki for Stand Up Paddle Boards, BIC will have Kayaks and Indo Board sessions will be operating throughout the day. Gul team riders Mar "Igor" Harris and Russel Winter will be in attendance to give advice and sign autographs for all who show on the day.

Bede Blogs

Boards follow trend of Dane Reynold's Dumpster Diver

- Ever since Simon Anderson’s breakthrough with the thruster, surfers on the pro tour have looked for any design edge they can get. Board design is a constant evolution and if there’s any way for those of us on the Pro Tour to improve our performance, we’ll go looking for it. My break since Hawaii has revolved around my fitness regime and some board experimentation.

Kelly is a guy who in the past 12 months has shown the courage and innovation to experiment with design.  More and more guys on the tour are doing the same. I’m not going to be wheeling anything radical out but my long-time shaper at Mt Woodgee, Wayne McKewen, and I have been playing around  with our smaller wave equipment over the past month or so. The catalyst was Dane Reynolds’ outstanding surfing at last year’s Hurley Pro at Trestles and in Europe.

Wayne and I are on both on the same wave-length and when I got back he said out loud what I was already thinking: “Did you see that board Dane was riding? We gotta take a look at that.” Dane called the board design something like a “dumpster diver”.  We like to call them “bullets”.

Wayne, myself and Woody (a cool guy who owns the shaping machine we use if I get pre-shapes) started working on a couple of our own designs similar to what Dane has been riding. The concept works best for me in the 5’7 to 5’10 range and I’ve had some amazing boards off it!

I’ll still be taking on tour and using my normal handcrafted 6'2s off Wayne but if it’s around two or three foot, the ‘Bullets’ just go so good.  I’ll definitely have a couple in my board bag on tour this year.  I had plenty of opportunity to test the boards over January on the Gold Coast. It was a poor month of waves but with it being so small I’ve been able to work on the repertoire you need nowadays for anything under head height.

The Bullet has definitely helped me there.  They just fly and are so good for airs. The swell finally kicked up recently and we had some fun waves at
Kirra the other day where I rode a 5'8 out there that just went insane.  I still think they work best in beachies around two or three foot but there are also possibilities there in slightly bigger surf too......