Oakley Pro Junior

Grade 2 ASP Pro Junior Event
Lower Trestles, San Clemente Ca.
24 - 28 April 2007

ASP GRADE 2 OAKLEY PRO JUNIOR RETURNS TO LOWER TRESTLES APR. 27-28, 2007

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 28 March, 2007 : - - San Clemente, Ca.-- Primedia's Action Sports Group (ASG) is pleased to announce the return of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Grade 2 Oakley Pro Junior to Lower Trestles, San Clemente, Calif., Apr. 27 and 28, 2007.

Held in conjunction with the Jeep-Body Glove Surfbout, the event is the first stop of the Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series (an ASP North America Specialty Series) and boasts a $10,000 prize purse for the juniors, as well as an additional $5,000 purse and points bonus for the top points winner for the series.

32 of the leading American and international surfers under the age of 20 will compete for the cash and valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the annual ASP Billabong World Junior Championships. “The 2007 Oakley Pro Junior series is a crucial event for America’s top junior professionals vying for a seed into the ASP World Junior Championships,” Ronny Nelson, surf marketing manager, Oakley, Inc., said. 

“Now with a Trifecta bonus and increase grade rating for the ASP North American Championships there’re more points available for our juniors and good money on the line for both domestic and international competitors. Oakley is stoked we can help grow the opportunities for the future of the sport.”

“The Oakley Pro Junior series provides an opportunity for the top junior surfers in the world to compete against each other at the best venues the U.S. mainland has to offer,” Sean Nielsen, director of event operations, Action Sports Group, said. “The level of competition is already amazing and with the addition of the junior division to the Macy’s California Trifecta and Grade increase, we are looking forward to a very competitive start to the series at the Jeep-Body Glove Surfbout.”

Aligning the top-rated international junior competitors against the highest-rated ASP North American juniors, the Oakley Pro Junior’s small field and competitive draw demands each surfer perform at the top of his ability. There are 12 ASP North America Pro Junior events scheduled in 2007, three of which are part of the Oakley Pro Junior Series.

Each event offers the domestic competitors important points toward the year-end standings and a chance to receive entry into the ASP North American Championships which plays a key factor in deciding who will go on to the 2008 Billabong ASP World Junior Championships.

The Billabong ASP World Junior Championships has crowned past champions such as Foster’s ASP World Tour pros Joel Parkinson (AUS), Andy Irons (HAW), Adriano de Souza (BRA) as well as reigning ASP World Junior Champ Jordy Smith (ZAF). Last year, Eric Geiselman (New Smyrna Beach, FL) won the kick-off Oakley Pro Junior event at Lower Trestles and went on to lead the points race for the remainder of the ASP North America Junior Series.

Coming off a win at the Ezekiel Pro Junior, which ran in conjunction with the Van’s Pier Classic, this past weekend in Huntington Beach, Geiselman will no doubt return to Trestles this year to try to defend his title and once again chase the crucial points needed to make it to the ASP World Junior Championships.