Europe's best juniors sight on World Jr Champs

Maxime Huscenot © ASP / Rowland

Team Updates

Europe’s Best Under-21 Prepares for the ASP World Junior Championships

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 2 October, 2012 : - - This year’s ASP Men and Women’s World Junior Champions will be decided over one single event starting this Saturday, October 6, at the Oakley ASP World Junior Championships Bali. The European contingent has been preparing for this final stage of their Junior season and readies to start their Indonesian campaign in just about five days. Maxime Huscenot (FRA) 20, 2009 ASP World Junior Champion, will be competing as a junior for the last time at the Oakley ASP World Junior Championships Bali. Huscenot’s smooth style and competitive experience will see him enter the event as one of the favourites to take it out.

“I’m feeling good and have good boards at the moment,” Huscenot said. “I’ve been working hard lately, I’ve trained physically since last year and I have a good rhythm going. This is my last opportunity as a junior so I’m going to surf with hopes of clinching the World Title ! I know the wave pretty well and it is very similar to my home wave in Reunion Island.”

Joining him in the Men’s division will be our 2012 European Junior Champion Ramzi Boukhiam, along with Frederico Morais, Vicente Romero and Vasco Ribeiro. Boukhiam (MAR) 19, had a stellar year so far claiming the regional title and his inaugural Star Tour win in the ASP 6-Star San Miguel Pro Zarautz this summer.

“I’m feeling great and relaxed,” Boukhiam stated. “I’m going there to win, a couple years ago I only made a couple heats, but this year I want to go far ! I don’t have a specific preparation, but I’m working hard with my coach Yannick who’s also preparing me mentally. I know a little bit the spot of Keramas, and I love it !”

Frederico Morais (PRT) 20, has also participated in the World Junior Championships in the past and will try to build on his experience to net a good result and put an end to a great 2012 season that saw him rank fourth in Europe. “I think the World Juniors is the most important event for juniors, so I´m stoked that I qualified again this year. Bali is a great place and I´ve been going there for some years now and always got fantastic waves. I´m feeling good, had a good year end with four finals in five PJs, I´m in shape and very motivated so I think I´m ready to do a good contest. Looking forward to it !!”

Vicente Romero (ESP) 20, will participate in his first major international event this week in Bali and fly the Spanish flag amongst the World’s Best Juniors. With an excellent second place in Gran Canaria to start the season, a win in Sopelana and a third place in Lacanau, Romero has been a consistent front-runner in the race for the Regional title and will be one more chance for a European medal comes the event in Indonesia.

“I trained a lot before the start of the Junior season both mentally and physically, specifically for the objective to qualify, so I’m really stoked to go to Keramas, and with only one event to decide the Title, I’ll give everything I have !!” Romero commented. “I’ve only been to Uluwatu, but I saw last year’s images with the amazing rights, so I’m keeping my good boards for the occasion ! It’ll be so much fun to surf man-on-man heats in perfect waves, we’ll see how it goes ! I have no sponsors at the moment, and this is a big opportunity so I’m super focused on this event !”

Cannelle Bulard (REU) 18, who claimed her European Junior Champion Title in Galicia in early August at the term of an exciting race with compatriot Maud Le Car, will be leading the women’s crew of three Frenchies representing the Old Continent and try to follow in Pauline Ado’s footsteps who was crowned World Junior Champion in 2009. Suffering from a recurrent knee injury, Bulard had to pull out of the Women’s Final in the last Junior event in Lacanau but will be ready for battle in Bali this weekend.

“I’ve spent two and a half weeks at the CERS, reeducation center in Capbreton, so my knee is reinforced now. I still have a little apprehension sometimes but I try not to think too much about it..” Bulard said. “It’s my first time competing in the World Juniors and I’ll be with Johanne and Maud, so we’ll have our own little team and I’m really looking forward to it !”

Maud Le Car (FRA) 20, runner-up to Bulard in this season’s European title race is looking forward to her second time competing in the World Juniors in Bali. The Hossegor adopted competitor from the Carribean island of Saint Martin will count on her experience to try and beat the younger rising Juniors and complete her objective of placing in the top spots of the event.

“I’m super happy to be qualified, that was my goal this year for my last season as a Junior and I really hope to perform well. I’m in form at the moment, I’ve got good boards and I love righthanders. I’ve been twice there and I love the wave. I surfed the Star events as a preparation for this showdown, and my objective is to place in the Top 5 there. I’ve learned a lot last year so I’ll go there a little more relaxed, but the pressure is there cause I’ve battled all summer to get the spot and now that I have it I don’t want to disappoint. I will stay a little bit after the event to film a clip too so I’m super happy and looking forward to it !”

Johanne Defay (REU) 18, last year’s runner up in the ASP World Junior Championships and third placer in Bali in 2011, has obtained one of two precious Wildcard Slots into the event and will join her friends Bulard and Le Car in Keramas to try and climb one rank higher and claim an inaugural World Title.

“I’m so happy that I got the wildcard,” Defay said. “I chose the hard way this year in focusing more on the Star tour than the Juniors, and with it I’ll be able to go back to Bali and try to win the Title ! Canggu and Keramas are both waves that I really appreciate, righthanders with power and the weather is amazing so it’ll be fun ! With my result last year here, I have confidence in my ability to surf well !”

The Oakley ASP World Junior Championships Bali will run from October 6 – 17. For LIVE webcast and event videos and more check oakleyprojunior.com

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