Honda U.S. Open of Surfing
Presented by O'Neill

ASP 6 Star WQS Mens Event
Lost Pro Junior (ASP grade 2 event - men)

ASP 6 Star WQS  Womens Event
Target Pro Junior (ASP Pro Junior -women)

Huntington Beach, California, USA
21 - 30 July 2006

Live Webcast  |  Scores/Results/Photos/Videos etc 

LOST PRO JUNIOR RAGES ON AS COMPETITION HEATS UP

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 22 July, 2006 : - - HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – The Honda U.S. Open of Surfing presented by O’Neill reconvened this morning with day two of the Lost Pro Junior and Men's Honda U.S. Open Trials.  Rounding out the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) action were the opening heats of the O’Neill U.S. Open  of Longboarding. 

With just two more days of competition left to decide who will make the finals (and main event) of the respective events, competition intensified despite the challenging 1’ – 2’ conditions. 

Tanner Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA) stunned competitors in his Round Three heat of the Lost Pro Junior by posting an excellent 17.67 out of a possible 20.  In a stacked heat that included former ASP Pro Junior winner Cory Arrambide (Ventura, CA), Australian phenom Ben Dunn (Old Bar, Australia), and Hawaiian sensation Chaz Chidester (Haleiwa, HI), Gudauskas went for broke in throwing down an 8.17 and a 9.50 back-to-back.  

“I just got lucky,” Gudauskas admits, “I got into rhythm early on and picked off a few fun ones.  Then it went flat, so that was fortunate for me.” Gudauskas is currently sitting in 31st place on the ASP North American Pro Junior ratings and knows that he has some ground to make up if he’s to gain access to the ASP $60,000 World Junior Championships in Australia next January. 

“I’ve missed a couple of crucial ones (events),” Gudauaskas said, “and then in the ones I’ve been to, things have gone pretty sour.  So I’m definitely looking to kickstart my campaign for Australia with a strong finish at the Lost Pro Junior.” 

Dylan Graves (Isabela, Puerto Rico) kept his ASP World Junior Championship hopes alive today by blowing up in the dying seconds of his Round Three heat.  Sitting in third with time running out, Graves was able to sneak into a wave despite his competitors sticking close to him.  

Graves proceeded to cover every surfable inch of the wave, milking it all the way to the beach for a 6.33 out of a possible 10.  The score saw the young Puerto Rican rocket from third to first, and he lives on to fight again tomorrow. “It was flat forever and that wave just kind of popped up,” Graves said.  “Luckily I was in position to catch it, even with Alex (King) sitting on me.  I just got lucky.” 

Evan Geiselman (New Smyrna Beach, FL), 12-years old, wowed the hundreds in attendance at the beach this afternoon with a commanding win during his Round Three heat of the Lost Pro Junior.  Although the youngster was surfing against competitors eight years his senior, his small frame allowed him to revel in the challenging afternoon conditions. 

“The conditions are good for me,” Geiselman said.  “It’s kind of smaller so it gives the older guys a bit of a harder time to surf.  It’s pretty fun though, it’s kind of sectioning a little bit, but still fun.” The younger Geiselman now joins older brother and current ASP Pro Junior ratings-leader, Eric (18), in Round Four tomorrow. 

“I’m not really stressed out,” Geiselman (Evan) said.  “I’m just trying to surf my best.  This is just a contest for fun, I’m not trying to make it to Australia or anything.” 

Rounding out the action today was the O’Neill U.S. Open of Longboarding, which featured the completion the rounds of 56 and 48. 

Tomorrow is poised to be an action-packed day with the return of the Lost Pro Junior, the Men's Honda U.S. Open Trials, the O’Neill U.S. Open of Longboarding, as well as the commencement of the Women’s Target Pro Junior, the sister half of the ASP Women’s Lost Pro Junior.

Live scores will be available on www.usopenofsurfing.com or www.aspnorthamerica.org.

Results Day Two:

Lost Pro Junior

Round Two (Heats 9 – 16): 80 competitors left (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 9: 11.17 Cody Thompson (USA), 10.34 Junior Faria (BRA), 6.24 Nico Becerra (PER), 4.30 Dylan Southworth (MEX)
Heat 10: 13.00 Nick Reilly (AUS), 10.03 Granger Larsen (HAW), 9.74 Matt Myers (USA), 7.10 Scott Hammonds (USA)
Heat 11: 14.10 Torrey Meister (HAW), 10.83 Dion Atkinson (AUS), 5.10 Sean Tubbs (USA), 2.37 Wade Goodall (AUS)
Heat 12: 11.07 Alex King (HAW), 10.80 Kevin Kapsky (HAW), 10.33 Jonny Craft (USA), 5.33 Laurie Towner (AUS)
Heat 13: 13.50 James Woods (AUS), 9.83 Diego Gelai (USA), 8.34 Heath Joske (AUS), N/S Tayler Brothers (USA)
Heat 14: 9.14 Casey Brown (HAW), 8.94 Ian Ekberg (USA), 5.93 Brent Reilly (USA),
Heat 15: 12.07 Evan Geiselman (USA), 11.53 Kris Wiernicki (USA), 11.27 Jake Kirschenbaum (USA), 6.17 Eddie Lester (USA)
Heat 16: 9.67 Ryan Peterson (USA), 8.50 Matias Mulanovich (PER), 8.40 Gustavo Salazar (USA), 5.57 Jensen Hassett (HAW)

Round Three (Heats 1 – 16): 64 competitors left (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: 17.67 Tanner Gudauskas (USA), 15.94 Ben Dunn (AUS), 10.53 Cory Arrambide (USA), 6.90 Chaz Chidester (HAW)
Heat 2: 10.87 Tyler Newton (USA), 9.57 Devon Tresher (USA), 5.66 Marshall Alberga (USA), 5.03 Luke Davis (USA)
Heat 3: 14.50 TJ Barron (HAW), 11.80 Clay Marzo (HAW), 10.00 Alejandro Moreda (PRI), 7.67 Kellen Ellison (USA)
Heat 4: 12.06 Wesley Larsen (HAW), 10.97 Ola Eleogram (HAW), 9.63 Stephen Walsh (AUS), 5.80 Eddie Guilbeau (USA)
Heat 5: 14.16 Nick Rozsa (USA), 13.60 Dusty Payne (HAW), 10.23 Julian Wilson (AUS), 3.24 Nick Argyropoulos (USA)
Heat 6: 13.00 Jadson Andre (BRA), 12.50 Robson Santos (BRA), 9.17 Blake Jones (USA), 8.14 Jesse Heilman (USA)
Heat 7: 12.83 Chris Waring (USA), 7.57 Mitch Coleburn (AUS), 7.43 Brandon Ragenovich (USA), 4.77 Kai Barger (HAW)
Heat 8: 12.44 Michael Spencer (AUS), 8.10 Eric Geiselman (USA), 5.90 Mike Chandler (USA), 5.13 Evan Thompson (USA)
Heat 9: 15.33 Alex Gray (USA), 10.77 Cody Thompson (USA), 6.60 Leslie Bursian (PRI), 4.87 Granger Larsen (HAW)
Heat 10: 9.30 Nick Riley (AUS), 8.16 Junior Faria (BRA), 6.53 Matt Mohagen (USA), N/S Chris Broman (USA)
Heat 11: 11.07 Tory Meister (HAW), 10.37 Jeremy Johnston (USA), 7.76 Kevin Kapsky (HAW), 5.80 Ben Graeff (USA)
Heat 12: 12.50 Dylan Graves (PRI), 12.33 Dion Atkinson (AUS), 10.16 Alex King (HAW), N/S Ian Bloch (USA)
Heat 13: 12.10 Adam Wickwire (USA), 12.03 James Woods (AUS), 10.90 Ian Ekberg (USA), 8.27 Dane Ward (USA)
Heat 14: 12.90 Casey Brown (HAW), 11.17 Kilian Garland (USA), 10.70 Hank Gaskell (HAW), 8.27 Dane Ward (USA)
Heat 15: 12.74 Evan Geiselman (USA), 8.93 Travis Beckmann (USA), 8.46 Tommy Bursian (PRI), 7.40 Matias Mulanovich (PER)
Heat 16: 14.24 Sterling Spencer (USA), 12.67 Mason Ho (HAW), 6.57 Ryan Peterson (USA), 6.23 Kris Wiernicki (USA)

Schedule for Sunday, July 23, 2006:

LOCATION A - Southside of Pier
Junior Girls (Round of 32: Heats 1 – 8)                                                             7:30 am to 10:10 am
Men’s Trials Quarterfinals                                                                                 10:10 am to 11:30 am
Junior Girls Quarterfinals                                                                                  11:30 am to 12:50 pm
Junior Men Quarterfinals                                                                                   12:50 pm to 2:10 pm
Junior Girls Semifinals                                                                                       2:10 pm to 2:50 pm
Junior Men Semifinals                                                                                       2:50 pm to 3:30pm

LOCATION B - 100 meters south of Pier
Junior Men (Round of 32: Heats 1 – 8)                                                             7:30 am to 10:10 am
Longboard (Round of 48: Heats 1 - 8)                                                             10:10 am to 11:30 am
Longboard (Round of 32: Heats 1 - 4)                                                             11:30 am to 2:10 am
Longboard Quarterfinals                                                                                   2:10 am to 3:30 am
Longboard Semifinals                                                                                        3:30 am to 4:10 am

The “2006 Bank of the West Beach Games featuring the Honda U.S. Open of Surfing presented by O’Neill” attracts more than 600 international competitors and features surfing, skateboarding, BMX, FMX and volleyball in world-class venues along with an interactive lifestyle festival spread over 12 acres. 

All events are open to the public, free of charge.  Surfing competition begins on Friday, July 21 and runs through Sunday, July 30.  Festival activities, BMX and skate competitions begin on Thursday, July 27 with FMX starting on Friday, July 28.

www.aspnorthamerica.org
www.usopenofsurfing.com 
www.bankofthewestbeachgames.com

Previous reports:
# 1 : Honda U.S. Open of Surfing to host acclaimed surfers
# 2 : Honda US Open of Surfing presented by O'neill begins 
# 3 : US Open blasts off with int'l stars in the Lost Pro Junior
# 4 : Coming soon  

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Mike Kingsbury

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Dave@aspworldtour.com

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