Billabong ASP World Junior Championships

ASP WJC Mens and Womens Event
North Narrabean, Sydney Australia
1 - 8 January 2007

Live Coverage  |  Results/Photos/Videos etc

ACTION APLENTY AT BILLABONG ASP WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS ROUND TWO  |  Day 3 Video

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 3 January, 2007 : - - North Narrabeen, Australia – Despite small and windy conditions challenging competitors throughout the bulk of proceedings, there was plenty of fantastic surfing action from the 20-year-old and under competitors in the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships held at Narrabeen Beach, Sydney, Australia.

With one metre (three foot) waves pulsing into the arena the “grommets” (the nickname for young surfers) went hell for leather on everything that moved as they battled through the sudden death heats of round two of both the women’s and men’s.

Grabbing one of the top scores of the day was Australian Julian Wilson, who after faltering in round one yesterday, managed to put his Billabong ASP World Junior Championship aspirations back on track with a sterling performance today. Whipping and weaving over the fairly powerless swells, Wilson showed true determination when he defeated fellow Australian James Wood 15.00 to 9.67.

MArc Lacomar (Fra) : photo ASP/Covered Images

”It felt good to get a few waves under my belt today,” said Wilson. “Yesterday I was in the first heat of the day and it was stormy and windy and I found myself a bit lost at sea. But today it had cleaned up a bit and I found a good bank to sit on.”

Wilson did well to hold off Wood who excelled a few days earlier when he won the Von Zipper Trials to advance into the main draw. Wood is renowned for big performances and Wilson was relieved that he ended up in front today. “I knew it was going to be a tough heat as I watched him come through the trials,” said Wilson. “It sucks to take out a fellow countryman but in the end it had to be one of us getting through and I’m glad it was me.”

In the truly international field that contains surfers from all corners of the surfing universe, other heat winners came from Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, USA, France, Tahiti and Hawaii. And of the internationals Dusty Payne (HAW) was a standout as he easily accounted for his rival in Great Britain’s Reubyn Ash.

Eric Geiselman (USA) : photo ASP/Covered Images

“I was shattered after losing that first heat yesterday so I’m wrapped to be back on the right path to success,” said Payne. “We’re all just dong our best. It’s a bit difficult to surf out here so it’s a heat-by-heat situation. I’ll just take it as it comes.”

Making possibly the biggest stir in the event today was Noboyuki Osawa from Japan who ousted one of the biggest names of Australian junior surfing in Laurie Towner. Towner, who has a reputation for taking on monster waves, couldn’t find any momentum and left the door open for the talented Osawa to steal the show.

Osawa, who speaks little English was very pleased with himself, sporting an ear-to-ear grin on leaving the water. “I am very happy right now,” said Osawa. “To win any heat here is a big feat and I am even more happy to beat Towner.”

Lee Ann Curren (Fra) : photo ASP/Covered Images

Also claiming a win today was the youngest competitor in the event, 14-year-old Tamaroa McComb (PYF) who defeated number four seed Ola Eleogram (HAW). McComb stole the show with a high scoring ride on the opener – a 9.17 – and from there held on to take down the proceedings. The youngster, who has the world class Teahupoo in his backyard at home in Tahiti, looked strong all the way and will be happy to grab his round three berth given the difficult conditions that he had to face today.

”The conditions were hard out there again,” said McComb. “They were really mushy and difficult. It’s also very cold here compared to where I come from. I am happy to get through. There is a lot of pressure. Everybody is good in this event."

The round three heat draw promises to deliver more of the same excitement when competition resumes with numerous anticipated matchups on the cards (see draw below). Contest Director Luke Egan will again view the swell at first light and will make a decision by 7.30 as to the day’s proceedings.

Check out all the Results/Photos/Videos etc

Tamara McComb (Tah) : photo ASP/Covered Images

Round Two Women’s Results:
Heat 1: 1. Alize Arnaud (FRA) 10.13; 2. Lee Ann Curren (FRA) 10.00; 3. Tammy Lee Smith (ZAF) 7.84
Heat 2: 1. Anali Gomez (PER) 12.67; 2. Nao Omura (JPN) 8.47; 3. Jessica Hickson (AUS) 7.60

Round Two Men’s Results:
(1st to round 3; 2nd to receive 33rd placing)

Heat 1: Sam Page (AUS) 11.57 def Klee Strachan (ZAF) 9.50
Heat 2: Tamaroa McComb (PYF) 13.84 def. Ola Eleogram (HAW) 12.90
Heat 3: 1. Bernado Martins (BRA) 10.10 def. Nick Rozsa (USA) 8.43
Heat 4: Gavin Gillette (HAW) 11.50; Halley Batista (BRA) 11.17
Heat 5: Dusty Payne (HAW) 14.66 def Reubyn Ash (GBR) 8.23
Heat 6: Marc Lacomare (FRA) 12.84 def Heath Joske (AUS) 10.27
Heat 7: Eric Geiselman (USA) 13.50 def Vincent Duvignac (FRA) 11.07
Heat 8: Julian Wilson (AUS) 15.00 def James Wood (AUS) 9.67
Heat 9: Luke Cheadle (AUS) 11.27 def Matias Mulanovich (PER) 7.90
Heat 10: 1. Angelo Lozano (MEX) 12.17 def Shota Nakamura (JPN) 7.00
Heat 11: Noboyuki Osawa (JPN) 12.84 def Laurie Towner (AUS) 9.67
Heat 12: Rory Beach (ZAF) 12.10 def Romain Cloitre (FRA) 7.86
Heat 13: Wade Goodall (AUS) 13.00 def Sterling Spencer (USA) 9.56
Heat 14: Casey Brown (HAW) 14.67 def Adrien Toyon (REU) 11.67
Heat 15: Brandon Jackson (ZAF) 12.17 def Kento Takahashi (JPN) 11.53
Heat 16: Pierre Valentin (FRA) 17.00 def Shu Hagiwara (JPN) 7.80

Round Three Heat Draw:

Heat 1: Hank Gaskell (HAW) vs (Rory Beach (ZAF)
Heat 2: Hideyoshi Tanaka (JPN) vs Nobuyuki Osawa (JPN)
Heat 3: Mitch Coleborn (AUS) vs Luke Cheadle (AUS)
Heat 4: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs Angelo Lozano (MEX)
Heat 5: Damien Fahrenfort (ZAF) vs Thiago Camaroa (BRA)
Heat 6: Heitor Pereira (BRA) vs Granger Larson (HAW)
Heat 7: Dusty Payne (HAW) vs Marc Lacomare (FRA)
Heat 8: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs Tamaroa McComb (PYF)
Heat 9: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs Bernardo Martins (BRA)
Heat 10: Jean Sebastien Estienne (FRA) vs Eric Geiselman (USA)
Heat 11: Dion Atkinson (AUS) vs Brandon Jackson (ZAF)
Heat 12: Dylan Graves (PRI) vs Pierre-Valentin Laborde (FRA)
Heat 13: Sam Page (AUS) vs Julian Wilson (AUS)
Heat 14: Gavin Gillette (HAW) vs Torrey Meister (HAW)
Heat 15: TJ Barron (HAW) vs Wade Goodall (AUS)
Heat 16: Mason Ho (HAW) vs Casey Brown (HAW)

Contest director Luke Egan : photo Steve Robertson

About the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships
The Billabong ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) World Junior Championship is the most sought after junior surfing accolade on the planet and is recognised globally as the future of surfing.  Seen as a stepping-stone to elite world tour, the event, now in its eighth year was originally held in Hawaii before relocating to Australia.  Finding a home at the historically esteemed North Narrabeen beach in Sydney, it now run’s during the first week of January each year.  

The prestigious event attracts qualifiers from eight world regions including Australasia, North America, South America, Hawaii, Asia, South Africa, Europe and a specially sanctioned ASP International region.  Each of the representatives has won through grueling regional circuits to earn their place among the top 45 junior men and 18 junior women in the world, a feat in itself.  

The $US 62,000 ($AUD 80,000) prize purse qualifies the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships as the richest junior surfing event in the history of surfing.  

The eventual victors will stand alongside the 2006 elite men’s world tour winner Kelly Slater and women’s world champ Layne Beachley at the official ASP ceremony in March 2007, crowned as the worlds only true professional junior surfing champions.  They will also join an esteemed list of former champions including Three Time World Champion Andy Irons (Haw) and Australian super-star Joel Parkinson. 

Complimenting the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships will be Sonic Bloom, a music festival that will feature some of Australia’s top music talent..

Previous reports:
# 1 : Billabong ASP World Junior Champ trials ready to rock
# 2 : Billabong ASP World Junior Championship gearing up
# 3 : Wood claims Von Zipper trials for Billabong ASP Juniors
# 4 : De Souza to lead charge at Billabong ASP World Juniors

# 5 : World Junior Champs called off for Day 1 at Narrabeen
# 6 : Top seeds leading the way at World Jr. Championships
# 7 : Coming soon
# 8 : Coming soon 

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Billabong Australia
Simon Barratt (On-Site)
Mandy McKinnon

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ASP - Steve Robertson

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