Owen Wright : photo Robertson/ASP Australasia

Billabong ASP World Junior Champs

2007 ASP World Junior Championships

INTERNATIONALS LEAVE THEIR MARK ON DAY ONE OF THE ASP WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPS

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 3 January, 2008 : - - Sydney, Australia – A truly international flavour permeated Round 1 of the Girls and Boys divisions at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships, which got underway at Sydney’s North Narrabeen beach, today.

Of the ten surfers to advance directly into Round 3 this morning, six regions were represented including Australia, Brazil, American, Hawaii, South Africa and the Carribean. Despite the international mix of heat winners, it was former World Junior Champion Pablo Paulino (Bra) who had the upper hand with the highest individual wave score of the day, a 9.70 (out of a possible ten).

While others chose to surf safe in the bumpy conditions, Paulino pushed the boundaries with new school manoeuvres that earned him a definitive heat win and a spot in Round 3. “I’m so very happy to win this heat,” Paulino said after his win. “It is a dream for me to be back here and I hope to win my second ASP World Junior Title this year.

Paulino posted a 17.00 (out of a possible 20.00) total heat score, leaving his competitors in a combination situation (needing a combination of two scores to catch him). Jaytr Berasaluce (EUK) and Yan Guimaraes (BRA) finished in second and third places behind him.

Julian Wilson : photo Robertson/ASP Australasia

“I’ve been training really hard all year and surfing lots of WQS events which has given me a lot of confidence,” Paulino continued. “I enjoy the new school style of surfing and will be looking to do more aerial manoeuvres in the following rounds.” The Australians revealed the might behind their 2007 Billabong World Junior campaign, with three of the four surfers advancing in first place this morning, doing so off some of the top scores of the day.

Current ASP Australasia rated No. 2 Julian Wilson (AUS) produced the type of surfing it will take to win at Narrabeen,  earning the second highest two wave heat score of the event so far, a 16.17 (out of a possible 20.00) which included an excellent 8.67 (out of 10.00) ride.

“You’ve just got to do what you’ve got to do to get through, not go out there and show everyone on the beach how good you can surf,” Wilson explained. “You have to get through the heats and that’s all that matters... All the Aussies are super hungry for a win,” Wilson said of the ASP World Junior Title at stake. “The other guys have been taking it off us for the last couple of years so we’re ready to change that this year.”

Wednesday’s Von Zipper Wildcard trial winner Owen Wright (AUS) proved he deserved a spot in the main event, taking down Nick Rosza (USA) and former ASP World Junior Champion Adriano De Souza (BRA), by choosing to play it safe in the bumpy conditions.

Clay Marzo : photo Robertson/ASP Australasia

“You sort of had to be critical but safe at the same time ‘cos there was a lot of cross chop and foamy stuff on the wave,” Wright explained. “My boards seemed to go through it pretty well and I ended up getting a couple of clean turns out the back, so I’m stoked to make it into Round 3.”

Madison Williams (AUS) was another Australian to make his mark in Round 1 after earning his spot into the main event this morning, in place of Dusty Payne (HAW) who was forced to withdraw due to injury.

Williams took down Europe’s Nicolau Von Rupp (DEU) and ASP South America ratings leader Charlie Brown (BRA); while top Australian Junior on the ASP World Qualifying Series Matt Wilkinson (AUS) followed suit with a solid win over Tamaroa Mccomb (PYF) and Torrey Meister (HAW) in Heat 10.

American Tanner Gudauskas’s WQS experience paid off when he was able to dispose of  Hawaii’s top seed Casey Brown and Giancarlo Zampieri (BRA). Other internationals to make their mark in the Boys division included Hawaii’s Tonino Benson who advanced in first with an excellent 8.00 ride; 2006 Semifinalist Mason Ho (HAW) who edged out Casey Grant (ZAF) and John John Florence (HAW) and ASP Africa Pro Junior Champion Brandon Jackson (ZAF) who advanced in first over Robson Santos (BRA) and Heifara Tahutini (PYF)

Mason Ho : photo Robertson ASP Australia/Covered Images

In the Girls division it was ASP Australasian champion Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) who posted a sensational 9.17 ride off her final wave, to unseat heat leader and local standout Laura Enever (AUS) in the final minutes of their Round 1 clash.

“All the girls were ripping and I didn’t really get off to the start I wanted,” Fitzgibbons admitted after struggling to post more than average scoring rides for the first half of the heat. “It’s a tricky break out there, I was just lucky to get that good one at the end.”

 Local girl and No. 5 on the ASP Australasia ratings Kirby Wright (AUS) followed in her brother, yesterday’s Von Zipper Wildcard trialist winner Owen Wright’s footsteps, by taking a convincing win over international junior standout Nikita Robb (ZAF) during Heat 3 this morning. Wright posted a solid 8.00 point ride, her superior wave selection securing her a spot in Round 3.

Also advancing in first place were European Pro Junior champion Pauline Ado (FRA) and Billabong USA Junior Series Champion Courtney Conologue who defeated Marina Werneck (BRA) and Paige Hareb (NZL) respectively.

Tonino Benson :  photo Robertson ASP Australia/Covered Images

All 16 heats of Round 1 of the Boys division were completed as well as four heats of Round 1 of the Girls division. A total field of 48 junior men, 18 junior women plus four wildcards from eight surfing regions feature in this year’s Billabong ASP World Junior Championships.

The next call will be at 07h30 tomorrow morning. The event will be broadcast live via the internet on billabongpro.com. For more information log-on to aspworldtour.com. The Billabong ASP World Junior Championships are supported by Panasonic, The Association of Surfing Professionals, Von Zipper, The Warringah Shire Council and Surfing NSW.

Billabong World Junior Championships Girls Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Pauline Ado (FRA) 12.50 Marina Werneck (BRA) 8.83 Coco Ho (HAW) 5.97
Heat 2: Courtney Conologue (USA)13.67; Paige Hareb (NZL) 7.93; Tarryn Chudleigh (ZAF) 6.24
Heat 3: Kirby Wright (AUS) 13.17; Nikita Robb (ZAF) 7.67; Asako Mizuno (JPN) 4.93
Heat 4: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 15.00; Laura Enever (AUS)14.50; Alessa Cuizon (HAW) 10.10

Billabong World Junior Championships Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Tonino Benson (HAW) 12.77; Shu Hagiwara (JAP) 11.67; Tatsuya Fukagawa (JAP) 10.57;
Heat 2: Maddison Williams (AUS) 12.83; Nicolau Von Rupp (DEU) 10.53; Charlie Brown (BRA) 4.07;
Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) 16.17;  Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 11.60; Beau Atchison (AUS) 5.60
Heat 4: Charles Martin (GLP) 9.16; Angelo Lozano (MEX) 7.83; Cory Arrambide (USA) 7.33;
Heat 5: Brandon Jackson (ZAF) 8.10; Robson Santos (BRA) 7.17; Jean-Heifara Tahutini (PYF) 6.34
Heat 6: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 13.67; Casey Brown (HAW) 10.40; Giancarlo Zampieri (BRA) 9.16
Heat 7: Mason Ho (HAW) 11.00; Casey Grant (ZAF) 10.04;  John John Florence (HAW) 7.00
Heat 8: Owen Wright (AUS) 13.83; Nick Rosza (USA) 13.03;  Adriana De Souza (BRA) 11.74
Heat 9: Pablo Paulino (BRA) 17.03; Jatyr Berasaluce (ESP) 7.90; Yan Guinaraes (BRA) 4.54
Heat 10: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 14.66; Tamaroa McComb (PYF) 6.77; Torrey Meister (HAW) 6.77;
Heat 11: Romain Cloitre (FRA) 12.33; Clay Marzo (HAW) 8.30; Kento Takahashi (JPN) 7.67.

Check the Live Coverage

Previous reports:
# 1 : Von Zipper Trials will award WJC wildcards at Narrabeen
# 2 : Lineup for ASP World Junior Championships announced
# 3 : Billabong ASP World Jnr Champs sights on January '08

# 4 : Billabong ASP World Jr Champs bringing best to Sydney
# 5 : Owen Wright wins Von Zipper trials at North Narabeen..
# 6 : Great surf on tap for 2007 ASP Billabong World Juniors

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Billabong Media
Simon Barratt
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Kirstin Scholtz
ASP Media Manager
Kirstin@coveredimages.com

Photography
Steve Robertson
stever@surfingaustralia.com.au

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