Billabong Pro Junior

ASP Grade 3 Men's Pro Junior Event
ASP Grade 1 Women's Pro Junior Event
Bells Beach Victoria Australia
30 September - 4 October 2008

Great waves at Bells Beach for the opening day of the Billabong Pro Junior Series

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 30 September, 2008 : - - Bells Beach was at it’s best for the opening day of the Billabong Pro Junior with a solid clean swell to 2m. Australia’s very best 20 year and under surfers revelled in these conditions lead by Coolangatta surfer Nick Vasicek whose powerful backhand attack was rewarded with high excellent 8 point scoring rides on his way to a very comfortable round two heat win over Max Tough (NSW) and Victoria’s Carl Wright (Phillip Island).

“Bells is definitely a great wave for me particularly when it breaks like this” said Vasiceck after his win. “On my backhand there’s just section after section on this wave that allows you to combine powerful bottom to top turns and I definitely think backhand surfers have an advantage out here – I can see why Occy (Mark Occhilupo) was virtually unbeatable here!”

Like a number of high performing surfers here for this event, Vasicek needs to win this event to finish his pro junior career on a high and also qualify for the ASP Billabong ASP 2008 World Junior Championships.

Local Bells Beach surfer Cahill Bell-Warren, who lives within one kilometre of the famous break was also super impressive today scoring high with two strong scoring  7.83 and 7 point rides in his narrow win over Northern NSW surfer Ben Webb.

“Surfing Bells like this is definitely my best chance to really go well and even win at this level – There’s no doubt I have a better understanding of the wave than all my competitors and I’ll try and maximize that local knowledge here – Bells is a tricky wave to surf but when you know it as well as I do then I can use that to my advantage.”

Bell-Warren, who still has another year on the Pro Junior circuit,  is also looking for a win at this event to try and qualify for the ASP World Junior Championships in Sydney early next January – “ It’s at the back of my mind that the winner from this event goes to the ASP World Junior Championships and I definitely think it’s possible to win here but really I’m concentrating on the next heat only and trying not to get ahead of myself – My year to date on this circuit has been strong and I’d love to finish the season off here with a really good result.”

Other standouts on a day that beckoned for high scoring performances included Sunshine Coast Qld surfer Dean Iezzi (Sunrise Beach), Coff’s Harbour’s Heath Joske and Gold Coast pair Brendan Leckie and Mitch Crews.

Tweed Heads surfer Ben Webb was also very impressive today, progressing in second place in his four surfer heat behind Bell-Warren and also managing the day’s highest scoring single ride which was an outstanding 9 point ride on one of the days larger waves which saw Webb perform a series of critical top turns and floating re entries.

Being the final event of the season stakes are high with multiple surfers chasing qualification and high ratings points to close their season and for quite a number, their pro junior careers. 

Here’s the brief breakdown on what everyone needs to do to get to the ASP Billabong World Junior Championships with surfers listed in present rating order -

Girls (Top 2 from the ASP Australasia Pro Junior ratings qualify)

1.     Sally Fitzgibbons – guaranteed a place – guaranteed winner of the series
2.     Laura Enever – must make the final to guarantee her place
3.     Tyler Wright – must win and hope Laura doesn’t/cant make the final
4.     Paige Hareb – was in with a chance but focusing on the WQS instead and not competing

Boys (Top 4 from the ASP Australasia Pro Junior ratings, Winner of Billabong Bells
(if winner of Bells is in top 4 then top 5 qualify)and Highest on the WQS also qualifies)

1.     Stuart Kennedy – guaranteed a place – guaranteed winner of the series and ONLY SURFER WHO IS GUARANTEED A PLACE IN THE WORLD JUNIORS.
2.     Tamaroa McComb – must finish =19th or higher to increase his points
3.     Lincoln Taylor – must finish = 9th or higher to increase his points
4.     Heath Joske – must finish = 9th or higher to increase his points
5.     Owen Wright – not competing focusing on the WQS instead
6.     Jayke Sharp – needs at least an =13th to move into the top 4 depending on results above
7.     Nick Riley – needs at least an =5th to move into the top 4 depending on results above
8.     Julian Wilson – needs at least an = 13th to move into the top 4 depending on results above
9.     Mitch Crews – must win to move into the top 4 depending on results above

Everyone 10 and below must win to gain the wildcard as they cannot move into the top 4/5.

Previous reports:
# 1 : Coming soon
# 2 : Coming soon
# 3 : Coming soon
# 4 : Coming soon  

www.aspaustralasia.com
www.surfingaustralia.com

What's your take on this?
Post your thoughts: SV Forum

New Survey: Map Surfing’s future 

More Australasian Surfing News available here
Check the latest Australasian Surf Reports and Forecasts

New! B2B News ASBE-Surf   |  Receive News-Alerts

Steve Robertson

Junior Contests - Surfersvillage