Expect the very best performances : photo ASP Robertson/Covered Images

Billabong ASP World Junior Championships

ASP International
North Narrabeen, Sydney, NSW Australia
3 - 10 January 2009

Live Coverage  |  Results/Photos/Videos etc

Premiere International Field Descends Upon Billabong ASP World Juniors

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 01 January, 2009 : - - North Narrabeen, Australia – With the New Year upon us, the countdown has begun to the commencement of the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships, deciding event of the undisputed ASP World Junior Champions, to be held at Sydney’s iconic North Narrabeen Beach in New South Wales, Australia from January 3 – 10, 2008.

The world’s top junior surfers compete all year long on their respective domestic ASP Pro Junior Series for a chance at qualifying for the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships and a shot at the ASP World Junior Title. Competitors from the seven respective ASP regions (North America, South America, Africa, Japan, Australasia, Europe and Hawaii) will join wildcards from ASP International as well as Billabong this week as they battle for junior supremacy.

Maxime Huscenot (REU), 16, 2008 ASP European Pro Junior Champion, will lead a strong contingent from France, Reunion Island and the Basque Territory at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships in an effort to prove themselves against the best junior surfers in the world.

"I have always wanted to surf in the event and show what I could do against the world’s best," Huscenot said. "I know it is going to be very tough but I believe I can do something. Very few of the guys know me so I will go there and show my surf and we will see what happens. Being the youngest surfer there will help as well because I will have nothing to lose and less pressure."

Huscenot will join fellow ASP Europe qualifiers Marc Lacomare (FRA), 18, Medi Veminardi (REU), 18, Jatyr Berasaluce (EUK), 19, Pierre-Valentin Laborde (FRA), 17, and Jules Thomet (FRA) in North Narrabeen this week.

Travis Beckmann (USA), 20, No. 4 finisher on the 2008 ASP North America Pro Junior Series, will be competing in his final eligible year at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships, and a first-time combatant at the prestigious event, the hard-working natural-footer will be looking to establish himself on the international stage at North Narrabeen.

“Qualifying for Billabong ASP World Juniors is important because you’re up against the kids that have a good chance to make a push for the ASP World Tour,” Beckmann said. “To show what you can do on that kind of stage is a great way to put yourself on the map.”

Beckmann will join fellow ASP North America qualifiers Cory Arrambide (USA), 19, Nat Young (USA), 17, Andrew Doheny (USA), 16, Blake Jones (USA), 20, and Tanner Gudauskas (USA), 20, at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships this week.

With top juniors from each of the ASP regions as well as wildcards from ASP International and Billabong locked in, the final two spots into the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships will be awarded to the top two finishers in the Von Zipper Trials which features a swath of impressive talents all hungry for a shot at the ASP World Junior Title.

Julian Wilson (AUS), 20, was a standout on the ASP Australasian Pro Junior Series before being sidelined with an injury last July. Although out of the water for several months, Wilson rallied last week, winning an amateur event in his first return to competition and will be a major threat at the upcoming Von Zipper Trials.

In addition to the stacked men’s field, the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships will also host a swarm of the world’s most talented junior female surfers, and with every former Billabong ASP World Junior Champion qualifying for the prestigious ASP Women’s World Tour, the hunt for the title is sure to impress.

Pauline Ado (FRA), 17, two-time former ASP European Pro Junior Champion, finished third in 2008, but will attend the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships as a replacement for Lee Ann Curren (FRA), 19.

"I really aim at winning but I know the competition is tough," Ado said. "I am not really thinking about it at the moment because I don't want to put too much pressure on myself. I am going to take it heat by heat and see what happens. I am going to go there a few days before the event to get used to the waves and get ready."

Ado will join Alizee Arnaud (FRA), 18, as they take on the rest of the international field at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships.

The Billabong ASP World Junior Championships hosts a waiting period of January 3 – 10, 2008 and will be webcast LIVE via www.billabongpro.com

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

Check the Live Coverage

BILLABONG ASP WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS QUALIFIERS:

ASP North America
- Cory Arrambide (USA)
- Nat Young (USA)
- Andrew Doheny (USA)
- Travis Beckmann (USA)
- Blake Jones (USA)

- Christa Alves (USA)
- Courtney Conlogue (USA)

ASP Hawaii
- Kai Barger (HAW)
- Kiron Jabour (HAW)
- Casey Brown (HAW)
- Sebastian Zietz (HAW)
- Tonino Benson (HAW)

- Coco Ho (HAW)
- Leila Hurst (HAW)

ASP Japan
- Shota Nakamura (JPN)
- Nobuyuki Osawa (JPN)
- Kaito Sekimoto (JPN)
- Keito Matsuoka (JPN)
- Koki Nakamura (JPN)

- Nao Ohmura (JPN)
- Sayuri Hashimoto (JPN)

ASP South America
- Alex Ribeiro (BRA)
- Alejo Muniz (BRA)
- Ricardo dos Santos (BRA)
- Alex Lima (BRA)
- Magno Dias (BRA)
- Jadson Andre (BRA)

- Diana Cristina (BRA)
- Gabriela Leite (BRA)

ASP Africa
- Klee Strachan (ZAF)
- Nick Godfrey (ZAF)
- Shaun Joubert (ZAF)
- Casey Grant (ZAF)
- Rudy Palmboom Jr. (ZAF)

- Sarah Baum (ZAF)
- Nikita Robb (ZAF)

ASP Europe
- Maxime Huscenot (REU)
- Marc Lacomare (FRA)
- Medi Veminardi (REU)
- Jatyr Bersaluce (EUK)
- Pierre-Valentin Laborde (FRA)
- Jules Thomet (FRA)

- Alizee Arnaud (FRA)
- Pauline Ado (FRA)

ASP Australasia
- Stuart Kennedy (AUS)
- Heath Joske (AUS)
- Tamaroa McComb (PYF/AUS)
- Jayke Sharp (AUS)
- Lincoln Taylor (AUS)
- Matt Wilkinson (AUS)

- Tyler Wright (AUS)
- Laura Enever (AUS)

ASP International Wildcards
- Andres Wurst (PER)
- Owen Wright (AUS)
- Charley Martin (GLP)
- Heifara-Peter Tahutini (PYF)
- Dusty Payne (HAW)

- Sage Erickson (USA)
- Bethany Hamilton (HAW)

Billabong Wildcards
- Granger Larsen (HAW)
- VZ Trials Winner
- VZ Trials Runner-Up
- Highest-placing Billabong Surfer from VZ Trials

- Arini Mason (NZL)
- Paige Hareb (NZL)

Von Zipper Trialists (Top 2 into Billabong ASP World Junior Championships)
- Richard Christie (NZL)
- Nick Riley (AUS)
- Madison Williams (AUS)
- Mitch Crews (AUS)
- Julian Wilson (AUS)
- Nick Vasicek (AUS)
- Craig Anderson (AUS)
- Luciani Heremoana (PYF)
- Yonatan Klein (ISR)
- Keren Gil (ISR)
- Torrey Meister (HAW)
- Local North Narrabeen Surfer (AUS)
- Raditiya Rhondi (IDN)
- Kolohe Andino (USA)
- Peterson Cristanto (BRA)
- Brent Savage (AUS)

Check the Live Coverage

www.billabongpro.com
www.aspworldtour.com

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

About ASP:
The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the governing body of professional surfing. Crowning surfing’s undisputed world champions since 1976, the ASP sanctions the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, the World Qualifying Series (WQS) and the World Longboarding, Junior and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world's best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

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Dave Prodan / ASP
Email: dave@aspworldtour.com

Steve Robertson / Covered Images
Email: stever@surfingaustralia.com

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