Billabong ASP World Junior Championships

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

Live Coverage  |  Results/Photos/Videos etc

Kai Barger crowned ASP World Junior Champion

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 6 January, 2009 : - - North Narrabeen -- Kai Barger (HAW), 19, has won the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships, defeating fellow Finalist Jadson Andre (BRA), 20, to claim the ASP World Junior Title.

“I’m as high as Saturn’s kite baby!” Barger said. “Out of all the incredible surfers in this event, like Dusty (Payne) and Granger (Larsen) and Julian (Wilson), I probably had the least amount of confidence, but I guess this goes to show that every dog has his day and today’s mine!”

While Andre opened up the Final with two strong scores, Barger quickly rallied, grabbing a 6.67 before usurping the Brazilian with an explosive 8.67 for a series of forehand blasts on the Narrabeen lefthanders. The Hawaiian’s 15.34 out of a possible 20 would prove too much for Andre to overtake and would see Barger crowned the newest ASP World Junior Champion.

“To be honest, I can’t remember much of the Final with all the cameras and everything,” Barger said. “It’s a blur. I had so much fun. I’m tripping out right now. I never thought this would happen to me.”

Barger now joins one of the most prestigious clubs in professional surfing with his ASP World Junior Title. Past champions include Dream Tour stalwarts such as Joel Parkinson (AUS), 27, Jordy Smith (ZAF), 20, Adriano de Souza (BRA), 21, and fellow Hawaiian’s Kekoa Bacalso (HAW), 23, and three-time ASP World Champion Andy Irons (HAW), 30.

Kai Barger : photo ASP Robertson/Covered Images

“To be part of such a crazy group of surfers feels amazing,” Barger said. “I really don’t have the words to express how it feels. It’s crazy, and to be given the preferred seed on the ’QS is going to help so much.”

In addition to the prestigious ASP World Junior Title, Barger is also awarded preferred seeding into all ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) events in 2009 – a great advantage in the qualification quest for the elite ASP World Tour.

Andre, the No. 1 seed in the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships, put in an incredible performance at North Narrabeen today, including his acquisition of the event’s only perfect 10, but was unable to overtake Barger in the Final.

“I’m really happy with this result,” Andre said. “Second is amazing, but I would have loved to of won. For like 10 minutes, no waves came and I couldn’t get the score. I hope to have a great year on the ASP WQS and qualify for the Dream Tour.”

Tanner Gudauskas (USA), 20, equal 3rd place finisher, put in sensational performances on his forehand today, scalping Alejo Muniz (BRA), 18, and a red-hot Tamaroa McComb (PYF), 16, before falling to Andre and the Brazilian’s perfect 10 in the Semifinal.

Tying last year’s equal 3rd place finish, Gudauskas puts the icing on his esteemed ASP Pro Junior career and will join his brothers on the ASP WQS in his quest for ASP Dream Tour qualification.

“I’m doing the ASP WQS this year again with my brothers,” Gudauskas said. “It’s a great start to the year even though I didn’t better the 3rd I got last year. It’s my last year as a junior is it’s into the big ocean for me now.”

Marc Lacomare (FRA), 18, carried the ASP European flag as far as possible today, taking down Jayke Sharp (AUS), 20, and Maxime Huscenot (REU), 16, before falling to Barger in the Semifinals.

Despite failing to reach the Final, Lacomare’s equal 3rd place finish at Narrabeen still earned him the preferred seeding into several ASP WQS events in 2009.

“I’m going to stay in Australia for one month and do a few Pro Juniors in Queensland and then maybe some ASP WQS here as well,” Lacomare said. “I may be able to get the wildcard because I think Jadson (Andre) and Tanner (Gudauskas) may not need it so it is handed down to me. So I’m not exactly sure what is going on for me this year.”

Both Barger and Pauline Ado (FRA), 16, who claimed the ASP World Junior Women’s Title yesterday, will be honored at this year’s ASP Banquet in February alongside the likes of nine-time ASP World Tour Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 36, two-time ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 20, amongst others.

Highlights from today’s Billabong ASP World Junior Championships will be available via billabongpro.com with Heats on Demand available in the VIDEO section.

For more information, log onto aspworldtour.com

BILLABONG ASP WORLD JUNIORS (MEN) FINAL:
1 – Kai Barger (HAW) 15.34
2 – Jadson Andre (BRA) 13.67

BILLABONG ASP WORLD JUNIORS (MEN) SEMIFINALS:
SF 1: Jadson Andre (BRA) 18.00 def. Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 14.34
SF 2: Kai Barger (HAW) 16.73 def. Marc Lacomare (FRA) 8.84

BILLABONG ASP WORLD JUNIORS (MEN) QUARTERFINALS:
QF 1: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 17.23 def. Tamaroa McComb (PYF) 14.50
QF 2: Jadson Andre (BRA) 18.30 def. Kiron Jabour (HAW) 12.60
QF 3: Marc Lacomare (FRA) 14.00 def. Maxime Huscenot (REU) 13.77
QF 4: Kai Barger (HAW) 17.60 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 13.16

BILLABONG ASP WORLD JUNIORS (MEN) ROUND 4 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Tamaroa McComb (PYF) 13.17 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 8.57
Heat 2: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 14.60 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 11.33
Heat 3: Kiron Jabour (HAW) 13.16 def. Lincoln Taylor (AUS) 12.16
Heat 4: Jadson Andre (BRA) 16.50 def. Granger Larsen (HAW) 14.17
Heat 5: Maxime Huscenot (REU) 13.00 def. Alex Ribeiro (BRA) 9.53
Heat 6: Marc Lacomare (FRA) 12.83 def. Jayke Sharp (AUS) 10.50
Heat 7: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 17.83 def. Nat Young (USA) 10.17
Heat 8: Kai Barger (HAW) 14.46 def. Stuart Kennedy (AUS) 14.00

ASP REGIONAL POINTS BREAKDOWN:
1 – Hawaii 2,752 points
2 – Australasia 2,664 points
3 – South America 2,642 points
4 – Europe 2,428 points
5 – North America 2,296 points
6 – Africa 1,455 points
7 – Japan 900 points

The Billabong ASP World Junior Championships is proudly supported by Sony, Virgin Blue, Warringah Council, Waves, VonZipper, Kustom, Nixon and ASP International.

www.billabongpro.com
www.aspworldtour.com

Previous reports:
# 1 : World's very best ready for ASP World Junior Champs
# 2 : Julian Wilson wins VZ Trials & secures spot into WJC..
# 3 : Oz dominates Day 1 of Billabong ASP World Jr Champs

# 4 : Upsets abound at Billabong ASP World Junior Champs  
# 5 : Big scores Day 3 of Billabong ASP World Junior Champs
# 6 : Comp favorites go down at Billabong ASP World Juniors
# 7 : Pauline Ado crowned 2009 ASP World Junior Champion

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.

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 

Dave Prodan / ASP
dave@aspworldtour.com

Steve Robertson / Covered Images
stever@surfingaustralia.com

Junior Contests - Surfersvillage