Vans Pier Classic
Presented by Jack's Surfboards

ASP 2 Star Mens WQS event
Ezekiel Pro Junior Grade 2 Mens event
The Pier, Huntington Beach, Ca
25 - 29 March 2009

Live Coverage  |  Results/Photos/Videos etc

Junior Surfers Start Strong at Vans Pier Classic

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 25 March, 2009 : - - Huntington Beach -- The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) kicked off its West Coast season opener today with the ASP WQS 2-Star Vans Pier Classic presented by Jack’s Surfboards in peaky two-to-three foot (1 metre) conditions at South Huntington Beach Pier. The first day of the Vans Pier Classic saw ASP North America Pro Junior Series surfers post impressive performances over their competition.

All surfers competing in the Vans Pier Classic are looking to earn points to improve their seed towards qualification for the ASP World Tour, with the top 15 ASP WQS performers advancing onto the coveted tour each year.

Michael Dunphy (Virginia Beach, VA), 18, was definitely one to watch in the opening day of the Vans Pier Classic, winning both his Round 1 and Round 2 heats. The young East Coaster blasted the day’s highest heat total of a 14.50 out of 20 on the way to his Round 3 berth by utilizing a selective strategy that paid off in his tough heat.

“The first heat I just didn’t feel right, but I felt better in that heat,” Dunphy said. “I only caught two or three waves in my last heat, but they kind of linked up and I surfed them accordingly.” Dunphy earned a single wave score of an 8.25 out of 10 to open up his Round 2 heat and the excellent score played a critical role in his advancement into Round 3.

“I wasn’t going to go on that wave because I thought it was going to be a shoulder, but it connected all the way through,” Dunphy said. “I thought I had got about a 6 on it, so when I heard the 8 called out I was stoked.”

The young regular-footer, who finished 11th overall on last year’s ASP North America Pro Junior Series, is using today’s ASP WQS action as a confidence builder going into his ASP Pro Junior campaign. “This just gets you going for the junior,” Dunphy said. “I care about this event, but it’s more important for me to do well in the junior right now. This is a good warm up and it gives me confidence for the juniors.”

Victor Done (Newport Beach, CA), 17, was another ASP North America Pro Junior series surfer who was one to watch as well. Done also advanced through two heats today, winning a tough Round 2 heat over ASP WQS veteran Heath Walker (Carlsbad, CA), 33, who advanced in second, and Hawaiian charger Levi Gonzales (Kailua, HI), 18. The Orange County native dropped two solid scores in the opening minutes of the battle and his 14.35 out of 20 heat total proved to be enough to fend off his competitors.

“I got two 7-point-rides in the first five minutes and then at the end Heath (Walker) got an 8 and I saw someone else get a wave and got scared,” Done said. “Luckily I was able to hold on.”

Robert Patterson (Hilo, HI), 25, dropped the day’s highest single wave score of an 8.50 out of 10, advancing comfortably through his Round 1 heat by opening the wave up with a big backside turn. The regular-footer worked his way through the classic Huntington Beach reform and had several frontside hacks to earn the solid score.

“I got a nice whack on the outside and when it reformed I hit it a couple more times,” Patterson said. “I guess the judges liked the wave, so I’m stoked.”

Patterson, who is from the Island of Hawaii, has spent the last few years living in Huntington Beach while pursuing his competitive career and his impressive performance today showed his obvious knowledge of the tricky beach break.

“I think the conditions are pretty good,” Patterson said. “I’m from the Big Island and have been staying here for a couple of years and trying to do the contests and I think the waves are super fun compared to how it usually is.”

Tomorrow’s Vans Pier Classic presented by Jack’s Surfboards action will see the completion of Round 2 and Round 3. The Vans Pier Classic and Ezekiel Pro Junior runs from March 25-29, 2009 and will be webcast LIVE via vans.com

Vans Pier Classic pres. by Jack’s Surfboards Round of 160 Results
Heat 1: Michael Dunphy (USA) 10.40, Brandon Barnes (USA) 9.35, Brendan Buckley (USA) 8.85, Andre Oziol (USA) 5.50
Heat 2: Jared Thorne (USA) 11.50, T.J. Mortellaro (USA) 5.60, Matt Turner (USA) 5.35, Manuel Huth (USA) 0.80
Heat 3: Keto Burns (USA) 12.65, Victor Done (USA) 12.25, Brad Pierce (USA) 4.80, Brad Hagglund (USA) 4.00
Heat 4: Levi Gonzales (HAW) 9.75, Andrew Gahan (USA) 8.65, Peter Minko (USA) 5.50, Brodie Walker (USA) 5.10
Heat 5: Dylan Southworth (MEX) 10.60, Makai McNamara (HAW) 7.75, Anthony Ruffo (USA) 6.15, Sam McCowan (USA) 3.15
Heat 6: Kekoa Cazimero (HAW) 10.00, Noah Erickson (USA) 8.85, Ian Bloch (USA) 6.35, Gary Strahle (USA) 4.35
Heat 7: Michael Bailey (USA) 10.50, Pedro Fernandez (DOM) 8.25, Ashton Madeley (USA) 6.88, David Gonsalves (HAW) 5.95
Heat 8: Colin Dwyer (USA) 12.00, Tyler Payne (USA) 8.75, Paul Pugliesi (USA) 7.55, Cody Sammons (USA) 2.25
Heat 9: Robert Kelly (USA) 12.85, Jamie Parkhurst (USA) 12.40, Chad Eastman (USA) 8.80, Greg Kaplan (USA) 5.20
Heat 10: Pedro Husadel (BRA) 7.05, T.J. Mikus (USA) 6.25, Tayler Brothers (USA) 6.00, Elijah Crowell (USA) 3.90
Heat 11: Taylor Thorne (USA) 13.00, Quinn McCrystal (USA) 9.00, Shaw Kobayashi (USA) 7.95, Rick Hahn (USA) 4.25
Heat 12: Nathan Carroll (HAW) 12.25, Andrew Gessler (USA) 12.15, Koa Smith (HAW) 6.95, Keith Terriberry (USA) 1.70
Heat 13: Jeffrey Lukasik (USA) 10.75, Rick Downes (USA) 9.75, Maximillian Karnig (USA) 6.75, Ron Keindl (USA) 5.10
Heat 14: Tyler Stanaland (USA) 10.75, Colton Larson (USA) 8.75, Scott Marvin (USA) 4.25, Mat Story (USA) 3.95
Heat 15: Robert Patterson (HAW) 13.25, Doug Van Mierlo (USA) 10.25, Tanner Deprin (USA) 7.80, Jonathan Warren (USA) 6.10
Heat 16: Tim Senneff (USA) 10.15, Matt Wetmore (USA) 9.15, Jeff Hurley (USA) 8.35, Adam Uraine (USA) 5.40

Vans Pier Classic presented by Jack’s Surfboards Round of 128 Results:
Heat 1: Michael Dunphy (USA) 14.50, Matt Myers (USA) 14.30, Riley Metcalf (USA) 11.00, T.J. Mortellaro (USA) 4.20
Heat 2: Masaijah Lani (USA) 11.75, Oliver Kurtz (USA) 7.65, Jared Thorne (USA) 7.40, Brandon Barnes (USA) 4.50
Heat 3: Dane Zaun (USA) 11.40, Andrew Gahan (USA) 8.60, Jimmy Herrick (USA) 8.50, Keto Burns (USA) 2.85
Heat 4: Victor Done (USA) 14.35, Heath Walker (AUS) 14.00, Levi Gonzales (HAW) 12.85, Adam Lambert (USA) 8.00
Heat 5: Andrew Bennett (USA) 12.10, Noah Erickson (USA) 8.95, Ryah Arthur (USA) 7.20, Dylan Southworth (MEX) 6.25
Heat 6: Nick Rupp (USA) 12.85, Makai McNamara (HAW) 10.35, Kekoa Cazimero (HAW) 7.80, Frank Chenault (USA) 2.50
Heat 7: Robert Hennessy (HAW) 7.60, Sean Tubbs (USA) 7.40, Michael Bailey (USA) 6.60, Tyler Payne (USA) 5.00
Heat 8: Luke Davis (USA) 13.25, Sean Bacon (USA) 9.20, Colin Dwyer (USA) 8.50, Pedro Fernandez (USA) 8.30

Previous reports:
# 1 : ASP 2 Star WQS Vans Pier Classic kicks off on March 25
# 2 : Coming soon
# 3 : Coming soon
# 4 : Coming soon  

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www.aspnorthamerica.org

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