Vans Pro Junior

Grade 1 Men's ASP Junior Event
San Sebastian Basque Country
23 - 26 July 2009

Live Coverage  |  Results/Photos/Videos etc  

Defending Champion Lacomare Dominates Day 2 of Vans Pro Junior

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 24 July, 2009 : - - San Sebastian, Euskadi -- The second day of competition witnessed the start of all ASP Grade-1 Vans Pro Junior top seeds, the clean consistent three foot (one meter) waves on offer giving great potential for all big names to step up and display exciting action.

With the Women’s event kicking-off on the second bank, it was another action-packed ten-hour day at San Sebastian, the clear blue skies making the setting ideal.

While moving closer to the business end of the Vans Pro Junior, all competitors unleashed their best levels of surfing to convince the ASP judging panel they deserved a spot into Round 4, where thirty-two men only will battle for a spot into the Quarterfinals.

Setting pace for his first surf in the event was defending champion and current ASP European Junior ratings’ No. 2 Marc Lacomare (Capbreton, FRA), 18, who lost no time to make his intentions clear and score an impressive heat result of 18.06 points out of a possible 20 to open his Basque campaign in style. Lacomare, who won the opening ASP Grade-2 rated event of the year in Portugal last April, came back to competition today in superb form, netting a near perfect 9.23 point ride to send his fellow heat competitors packing.

“It was a good heat for sure and I had a good time,” Lacomare said. “It is the first event I am competing in since I injured my ankle, and the second Pro Junior event of the year for me only so I am super motivated to surf and surf well. The waves were good enough and I just tried as hard as I could.” Adding his exceptional performance today to his defending champion and favorite status makes Lacomare the most dangerous surfer in the Vans Pro Junior.

“I am relaxed and happy to be back in an event,” Lacomare said. “San Sebastian is close from home so I can go back every day and I feel good here. It wasn’t the best moment of the tide when I surfed but the potential here is definitely good and I am looking forward to competing again in Round 4.”

Lacomare, current ASP World Junior No. 3 since his semifinal finish in the 2008 ASP World Junior Championships (WJC) in Australia last January, is considered one of the best up and coming competitors in Europe and will attending both ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) events and ASP Pro Junior Series event this summer in Europe.

“The Junior series is an important thing for me,” Lacomare said. “I remain focused on a possible regional title but will also be surfing on the main WQS contests this summer. I am trying to enjoy myself and do well on both tours. We’ll see how it goes.”

First to surf in the third round this morning and second best scorer of the day was David Leboulsh (Bidart, FRA), 18, the young French surfer scoring a couple of solid scores including an excellent 8.00 point ride (out of a possible 10) in his encounter with other top seed Pierre-Valentin Laborde (Hossegor, FRA) who was to suffer an early elimination in the same heat.

“I wasn’t too confident this morning before my heat,” Leboulsh said. “I went out relaxed though and looked for the right positioning out there, and found that good wave to start with. It took me a bit of time to back that one score up but things went well in the end.”

The Basque armada of competitors did not leave the French walk away without defending their flag and current ratings’ No. 6 Jatyr Berasaluce (Sopelana, EUK), 19, was able to advance through to Round 4 of competition along with other local top surfers Igor Muniain (EUK) and Marcos Sansegundo (EUK).

The girls’ division saw the domination of current ratings’ leader and reigning ASP European Junior champion Alizee Arnaud (Hossegor, FRA), 18, who easily took control of Round 1 with an excellent 8.17 point ride (out of a possible 10) rewarding a well-executed air-reverse turn.

“The waves were good and I just surfed as it came,” Arnaud said. “We couldn’t have the scores due to the second bank set-up but it was all good and I am happy to start with this good result.”

With twenty-three heats remaining before the 2009 Vans Pro Junior wraps up and crowns both Men and Women’s champions, the last couple of days will bring pressure and intense exchanges as things heat up towards the finals. A call will be made at 9 AM tomorrow Saturday, July 24 at Playa Gros, main site of the Vans Pro Junior.

VANS PRO JUNIOR UPCOMING ROUND 4
Heat 1: David Leboulsh (FRA), Luka Guichard (DEN), Adrien Toyon (REU), Jayce Robinson (GBR)
Heat 2: Paco Divers (FRA), Martin Dambreville (FRA), Vasco Ribeiro (PRT), Marcos Sansegundo (EUK)
Heat 3: Federico Morais (PRT), Igor Muniain (EUK), Omer Bar (ISR), Jules Thomet (FRA)
Heat 4: Lyndon Wake (GBR), Lewis St John (BRB), Nicolau Von Rupp (DEU), Marc Lacomare (FRA)
Heat 5: Jatyr Berasaluce (EUK), Rudy Marechal (FRA), Yann Guyonneau (FRA), Medi Veminardi (REU)
Heat 6: Harry Delanne (FRA), Alberto Felipe (BRA), Tom Neuschwanger (REU), Fransisco Alves (PRT)
Heat 7: Marc Audo (FRA), Damien Chaudoy (REU), Thomaz Petterson (BRA), Joachim Guichard (DEN)
Heat 8: Kieran Bulard (REU), Jose Ferreira (PRT), Dimitri Ouvre (FRA), Thomas Fok Cheong (REU)

VANS PRO JUNIOR GIRLS UPCOMING QUARTERFINALS
Heat 1: Joanna Giansanti (FRA), Maud Lecar (FRA), Fanny Brice (FRA), Garazi Sanchez (EUK)
Heat 2: Camille Davila (FRA), Marie Dejean (FRA), Alizee Arnaud, Malissa Pichaud (FRA)
Heat 3: Johanne Defay (REU), Leticia Canales Bilbao (EUK), Catherine Clark (FRA), Ana Sarmento (PRT)
Heat 4: Alix Cranet (FRA), Johanne Panzini (FRA), Marion Bouzigues (FRA), Ana Morau (FRA)

Previous reports:
# 1 : Vans Pro Junior kicks off in San Sebastian on Thursday
# 2 : Favorites unleash on Day 1 of Vans Pro Junior, Euskadi
# 3 : Coming soon
# 4 : Coming soon  

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