Check out the full ASP
schedule here
The Oakley Pro Junior is a three-event undertaking that
will be held in conjunction with The Body Glove Surfbout
presented by Adio, The Oakley Pro Junior presented by Heritage
Surf and Sport, and the O’Neill Coldwater Classic.
An elite field of international Junior competitors will
face off in these events, and by limiting the field to 32
entrants, the inaugural Oakley Pro Junior draws its ranks
from only the very best young surfers in the professional
arena. Offering an opportunity to earn maximum points towards
the 2007 ASP Billabong World Junior Championships, these
events have been staged along with high profile WQS contests
in order to provide a premier venue for the continued development
of American professional surfing.
The draw pits 10 top rated Junior competitors from around
the world against the top 20 highest rated North Americans.
Qualifying through their results at the 2006 Billabong World
Juniors, the two highest rated surfers from Australia, Japan,
Africa, Europe, South America and Hawaii will receive seeds
into the event to compete against a field of 20 top North
Americans. The American surfers are seeded into the events
based on their ASP North America Junior Grade results from
last year.
 After
Trestles, the Oakley Pro Junior’s second stop will be
a stand-alone event held August 5-6 Ocean City NJ and to a
larger field of competition. The final event culminates at
the 2006 O’Neill Coldwater Classic at world famous Steamer
Lane in Santa Cruz, where the Macy’s California Trifecta
Surf Series will also come to its conclusion. The Oakley Pro
Juniors are Grade-2 rated ASP North America events that offers
a $10,000 prize purse to competitors who were 19-years of
age or under as of January 1, 2006.
The ASP Junior Grade Series is a global tour that offers
an important competitive arena for emerging professional surfers
interested in developing their competitive skills. The Junior
Tour culminates each year with the Billabong World Junior
Championships, where the top five surfers from each ASP region
compete for the World Junior Title. Past winners include Andy
Irons, Joel Parkinson, Brazil’s Adriano de Souza, and
Kekoa Bacalso. For more on Kekoa Bacalso's win check out the
story covered by surfer
mag or sufing
mag. You can also catch the interview
here, and the photo
gallery here.
This year, there are 10 scheduled ASP North America events for
domestic competitors to accumulate qualification points. And
while this increase from last year’s schedule presents
the surfers with greater opportunities to accumulate those
points, the elite fields at each Oakley Pro Junior, combined
with an intense competitive draw makes it crucial for them
to perform at their peak in every heat. This is because three-quarters
of their results will count toward their overall yearend standing,
with the top five surfers receiving a seed into the Billabong
World Junior Championships. The Oakley Pro Junior events provide
crucial opportunities for the top North American surfers to
earn these coveted qualifying points.
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