LIHU‘E — It was a barrel bonanza at the Oakley ASP World Pro Junior, event no.1 on the ASP World Junior Tour in Bali Wednesday, states an ASP press release. The world’s top young bloods went tube-for-tube in clean 5-
LIHU‘E — It was a barrel bonanza at the Oakley ASP World Pro Junior, event no.1 on the ASP World Junior Tour in Bali Wednesday, states an ASP press release.
The world’s top young bloods went tube-for-tube in clean 5- to 6-foot barrelling conditions at the host venue of Keramas.
With supreme conditions on offer, Contest Director, Beau Emerton, opted to start Round 4 of the men’s division at 6:30 a.m. in the best conditions seen so far for the event.
Santa Cruz star Nat Young, 19, got straight to business in the opening heat of the morning against Kaua‘i’s Tyler Newton, stalling through a selection of Keramas caverns to storm through to the quarterfinals with a day high 18.96 two-wave combined total (out of a possible 20).
After the heat was re-started with no waves ridden in the first ten minutes, the young Californian utilised his tube riding ‘A-game’, slipping into a deep barrel on his backhand to emerge with a 9.33.
He was just getting warmed up, with the talented goofy foot jagging another set wave before weaving his way through a thunderous tube to come into view and net a 9.63.
“Last year we surfed this wave and it was pretty small with tight little barrels,” he said.
“You couldn’t have asked for better waves today. I got a lot of fun waves and some awesome barrels. I hope I get to surf again in this type of condition.”
In a tube battle royal, Australia’s Jack Freestone, 18, eliminated event favorite, American Kolohe Andino — 18.47 to 15.24 — to set up a quarterfinal showdown with Young.
Freestone, who grew up on the famed break of Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast, Australia, looked right at home in the reeling right-hand waves despite a daunting heat against Andino.
“He’s such an intimidating surfer,” he said. “To come up against him in pumping waves gave me more of an opportunity to beat him. I’m so happy.”
Freestone amassed a pair of nine-point rides (9.2 and 9.27) for two extra deep barrels to set up a comfortable win.
USA’s Conner Coffin, 17, continued the blitzkrieg of barrels against Brazilian Krystian Kymerson, driving through the belly of a gaping Keramas tube to nail the day’s highest individual wave score, a 9.83.
Coffin backed it up with an 8.43 to finish with an 18.26 two-wave total to Kymerson’s 2.83.
He’ll now take on Brazil’s Caio Ibelli in the second quarterfinal.
With onshore conditions hampering proceedings mid-morning, contest organizers decided to finish the day’s surfing with the last heat of Round 4 men’s action.
The next call is scheduled for 5:30 a.m. today.
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OAKLEY ASP WORLD PRO JUNIOR
ROUND 4 RESULTS (MEN’S):
Heat 1:Nat Young (USA) 18.96 def. Tyler Newton (HAW) 15.50
Heat 2: Jack Freestone (AUS) 18.47 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 15.24
Heat 3: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 15.40 def. Shaun Joubert (ZAF) 9.17
Heat 4: Conner Coffin (USA) 18.26 def. Krystian Kymerson (BRA) 2.83
Heat 5: Mitch Crews (AUS) 11.66 def. Charles Martin (GLP) 6.97
Heat 6: Kiron Jabour (HAW) 18.16 def. Alex Smith (HAW) 16.70
Heat 7: Dale Staples (ZAF) 16.07 def. Granger Larsen (HAW) 15.46
Heat 8: Evan Thompson (USA) 13.50 def. Davey Cathels (AUS) 10.47
OAKLEY ASP WORLD PRO JUNIO
QUARTERFINAL MATCH-UPS (MEN’S):
QF 1: Nat Young (USA) vs. Jack Freestone (AUS) QF 2: Caio Ibelli (BRA) vs. Conner Coffin (USA) QF 3: Mitch Crews (AUS) vs. Kiron Jabour (HAW)
QF 4: Dale Staples (ZAF) vs. Evan Thompson (USA)
OAKLEY ASP WORLD PRO JUNIOR
QUARTERFINAL MATCH-UPS (WOMEN’S):
QF 1: Sage Erickson (USA) vs. Malia Manuel (HAW)
QF 2: Alizee Arnaud (FRA) vs. Laura Enever (AUS)
QF 3: Diana Cristina (BRA) vs. Airini Mason (NZL)
QF 4: Lakey Peterson (USA) vs. Tyler Wright (AUS)
