NAT YOUNG WINS OAKLEY PRO JUNIOR – ASP NORTH AMERICA QUALIFIERS DECIDED
Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series pres. by Jeep Oakley Pro Junior Champion Crowned

16-year old Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA) defeated elder standouts Nick Rozsa (Oxnard, CA), Adam Wickwire (Satellite Beach, FL) and Travis Beckmann (Vero Beach, FL) to claim the Oakley Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) North America Championships during a performance barrier-breaking affair in clean three-to-four foot (1 metre) waves at Santa Cruz’s Steamer Lane.

Competing in both the ASP WQS 4-Star O’Neill Cold Water Classic presented by Jeep as well as the ASP Grade-3 Oakley Pro Junior, Young stood out all week with his progressive and powerful backhand approach at The Lane.

“I surf a lot on my backhand so I’m pretty comfortable out at Steamer Lane,” Young said.  “I had been competing in the ’QS event, so by the time I got to the junior, I had a good amount of confidence.  Surfing against the older guys didn’t really phase me.  We didn’t have the best waves in our heat, but I managed to get a couple of running ones and pulled off some maneuvers.”

While not in the running to qualify for the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships, Young’s win in front of the hometown crowd gives the wunderkind a solid ratings position for an assault in 2008.

“Having all the hometown support on the bluff was great,” Young said.  “Every time I took off on a wave, people were cheering.  It was really motivating.  Hopefully this win gives me a good jump in the ratings and I can do lots of events next year.  We’ll just take it as it goes, but I’m enjoying this win for now.”

As the first ASP Grade-3 event in North American history, the Oakley Pro Junior in Santa Cruz offered more ratings points than any before it, and the final day of competition saw some high drama as surfers battled it out for one of four qualification seats into the prestigious Billabong ASP World Junior Championships in January.

Wickwire took top honors, scalping the 2007 ASP North America Pro Junior Title with his impressive 3rd place finish in Santa Cruz.

“This is a major stepping stone in my junior career,” Wickwire said.  “It’s a good way to end the year.  It feels great to finally achieve this accomplishment.”

Looking ahead, Wickwire will lead the ASP North America Pro Junior qualifiers into the trenches at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships in January.

“I’ll have to make sure I have all the best equipment,” Wickwire said.  “My goal will be to eliminate anything that could go wrong and just do my best.”

Chris Waring (Seal Beach, CA), who suffered a laceration to his left foot earlier in the event, was on the bubble heading into the Oakley Pro Junior Final with his outcome uncertain.  Travis Beckmann (Vero Beach, FL) and Nick Rozsa (Oxnard, CA) were nipping at Waring’s slender lead and both needed to finish 3rd or higher to overtake.

Rozsa managed to finish runner-up, while Beckmann finished fourth, leaving Waring in the ASP North America Top 4 and on his way to Narrabeen for the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships.

Cory Arrambide (Ventura, CA), who held the ratings lead on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series for the majority of the season, suffered a shock elimination in the Round of 32 at the ASP Grade-3 Oakley Pro Junior.  However, the tenacious goofy-footer’s solid season paid off with the early elimination of challengers in Santa Cruz, and Arrambide will join Wickwire and Waring in Narrabeen as part of the ASP North America Top 4.

Wickwire, Rozsa, Arrambide and Waring will join Tanner Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), the highest-rated North American surfer on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) who is of junior age (20 and under), at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships in January.

Courtney Conlogue (Santa Ana, CA) and Sage Erickson (Ojai, CA) will represent ASP North America and the Pro Junior women qualifiers at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships.

The ASP Grade-3 Oakley Pro Junior is also the third and final event in the Oakley Pro Junior division of the Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series presented by Jeep (an ASP North America Specialty Series).  After the completion of April’s ASP Grade-2 Oakley Pro Junior at Lowers and September’s ASP Grade-2 Oakley Pro Junior in Newport Beach, competitors at the Santa Cruz event will be vying for one of three top ratings positions, which will split a bonus $5,000 purse.

Nick Rozsa walked away with the win, following his solid runner-up finish in the ASP Grade-3 Oakley Pro Junior.  Rozsa wins a bonus $3,500 dollars and will add another accolade to his growing list of accomplishments.

“It’s been a really tough year for me with injuries and illnesses,” Rozsa said.  “To finish the year strong is a real boost of confidence for me, and I’m really amped on turning the corner here.”

The ASP North America Pro Junior men and women will next do battle in the prestigious Billabong ASP World Junior Championships at Australia’s Narrabeen Beach in January.

All O’Neill Cold Water Classic presented by Jeep as well as Oakley Pro Junior action will be available at  www.coldwaterclassic.net

For more information, log on to www.aspworldtour.com or www.aspnorthamerica.org

RESULTS:

Oakley Pro Junior – ASP Grade-3
Quarterfinals: 16 surfers remaining (1st and 2nd advance)
QF 1: Nick Rozsa (USA) 9.87, Chris Waring (USA) 8.67, Dane Ward (USA) 8.00, Kellen Ellison (USA) 4.47
QF 2: Travis Beckmann (USA) 13.73, Trevor Saunders (USA) 13.07, Brent Dorrington (AUS) 12.17, Marshall Alberga (USA) 9.10
QF 3: Adam Wickwire (USA) 14.67, Nat Young (USA) 12.07, Andrew Doheny (USA) 10.60, John John Florence (HAW) 7.20
QF 4: Kilian Garland (USA) 10.56, Jesse Heilman (USA) 8.00, Kevin Kapsky (USA) 7.57, Eric Geiselman (USA) 5.27

Semifinals: 8 surfers remaining (1st and 2nd advance)
SF 1: Nick Rozsa (USA) 12.47, Travis Beckmann (USA) 10.43, Chris Waring (USA) 9.33, Trevor Saunders (USA) 9.23
SF 2: Nat Young (USA) 12.86, Adam Wickwire (USA) 10.83, Jesse Heilman (USA) 7.16, Kilian Garland (USA) 6.60

FINAL
1 – Nat Young (USA) 13.37
2 – Nick Rozsa (USA) 12.24
3 – Adam Wickwire (USA) 10.16
4 – Travis Beckmann (USA) 10.10

ASP North America Qualifiers for Billabong ASP World Junior Championships in January
1 – Adam Wickwire (Satellite Beach, FL)
2 – Nick Rozsa (Oxnard, CA)
3 – Cory Arrambide (Ventura, CA)
4 – Chris Waring (Seal Beach, CA)
*    Tanner Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA) – Highest-rated ASP North America Junior on WQS

Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series presented by Jeep – ASP North America Specialty Series
1 – Adam Virs (Ventura, CA) $10,000 as well as an all-new Jeep Patriot (valued at $26,000)
2 – Nathan Yeomans (San Clemente, CA) $3,500
3 – Austin Ware (Solana Beach, CA) $1,500