Oney Anwar (IND) flying high at the Oakley Pro Bali earlier this year. Pic ASP/Will H-S
COOLANGATTA, QLD/Australia (Monday, September 09, 2013) – After a hard fought 2013 ASP Australasian Pro Junior Series the top six men and top two women from the Asia Pacific region have been locked in to go and compete at the Floripa/SC ASP World Junior Championships in Brazil later this year.
The event will not only see the crowning of the men’s and women’s 2013 ASP World Junior Champions, but the four Semifinalists in the men’s draw will automatically be seeded into all of the ASP Prime rated events in 2014, and the four surfers who bow out in the Quarterfinals will be seeded into the first round of all 2014 ASP 6-Star events. Similarly, in the women’s draw, the four Semifinalists will be automatically seeded into the Round of 60 at all of the ASP 6-Star events in 2014. These seedings will be vital for the world’s best junior surfers and their ASP World Championship Tour qualification aspirations.
Oney Anwar (IND) is having a breakthrough year after being awarded a wildcard into the Rip Curl Pro Bells and winning the Trials for the Oakley Pro Bali, and he has now become the first Indonesian surfer to qualify for the ASP World Junior Championships. In the past other Indonesian surfers have been awarded wildcards, but Anwar secured his chance to compete for an ASP World Junior Title by being the second highest placed ASP Australasian Pro Junior member on the ASP World Rankings.
“I’m stoked to surf in the ASP World Junior Championships this year,” Anwar said. “Last year I had a wildcard which was a good experience and hopefully this year I can better my result. I’ve had lots of help this year with wildcards into WCTs and have been training with Mick Fanning and Phil McNamara on the Gold Coast. It has really pushed my surfing to the next level so I hope to get a good result in Brazil.”
Jake Sylvester’s (Newcastle, NSW/AUS) goal at the start of the year was to qualify for the ASP World Junior Championships, and he did it in spectacular fashion by winning back-to-back events and securing the coveted 2013 ASP Australasia Pro Junior Series Championship.
“I’m really excited!” Sylvester said. “I still get butterflies in my stomach when people ask me about winning the ASP Australasia Pro Junior Series or when I see the trophy sitting in my room! I’ve been training for Brazil a fair bit. I’ve got the ASL Hot 100 trip coming up then I have three weeks at home before the contest starts which is when ill be really knuckling down and training and surfing hard.”
Ellie-Jean Coffey (Gold Coast, QLD/AUS) made the final of all three Pro Junior events this year, on her way to claiming the 2013 ASP Australasia Pro Junior Series Championship. Coffey won the opening event in Newcastle and finished runner-up at the next two events in Tahiti and Coffs Harbour and will be going into the ASP World Junior Championships as one of the surfers to watch.
“I’m really excited, I’ve never been to Brazil before!” Coffey said. “I really want to win, but I know there are a lot of good surfers in the competition so it’s going to be tough. I’m going to Sumbawa tomorrow, for a Billabong trip, so that will be good for training. I’ve been to a few ASP World Junior events in the past so I know what to expect and I looking to make the most of this one. This year was about doing well in the Pro Juniors and after winning the ASP Australasia Pro Junior Series, the next step is winning the ASP world Junior Title. Then next year my focus will be on qualifying for the ASP World Championship Tour, I’ve done a few 6-Stars in the past, but next year they will be my main focus.”
Dane Jordan, ASP Australasia General Manager is proud of the squad that has been assembled and is looking forward to seeing how they fare against the rest of the world’s best junior surfers.
“It’s a fantastic achievement just to qualify and have the chance to compete for an ASP World Junior Title,” said Jordan. “The competition is intense with well over 100 competitors and just eight spots up for grabs, you have to be at the top of your game to qualify. The top four men and top two women on the ASP Australasia Pro Junior Series rankings get in, plus the top two ranked ASP Australasia Pro Junior members on the men’s ASP World Ranking’s as at 1 September. The ASP World Junior Championships is always an exciting event to watch, it’s also interesting to see the future stars of our sport battle it out in a world-class event.”
