Enrique Ariitu (PYF), on his way to a runner-up finish at the Tahiti Nui Pro Junior earlier this year. PIC ASP/Will H-S
COOLANGATTA, QLD/Australia (Friday, December 27, 2013) – The Tahitian Surfing Federation are excited to announce their continued support for the ASP by hosting an ASP 1-Star Qualifying Series (QS) event at Papara in April. They will also continue to run their back-to-back ASP Australasia Pro Junior Series events that will now run in conjunction with the new 1-Star QS open division.
Philippe Klima, President of the Tahitian Surfing Federation has worked closely with the ASP at the Billabong Pro Teahupo’o and over the last few years at the Rangiroa Pro Junior and Tahiti Nui Pro Junior and he is thrilled to announce that the 1-Star QS event will run in the same window as the Tahiti Nui Pro Junior to form the Papara Surf Festival.
“We are really proud and happy to add a 1-Star Open men’s QS to the Rangiroa and Papara Pro Junior competitions,” Klima said. “This offers our surfers the possibility to face international competitors and to access the ASP World Rankings. The ASP Australasia Pro Junior competitions held the previous years have been very successful and brought some of the best pro junior surfers to our beautiful islands. The addition of this new competition aims at increasing the competitive surfing opportunities for our surfers and welcoming a a broader range of international surfers.”
Enrique Ariitu (PYF) is one of Tahiti’s most exciting up-and-coming surfers, recently representing his country at the ASP World Junior Championships. Ariitu is looking forward to hosting a world-class competition not only in his home nation, but also his home break at Papara.
“It’s really great to have an Open QS competition here in Tahiti since it’s not so easy for our surfers to travel abroad,” Ariitu said. “We have great waves and great surfers and we need opportunities to compete with international surfers and gain some qualifying points. The pro juniors at Rangiroa and Papara are great comps and adding an Open QS at Papara is really exciting!”
Dane Jordan, ASP Australasia General Manager attended the back-to-back ASP Australasia Pro Junior events in Tahiti last year and is looking forward to seeing the addition of a QS event that will no doubt draw a strong field of surfers to French Polynesia.
“On behalf of the ASP and the surfers I really want to thank the Tahitian Surfing Federation for their continued and growing support of surfing in the Asia/Pacific region,” Jordan said. “The waves are perfect, the islands are breathtakingly beautiful and the event setups are world-class. I’m really excited to see the QS competition provide opportunities for the talented local surfers and international surfers to gain some ASP World Rankings points and experience.”
The three events in French Polynesia will start in the Tuamotu islands with the Rangiroa Pro Junior from April 2 – 6, followed by the Tahiti Nui Pro Junior and the 1-Star QS Papara Surf Festival running from April 8 – 13.
For more information stay tuned to ASPWorldTour.com
