SAN CLEMENTE, California (Wednesday, April 29, 2009) – The second day of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star PRIME 6.0 Lowers Pro offered improved two-to-three foot (1 metre) conditions to the event’s top seeds and saw Lower Trestles local Nathan Yeomans (San Clemente, CA), 27, lead the field through to Round 3.

All surfers competing in the ASP 6-Star PRIME 6.0 Lowers Pro are looking to capitalize on the ample ratings points on offer at the premier event. The ASP WQS contest’s PRIME status offers the maximum amount of ratings points towards each surfers qualification campaigns for the coveted ASP World Tour, making the stop at Lower Trestles significant for each surfer’s 2009 overall rating on The Grind.

Yeomans put his local knowledge of Lower Trestles to good use when he destroyed a long righthand wall with several beyond-vertical blasts to post the day’s highest single wave score of a 9.47 out of 10. The talented goofy-footer continued to dominate his heat when he bashed another impressive score and earned the day’s highest heat total of 18.24 out of 20.

“I was actually positioning myself for the left because I saw everyone scrambling for the right and I was able to get underneath them,” Yeomans said. “I knew it was going to be a nice right, and I was able to get a couple of good turns and it had a nice wall so I was able to ride it all the way through. I knew it was going to be a good score, so when I heard the 9-point-score, I was like, yeah, I like that!”

The San Clemente native is hoping that he can utilize his familiarity of the cobblestone reef to post a top result at the 6.0 Lowers Pro. Yeomans has had a successful competitive history at previous ASP WQS events at the location in past years and is out to capitalize on the contest’s ASP 6-Star PRIME status to help his cause towards qualification for the ASP Dream Tour.

“I’ve yet to make the Final out here and I had a bad event here last year, but I made the Semifinals the two years before that,” Yeomans said. “It’s always been a good event for me and now that it’s a 6-Star PRIME, it really counts for qualification for the World Tour. It’s definitely one of everyone’s favorite places to surf, so I’m glad that it’s a 6-Star PRIME.”

Adriano de Souza (Guaruja Sao Paulo, BRA), 22, displayed world-class surfing today at Lower Trestles, explaining why the young Brazilian is a top competitor on the ASP Dream Tour. The explosive regular-footer issued several critical backhand turns on two steep Lowers walls to earn one of the day’s highest single-wave scores of a 9.33 out of 10. De Souza’s precise backhand attack on his next wave helped him attain an impressive heat total of 17.83 out of 20 while advancing confidently in to Round 3.

“The conditions are a little bit small, but it’s still really good,” De Souza said. “I’ve been surfing Trestles everyday and to surf there with only three other guys out is great. Luckily, I was able to grab the two best waves in that heat, so I’m stoked.”

The San Clemente, California transplant permanently moved to the famous surf-town from his home in Brazil and his impressive performance at his new home-break shows that De Souza has been spending his fare share of time at Lower Trestles.

“I moved here in January, just in time for the cold,” De Souza said. “It’s freezing and right now it’s not proper Lowers, but I’ve learned a lot of things about Trestles that I didn’t know before.”

2009 is De Souza’s fourth year on the ASP World Tour and he definitely noticed a big difference in competing in the four-man ASP WQS setup versus the man-on-man competition that he has become familiar with.

“The QS and World Tour events are so different,” De Souza said. “Going from the man-on-man format with priority to a four-man heat feels like madness, especially at low tide Trestles, when there’s not a lot of waves, but it’s still good and it’s a good warm-up for me for Tahiti since there are so many good guys in the contest.”

Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA), 17, who is a wildcard in the 6.0 Lowers Pro, displayed some of the most progressive backside surfing in the event when he blasted the day’s second-highest single wave score of an amazing 9.43 out of 10 on a Lowers right. The goofy-footer did a massive backside reverse on his opening maneuver and followed the wave through to the inside to earn the score.

Ben Bourgeois (Wrightsville Beach, NC), 30, won the 6.0 Lowers Pro last year when the event was an ASP 4-Star contest, and was back in top form again today. The East Coaster convincingly won his Round 2 heat when he blasted a 17.26 out of 20 heat total.

“I got off to a good start and got a seven.” Bourgeois said. “It kind of takes some pressure off when you get a good one off of the bat because you can relax a little bit more. I got a pretty good right and knew I could start to stay away from the rest of the guys. That’s the kind of heat that I really wanted to have out there and it doesn’t always go that way, so it was nice.”

Competition is no longer the main focus for the former ASP Dream Tour surfer, but Bourgeois is still reveling in the top-level competition at the 6.0 Lowers Pro.

“I’m only doing events in the states this year and have just been traveling,” Bourgeois said. “It’s killer that this event is here though. I live in Carlsbad now, so it’s right in my backyard and it’s good to be surfing with these guys on their level because there are so many good guys in this event.”

6.0 Lowers Pro Round of 96 Results: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 5: Damien Hobgood (USA) 13.60, Simao Romao (BRA) 12.26, Stuart Kennedy (AUS) 11.13, Jesse Merle-Jones (HAW) 10.17
Heat 6: Eric Geiselman (USA) 14.23, Dylan Graves (PRI) 13.93, Marco Polo (BRA) 11.93, Leigh Sedley (AUS) 8.67
Heat 7: Mitchel Coleborn (AUS) 14.84, Evan Valiere (HAW) 13.83, Jadson Andre (BRA) 12.46, Kirk Flintoff (AUS) 9.47
Heat 8: Tim Boal (FRA) 12.93, Mike Losness (USA) 8.47, Casey Brown (HAW) 8.43, T.J. Barron (HAW) 8.37
Heat 9: Heitor Alves (BRA) 15.73, Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) 15.43, Shaun Ward (USA) 13.80, Federico Pilurzu (CRI) 13.80
Heat 10: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 15.17, Neco Padaratz (BRA) 13.13, Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 10.97, Kieran Horn (USA) 7.23
Heat 11: Tomas Hermes (BRA) 12.43, Jay Thompson (AUS) 11.03, Warwick Wright (ZAF) 8.17, Teppei Tajima (JPN) 8.15
Heat 12: Hizunome Bettero (BRA) 12.73, Flynn Novak (HAW) 9.70, Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 9.33, Matt King (USA) 7.02
Heat 13: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 17.83, Gavin Gillette (HAW) 14.77, Paul Fisher (AUS) 14.53, Brad Ettinger (USA) 12.04
Heat 14: Granger Larsen (HAW) 12.20, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 11.92, Pablo Paulino (BRA) 11.14, Evan Geiselman (USA) 8.95
Heat 15: Ben Bourgeois (USA) 17.26, Charlie Brown (BRA) 13.43, Makuakai Rothman (HAW) 12.53, Marlon Lipke (DEU) 10.77
Heat 16: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 14.17, Torrey Meister (HAW) 12.33, Cory Lopez (USA) 11.83, Dustin Barca (HAW) 7.73
Heat 17: Taylor Knox (USA) 14.77, Marcio Farney (BRA) 14.50, Kai Barger (HAW) 12.90, Luke Cheadle (AUS) 9.17
Heat 18: Austin Ware (USA) 16.83, Brett Simpson (USA) 12.70, Bruno Rodrigues (USA) 12.23, Jason Miller (USA) 10.53
Heat 19: Rob Machado (USA) 14.53, Daniel Ross (AUS) 11.30, Dane Gudauskas (USA) 8.83, Ola Eleogram (HAW) 3.66
Heat 20: Dane Reynolds (USA) 17.07, Chris Waring (USA) 16.97, Anthony Petruso (USA) 10.42, Parrish Byrne (AUS) 9.77
Heat 21: Nat Young (USA) 17. 76, Nic Muscroft (AUS) 16.40, Ricky Whitlock (USA) 11.16, Darrell Goodrum (USA) 10.20
Heat 22: Alain Riou (PYF) 13.67, Luke Dorrington (AUS) 13.23, Nathaniel Curran (USA) 12.17, Hank Gaskell (HAW) 11.10
Heat 23: Nathan Yeomans (USA) 18.24, Travis Logie (ZAF) 14.00, Jesse Heilman (USA) 12.40, Sean Moody (HAW) 9.00
Heat 24: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 14.67, Marcelo Trekinho (BRA) 11.54, Tonino Benson (HAW) 8.36, Shea Lopez (USA) 12.20

THURSO, Scotland (Wednesday, April 29, 2009) – The O’Neill Cold Water Classic (CWC) Scotland by Swatch, an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star Prime event, entered its 8-day waiting period today welcoming some of surfing’s best professional athletes at Thurso for the kick off of the world’s northern based event on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS).

The inconsistent surf on offer at either Brims Ness or the world famous righthander of Thurso East forced officials to postpone the start of competition until tomorrow morning when another call is made at 7 AM by O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series contest director Matt Wilson (AUS) with reasonable chances to see the expected new swell supposed to hit Northern Scotland show its first pulses for Day 2.

With 120 surfers having made the trip to Thurso to try and seize the valuable ratings’ points on offer and US$ 145 000 up for grabs, the O’Neill Cold Water Classic (CWC) Scotland will witness world class action with event top seed and ASP Top 45 rookie Drew Courtney (AUS), 20, leading the favorites’ charge while current ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) ratings’ No. 1 Owen Wright (AUS), 19, will be ready to extend his lead over close followers.

Defending champion Adam Robertson (AUS), 26, will be back out in the renowned cold waters of Scotland when Round 2 paddles out, the Victorian based competitor looking to keep-up his exceptional form that saw him make the final of the last ASP World Tour event at Bells Beach after making it through the trials and defeating several Dream Tour leaders on his way.

With former ASP World Champion and last year’s O’Neill CWC Scotland equal 5th Sunny Garcia (HAW), 2008 runner-up Adam Melling (AUS), O’Neill team riders Jarrad Howse (AUS) and Hugo Savalli (REU) as well as Europe’s rising stars Joan Duru (FRA) and Marc Lacomare (FRA) all attending the event, the set-up is ready for another spectacular edition.

The O’Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland is the second event of five on this year’s O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series and offers valuable 3500 ratings’ points to the winner counting for the qualification towards next year’s ASP World Tour.

UPCOMING O’NEILL CWC SCOTLAND ROUND 1 HEATS
Heat 1: Wiggoly Dantas (BRA), Jayce Robinson (GBR), Alex Gray (USA)
Heat 2: Sunny Garcia (HAW), Yujiro Tsuji (JPN), Mark Cameron (SCO), Yuzuru Tanaka (JPN)
Heat 3: Jay Davies (AUS), Omer Bar (ISR), Ryah Arthur (USA)
Heat 4: Marco Giorgi (URY), Alejandro Moreda (PRI), Micheal Bailey (USA)
Heat 5: Heath Joske (AUS), Angelo Lozano (MEX), Chris Davis (USA)
Heat 6: Matt Mohagen (USA), Gordon Fontaine (FRA), Haritz Mendiluze (EUK), Georgie Watts (SCO)
Heat 7: Madison Williams (AUS), Luca Guichard (DNK), Matt Capel (GBR), Eduardo Fernandes (PRT)
Heat 8: Luke Munro (AUS), Freddie Meadows (SWE), Matt Johnson (USA)
Heat 9: Lyncoln Taylor (AUS), Travis Beckmann (USA), Brandon Roberts (ZAF)
Heat 10: Alek Parker (USA), Damien Chaudoy (REU), Ricardo Lange (DEU), Micah Lester (AUS)
Heat 11: Marc Lacomare (FRA), Jason Harris (USA), Jensen Callaway (USA)
Heat 12: Bobby Hansen (NZL), Reubyn Ash (GBR), Jose Trujillo (MEX)
Heat 13: Richard Christie (NZL), Seam Holmes (ZAF), Josie Graves (PRI)
Heat 14: Daniel Redman (ZAF), Will Tant (USA), Joe Tanaka (JPN)
Heat 15: Jano Belo (BRA), Alan Stokes (GBR), Shota Nakamura (JPN), Mark Harris (GBR)
Heat 16: Manuel Selman (CHL), Andrew Bennett (USA), Sam Lamiroy (GBR)

SAN CLEMENTE, California (Tuesday, April 28, 2009) – The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star PRIME 6.0 Lowers Pro saw the opening day of America’s first ASP 6-Star PRIME event end in dramatic fashion when ASP World Tour rookie Michel Bourez (Toahotu, PYF), 23, donated the day’s highest scores for a combined heat total of a near perfect 18.77 out of 20 in the second-to-last heat of the day.

The 6.0 Lowers Pro’s ASP 6-Star PRIME status offers the maximum amount of points available for an ASP WQS event, making the prestigious contest a significant stop on all competitor’s calendars in their quest towards qualification for the coveted ASP World Tour.

Bourez crushed the day’s highest single wave score when he annihilated an amazing Lowers lefthander, blasting several backside turns and earning a near-perfect 9.77 out of 10. The talented Tahitian then capitalized on a beautiful righthand wall and went ballistic on his forehand and donated another nine-point ride for the day’s highest heat total of 18.77 out of 20.

“That left came from nowhere,” Bourez said. “There were no waves in my heat and there was the first wave and the biggest set had came and all of the guys were paddling for it and I let it go. Just behind it was that sick left.”

Bourez had never surfed Lower Trestles before, but he wasted no time in becoming familiar with the coveted pointbreak.

“This is my first time here,” Bourez said. “Lowers is such a good wave and you have the left and the right on the main peak. It’s way different than most spots on the QS because you have time enough to catch one or two of the best sets, so you don’t have to wait or change the way you act in the water.”

The powerful regular-footer is hoping to utilize his time at Lower Trestles as a good practice run before he tackles the world’s best at the Hurley Pro, mainland America’s only ASP World Tour event.

“That was my plan,” Bourez said. “It’s even better for me to come and practice here before the World Tour event, so it’s great. My coach has told me a lot about this wave and I think that’s what helped me in that heat.”

Sebastian Zietz (Hanalei, HI), 21, picked off one of the day’s best righthanders and unleashed a wrath of critical, finsfree turns to earn a 9.43 out of 10 on the way to his heat victory. The progressive regularfooter dropped a second solid score of a 7.33 while advancing into the Round of 96.

“I had been looking at it all morning and it has been mostly lefts, but that wave came in and it was just a perfect right,” Zietz said. “Dropping in, I just told myself to calm down and luckily I got a few good turns in on it.”

Zietz claimed the ASP Grade-2 Oakley Pro Junior last year, which runs in conjunction with the 6.0 Lowers Pro, and has now graduated from ASP Pro Junior competition to full-time ASP WQS status.

“Last year was my last year on the Pro Junior, so now I’m just doing the QS,” Zietz said. “It’s been tough. I had only made one heat so far, so that was the second heat I’ve made this year. It’s definitely a lot tougher at these 6-Stars, the judges are a lot more critical and everybody rips.”

The talented surfer is looking to use his Round 1 success to build momentum throughout his 6.0 Lowers Pro campaign.

“It’s good to build up your speed in the early rounds,” Zietz said. “I’m sure if my seed is better for next year that it will be fun to be seeded straight into the later rounds too.”

Luke Dorrington (Coolangatta, AUS), 23, traveled over to the States from Australia on his own dime and the dedicated competitor surfed explosively in his opening round heat.

“Not being sponsored makes you try a bit harder, that’s for sure,” Dorrington said. “I’m just happy to be here and get a spot in the event and Trestles is a great wave, so it’s good to be a part of it.”

The Australian is out to post a solid result at Trestles so he can continue to fund his campaign on The Grind this year.

“I just want to do as many events as I can and make some money,” Dorrington said. “For now, I’m just going event-by-event and am working at home to fund my own trips for the moment.”

Tomorrow’s ASP 6-Star PRIME 6.0 Lowers Pro action will pick back up with Heat 5 of Round 2 at 8am local time and will see today’s top performers tackle the event’s top seeds, including several ASP World Tour surfers. Watch all of the LIVE action via www.nike6lowerspro.com

The day’s opening heat will be Damien Hobgood (USA), Simao Romao (BRA), Stuart Kennedy (AUS) and Miguel Pupo (BRA)

6.0 Lowers Pro Round of 96 Results: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 15.13, Che Stang (USA) 15.10, Kolohe Andino (USA) 12.73, Sterling Spencer (USA) 8.40
Heat 2: Micah Byrne (USA) 15.74, Dusty Payne (HAW) 12.53, Jean da Silva (BRA) 10.93, Paulo Moura (BRA) 9.17
Heat 3: Michel Bourez (PYF) 18.77, William Cardoso (BRA) 9.97, Roy Powers (HAW) 8.04, Alex Smith (HAW) 6.83
Heat 4: Joel Centeio (HAW) 15.23, Chris Ward (USA) 14.87, Jesse Merle-Jones (HAW) 12.46, Rudy Palmboom (ZAF) 9.90

6.0 Lowers Pro Round of 128 Results: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Kolohe Andino (USA) 13.83, Paulo Moura (BRA) 13.10, Ezra Sitt (HAW) 5.98, Dean Randazzo (USA) 2.00
Heat 2: Micah Byrne (USA) 11.83, Alex Smith (HAW) 9.67, Kiron Jabour (HAW) 5.77, Nathan Carroll (HAW) 4.47
Heat 3: Jesse Merle-Jones (HAW) 12.33, Brandon Ragenovich (USA) 11.06, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 10.97, Shey Yates (USA) 6.84
Heat 4: Dylan Graves (PRI) 12.93, Mitchel Coleborn (AUS) 12.33, Chad Compton (USA) 11.04, Wesley de Souza (USA) 6.87
Heat 5: Evan Valiere (HAW) 13.90, Eric Geiselman (USA) 13.34, Shane Beschen (USA) 13.10, Dane Johnson (USA) 6.93
Heat 6: Casey Brown (HAW) 9.73, Federico Pilurzu (CRI) 9.17, Guilherme Ramalho (BRA) 3.87,
Heat 7: Kieran Horn (USA) 13.17, Teppei Tajima (JPN) 11.67, Devon Tresher (USA) 8.90, Sam Page (AUS) 7.93
Heat 8: Tomas Hermes (BRA) 16.40, Matt King (USA) 14.16, Mason Ho (HAW) 12.70, Gavin Beschen (HAW) 8.90
Heat 9: Brad Ettinger (USA) 16.33, Evan Geiselman (USA) 13.26, Noi Kaulukukui (USA) 12.50, Asher Nolan (USA) 12.16
Heat 10: Granger Larsen (HAW) 14.83, Charlie Brown (BRA) 13.17, Jason Shibata (HAW) 12.34, Richie Collins (USA) 6.24
Heat 11: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 16.76, Luke Cheadle (AUS) 12.10, Daniel Jones (HAW) 10.89, Adam Virs (USA) 6.60
Heat 12: Bruno Rodrigues (USA) 15.17, Rob Machado (USA) 13.56, Victor Ribas (BRA) 11.10, Shaun Burrell (USA) 7.90
Heat 13: Ola Eleogram (HAW) 14.16, Jason Miller (USA) 11.83, Kyle Knox (USA) 10.94, Charlie Carroll (HAW) 8.25
Heat 14: Parrish Byrne (AUS) 11.67, Ricky Whitlock (USA) 9.43, Gustavo Fernandes (BRA) 6.24, Pancho Sullivan (USA) 2.00
Heat 15: Luke Dorrington (AUS) 16.33, Jesse Heilman (USA) 12.17, Kevin Sullivan (USA) 8.80, Bud Freitas (USA) 6.80
Heat 16: Sean Moody (HAW) 12.50, Shea Lopez (USA) 10.27, Justin McBride (USA) 8.50, Tommy O’Brien (USA) 7.50

Young Leads Americans in Portugal

HUNTINGTON BEACH, California (Sunday, April 26, 2009) – The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) completed an action packed week of competition yesterday with the culmination of the ASP 6-Star PRIME Quiksilver Pro Durban in South Africa and the ASP 6-Star Estoril Quiksilver Pro in Portugal. Americans Brett Simpson (Huntington Beach, CA), 24, and prodigious talent Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA), 17, led the nation in each respective event.

The ASP WQS acts as a qualifier for the prestigious ASP World Tour, with the series’ top 15 finishers earning a berth on to the prestigious ASP Dream Tour the following year where they earn the chance to take the title of ASP World Champion.

Simpson continued to lead mainland American competitors on The Grind once again this week when he finished in ninth place overall at the ASP 6-Star PRIME Quiksilver Pro Durban. Simpson tackled some of the finest up-and-coming talent including Australian standout Adam Melling (Lennox Head, AUS), 24, in the premier event to claim the valuable ratings points towards his qualification campaign for the ASP Dream Tour.

The talented Californian is now rated fourth overall on the ASP WQS and is a top seed entering next week’s ASP 6-Star PRIME 6.0 Lowers Pro.

Young, who finished second last year on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series, finished in a respectable 17th place finish in the ASP 6-Star Estoril Quiksilver Pro. The Santa Cruz local’s impressive performance saw the goofy-footer top some of Europe’s finest surfers including ASP World Tour campaigner Aritz Aranburu (Zarautz, ESP), 23.

“The wave has been really fun,” Young said. “We had to move to the backup location because there wasn’t enough swell to hold it at the regular break. It was like Newport. It was kind of hollow and there were fun peaks that were mostly lefts.”

Young is now traveling back his home state to compete at the upcoming 6.0 Lowers Pro and knows that he has his work cut out for him.

“I received a wildcard from Nike into the Round of 96, so I’ll be competing against some of the best surfers in the event,” Young said. “I want to make it, but I don’t feel that much pressure because I’m going against the world’s best.”

Young will also carry the confidence earned from his success in Europe over to the ASP Grade-2 Oakley Pro Junior, which will run in conjunction with the 6.0 Lowers Pro. The regional standout will be kicking off his ASP Pro Junior campaign at the Oakley Pro Junior and is looking to start the year off strong.

“I’ll be bringing some confidence from Europe over to Trestles,” Young said. “I also know that all of the junior surfers are really good though and I don’t approach those heats any differently than a QS heat. The Junior surfers are capable of doing well on the ASP WQS.”

ASP WQS action will continue to pump next week with two ASP 6-Star PRIME events, the 6.0 Lowers Pro, which will run from April 28-May 2, and the O’Neill Highland Open from April 27-May 2.

Taylor Jensen and Kaitlin Maguire Win PLA and Gidget PLA Pros

VENTURA, California (Sunday, April 26, 2009) – Two-time and defending Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) North America Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) Champion Taylor Jensen (Oceanside, CA), 25, and Kaitlin Maguire (Del Mar, CA), 21, won the ASP LQS 1-Star PLA and Gidget PLA Pros today in peaky two-to-three foot (1 metre) surf at C Street in Ventura, California.

The ASP LQS is a regional qualifier for the ASP World Longboard Tour (WLT). Each region sends their top performers at year’s end in an attempt to claim the coveted title of ASP World Longboard Champion each following year.

Jensen continued his tear through the ASP LQS today, notching another impressive victory on his belt in Ventura this afternoon. The powerful longboarder saved his best performance for the final, netting the event’s highest heat total of a near-perfect 18.57 out of 20, placing fellow finalists Tony Silvagni (Kure Beach, NC), 22, Brendan White (Dana Point, CA) and Joe Aaron (Capistrano Beach, CA), 18, in a combination situation on the way to his convincing PLA Pro win.

“The conditions were tricky with the south swell in the water here at C Street,” Jensen said. “I feel really good right now and in tune with my equipment and I’ve had such a good year so far, it’s great to win another event.”

The Oceanside local has been in stellar form throughout the beginning of the year and has already claimed a victory at the prestigious Noosa Pro event in Australia.

“I’m so stoked with how things went in Australia,” Jensen said. “Winning Noosa was amazing and I got a second and a third in the following events, so I’m really happy to continue to do well in America now.

Jensen is now chasing his first ASP WLT Championship and is hoping that his success on the ASP LQS will help him achieve his goal of an ASP World Longboard title.

“I’ve always stressed more about the WLT,” Jensen said. “In the past I had felt pressure about winning the World Title, but I’ve had a few great accomplishments that have made me happy so far, so I feel there is less pressure this year.”

Silvagni, who finished second overall on last year’s regional ASP LQS continued to shine throughout the day’s entirety and finished in the runner up position behind Jensen by combining new school flare with classic noseriding.

“I always try to get 10 right away on the outside and connect each wave through to the inside,” Silvagni said. “I know that the first maneuver is the most critical, so I always try to get to the nose right away.”

The down-time Silvagni spends training continues to pay off for the young East Coaster, as he constantly outlasts his fellow competitors on the lengthy final day of competition.

“I train a lot and try to keep my head on straight and stay focused,” Silvagni said. “The last day is always a marathon, you’ve got to surf three rounds to make it to the Final and you’ve got to be ready for a long day in order to do well.”

Although 2009 will be Silvagni’s first year competing on the ASP WLT, he wants to make sure to continue to secure a top seed on the ASP LQS as well.

“I just got back from Australia and missed that first regional event,” Silvagni said. “It’s really important for me to stay on top of the ASP LQS in case I don’t finish within the top 16 on the ASP WLT.”

Maguire convincingly won the Gidget PLA Pro today in a stacked Final over former ASP Women’s World Longboarding Champions Jen Smith (Pacific Beach, CA), 23, who finished in second, defending regional champion Cory Schumacher (Cardiff, CA), 33, and 2006 regional champ Lindsay Steinreide (Dana Point, CA), 23.

“It was a really tough heat,” Maguire said. “There were some of the best surfers in the world in that heat with two former world champions in the event, I felt like it could have been a Final for the world championships out there.”

Maguire is looking to use the victory in Ventura to help her cause towards qualification for the ASP WLT.

“I’m really hoping to do well on the regional series and qualify for the Women’s World Longboard Championships,” Maguire said. “I’m trying to focus on competing while going to college and trying to travel as much as I can as well.”

PLA Pro Final Results:
1 – Taylor Jensen (USA) 18.57
2 – Tony Silvagni (USA) 13.90
3 – Brendan White (USA) 11.02
4 – Joe Aaron (USA) 9.16

PLA Semifinals Results: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Tony Silvagni (USA) 17.36, Brendan White (USA) 14.37, Josh Baxter (USA) 13.66, Keegan Edwards (HAW) 13.07
Heat 2: Taylor Jensen (USA) 16.84, Joe Aaron (USA) 11.73, Josh Mohr (USA) 11.13, Ned Snow (HAW) 3.83

PLA Quarterfinals Results: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Josh Baxter (USA) 14.66, Brendan White (USA) 10.33, Brett Robbins (USA) 8.00, Dennis Bourg (USA) 7.10
Heat 2: Tony Silvagni (USA) 14.50, Keegan Edwards (USA) 14.34, Colin McPhillips (USA) 11.60, Steve Newton (USA) 11.50
Heat 3: Joe Aaron (USA) 14.50, Ned Snow (HAW) 14.26, Kevin Osbourne (USA) 10.93, Jeffrey Belzer (USA) 10.10
Heat 4: Taylor Jensen (USA) 15.40, Josh Mohr (USA) 11.40, Kai Sallas (HAW) 9.73, Blaine Lewis (USA) 5.70

PLA Pro Round of 32 Results: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Brett Robbins (USA) 14.83, Brendan White (USA) 12.63, Cole Robbins (USA) 11.03, Job Ishiki (HAW) 6.87
Heat 2: Josh Baxter (USA) 14.17, Dennis Bourg (USA) 8.83, Jerry Swearingen (USA) 7.93, Cody Ulrich (USA)
Heat 3: Keegan Edwards (USA) 10.87, Steve Newton (USA) 10.43, Corbett Monica (USA) 10.23, Danny Ryder (USA) 7.60
Heat 4: Colin McPhillips (USA) 17.83, Tony Silvagni (USA) 17.00, Eli Gillis (USA) 8.60, Claude Maki (JPN) 8.33
Heat 5: Ned Snow (HAW) 12.93, Kevin Osborne (USA) 10.50, Byron Rohrer (USA) 7.87, Geoff Wong (HAW) 7.20
Heat 6: Joe Aaron (USA) 13.03, Jeffrey Belzer (USA) 12.43, Tommy Witt (USA) 11.90, Scott Brandenburg (USA) 9.24
Heat 7: Josh Mohr (USA) 13.67, Taylor Jensen (USA) 10.90, Darren Eudaly (USA) 8.00, Noah Shimabukuro (USA) 7.87
Heat 8: Kai Salllas (HAW) 11.00, Blaine Lewis (USA) 8.87, Jed Morouse (USA) 8.60, Warren Jessee (USA) 6.37

Gidget PLA Pro Final Results:
1 – Kaitlin Maguire (USA) 15.83
2 – Jen Smith (USA) 11.27
3 – Cori Schumacher (USA) 8.50
4 – Lindsay Steinreide (USA) 6.63

Gidget PLA Pro Semifinals Results: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Lindsay Steinriede (USA) 15.50, Jennifer Smith (USA) 12.60, Bianca Valenti (USA) 12.20, Rachel Barry (USA) 7.33
Heat 2: Kaitlin Maguire (USA) 14.53, Cori Schumacher (USA) 12.50, Kelly Nicely (USA) 12.06, Ashley Quintal (HAW) 4.34

VENTURA, California (Saturday, April 25, 2009) – The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) North American Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) kicked off the second stop on its regional ASP LQS men’s and women’s tour today in peaky two-to-three foot (1 metre) conditions at C Street in Ventura, California with the ASP 1-Star PLA Pro and Gidget PLA Pro events.

The ASP LQS acts as a regional qualifier for ASP World Longboard Tour, with each respective region sending their top men’s and women’s competitors to compete against the world’s finest longboarding talent in a chance to earn the title of ASP World Longboard Champion.

Josh Muhr (Huntington Beach, CA), 33, who is currently rated third overall on the ASP North American LQS, crushed the highest scores of the men’s PLA Pro today by combining powerful rail-to-rail surfing with stylish noserides on two peaky C Street righthanders to post an impressive 16.17 out of 20 heat total.

“I stayed just a little behind the section before I did my turns to give me some extra speed coming out of the turns and it worked out,” Muhr said. “I almost rode a thicker, wider board today because of the soft conditions, but I went with my normal board so I could throw it around.”

Since the Huntington Beach local has not been competing consistently over the last few years, he utilizes his early round heats as warm-ups before tackling the event’s top seeds.

“Surfing in the earlier heats helps me warm up,” Muhr said. “I have not been competing over the last few years, so it’s good not to have to go against the top seeds right away. Plus, it just allows me to surf extra heats and I want to surf as many heats as possible right now.”

Geoff Wong (Honolulu, HI), 21, convincingly won both of his early round heats today in the peaky Ventura surf. The Hawaiian regular-footer patiently waited for the best set-waves in his heats and his selective strategy helped him earn some of the day’s best scores.

“I just got lucky with getting the best set waves and was fortunate enough not to fall,” Wong said. “I was trying to be selective. The surf is not as good as yesterday, but it’s still fun.”

The young surfer from Oahu is surfing in his first ASP LQS event of the 2009 season and hoping he can build upon his early success throughout the year.

“I’m staying in Santa Barbara right now with some family,” Wong said. “I’m hoping that I can do well here in Ventura and continue to do all of the ASP LQS longboard events this year.”

Wong will tackle top seed and fellow Hawaiian Ned Snow (North Shore, HI), 23, tomorrow in the Round of 32.

Jen Smith (Pacific Beach, CA), 23, 2007 ASP Women’s World Longboard Champion, donated the day’s highest single wave score of a near perfect 9.50 out of 10 with a beautiful noseride on a long Ventura wall. The San Diegan continued to dominate her heat, posting another excellent score, earning the day’s highest heat total of 17.67 out of 20.

“The conditions are good for longboarding and the surf was fun,” Smith said. “I got those two really nice rights and got a few good scores, so it was a great warm up for tomorrow.”

The talented longboarder seems to be easily adjusting to the cold Ventura water after recently competing in warmer climates such as Australia and Hawaii.

“It’s always tough to adjust to the change in conditions when traveling and it feels good to be back in California,” Smith said. “I was in Australia and then competing in Hawaii, so Ventura is a big change, but it’s nice to be home.”

PLA Pro Round of 48: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Brett Robbins (USA) 10.90, Job Ishiki (HAW) 9.90, Jordan Thomas (USA) 7.30, Michael Schmit (USA) 0.00
Heat 2: Cody Ulrich (USA) 12.50, Jerry Swearinger (USA) 8.00, Corey Hartwyk (USA) 7.93, Rick Berkeneff (USA) 4.23
Heat 3: Danny Ryder (USA) 9.06, Corbett Monica (USA) 7.40, Artie Castro (USA) 0.73, Steve Simpson (USA) 0.00
Heat 4: Eli Gillis (USA) 9.90, Claude Maki (JPN) 8.75, Cory Kisiel (USA) 5.60, Christian Clark (USA) 4.36
Heat 5: Geoff Wong (HAW) 13.33, Byron Rohrer (USA) 7.43, Mike Stidham (USA) 5.90, Bart Boyle (USA) 0.00
Heat 6: Scott Brandenburg (USA) 11.26, Jeffrey Belzer (USA) 10.60, Eric Marin (USA) 7.70, Chase Stavron (USA) 6.54
Heat 7: Josh Mohr (USA) 16.17, Darren Eudaly (USA) 13.90, Wyatt Potts (USA) 10.73, Brandyn Garske (USA) 7.04
Heat 8: Warren Jessee (USA) 9.37, Blaine Lewis (USA) 9.00, Eric Lloyd (USA) 7.30, Scott Shannon (USA) 6.00

PLA Pro Round of 56: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Jordan Thomas (USA) 11.83, Rick Berkeneff (USA) 5.43, Jean-Paul Garcia (USA) 0.00
Heat 2: Corbett Monica (USA) 13.07, Claude Maki (JPN) 8.96, Scott Flynn (USA) 4.06
Heat 3: Geoff Wong (HAW) 13.34, Jeffrey Belzer (USA) 8.63, Travis Macks (USA) 6.00
Heat 4: Darren Eudaly (USA) 11.74, Warren Jessee (USA) 6.16, Justin Holly (USA) 0.00

Gidget PLA Pro Quarterfinals: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Jennifer Smith (USA) 17.67, Lindsay Steinriede (USA) 14.67, Molly Ware (USA) 7.54, Tory Gilkersen (USA) 5.57
Heat 2: Bianca Valenti (USA) 16.94, Rachel Barry (USA) 6.60, Diina Horo (USA) 6.43, Marissa Graham (USA) 6.34
Heat 3: Kaitlin Maguire (USA) 11.13, Ashley Quintal (USA) 10.26, Haunani Kane (HAW) 8.30, Hallie Rohr (USA) 4.46
Heat 4: Cori Schumacher (USA) 14.33, Kelly Nicely (USA) 10.07, Mary Osborne (USA) 8.16, Michelle Batista (USA) 7.07

Gidget PLA Pro Round of 20: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Tory Gilkersen (USA) 9.83, Marissa Graham (USA) 6.34, Kelly Sloan (USA) 5.00, Emily Ballard (CAN) 3.76
Heat 2: Hallie Rohr (USA) 10.83, Michelle Batista (USA) 8.50, Anneke Parrie (USA) 7.66, Christiana Pires (BRA) 6.47

ESTORIL, Carcavelos, Portugal (Saturday, April 25, 2009) – Brazil’s wunderkind Alejo Muniz (BRA) won the ASP WQS 6-Star Estoril Quiksilver Pro 2009 event today finishing on top of the final encounter against fellow finalist Masatoshi Ohno (JPN), clinching crucial 2500 ratings’ points and a US$ 25.000 cheque, the richest winner’s prize of the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS). Muniz, who went through five rounds today defeating favorites and ASP Dream Tour members Tim Boal (FRA) and Marlon Lipke (DEU) on his way to the final, secured his best result to date in Portugal and gets his 2009 ASP season going with a significant confidence boost.

Muniz, 19, whose talent and performances already rocketed him to the status of Braziliam surfing’s next best thing, dominated the Estoril Quiksilver Pro 2009 througout the week coming out on top of the pack with a couple of 9.60 point rides and an impressive 18.60 point heat combination on Day 3 of competition. Despite the tricky conditions of the final day, Muniz not only showed technical skills but came-up with solid tactics and maturity using his natural talent to defeat two of the world’s best surfers.

“I am just so happy I cannot even realize what I have done right now,” Muniz said. “My only wish coming here was to have fun as much as I could and enjoy my surfing in any kind of waves. It is the perfect day for me and I managed to get the best out of these conditions so I could not have hoped for anymore.”

Muniz, who will be surfing a few ASP WQS events this year, remains focused on his preogression as a junior surfer still and will use the precious 2500 points to build his seeding for 2010 where he shall be a serious contender towards a possible ASP World Tour qualification in the near future. Muniz finishes the Estoril Quiksilver Pro with six of the best 10 results under his belt, a good sign of his potential.

“Defeating Tim (Boal) and Marlon (Lipke) is something I will remember for some time,” Muniz said. “I felt a bit of pressure facing such good surfers but I really thought that focusing on my pleasure and having fun could get me somewhere. I think that’s my biggest lesson from this event.”

Fellow finalist Masatoshi Ohno (JPN), 27, became the first Japanese ever to make the final of an ASP WQS 6-Star event, the experienced competitor being another great surprise in the event after he defeated favorites Joan Duru (FRA) and Gony Zubizarreta (ESP) on his run to the final, two of Europe’s best chances for an ASP Top 45 inception. Ohno, who was running out of energy in the 30-minute decider, heads to Scotland with another keeper for his ASP World Tour qualification.

“I wanted to win and I lacked this last section on my final wave to grab the 6.00 points I needed to get back in the lead,” Ohno said. “It is my best result ever and I am so happy to do well here in Portugal, one of the European countries I like most. Alejo (Muniz) was impressive for sure but I was not far from clinching that crown. Definitely an excellent finish before the next event and a keeper for my main goal which is the ASP World Tour.”

Ohno, who was coming from an equal 5th place finish in Tasmania, leaves Portugal’s surf coast of Estoril with valuable 2188 ratings’ points and will be much expected in the upcoming events where he can certainly cause some damage.

Romain Cloitre (REU), 20, got his best result ever today by reaching the Semifinals of the ASP WQS 6-Star event, the Reunion island born surfer and former ASP European Junior champion confirming his rise in the last couple of years. Cloitre, whose best result was an equal 17 in the ASP WQS 6-Star Prime event in France last year, managed to defeat one of the event’s inform men Heat Joske (AUS), 20, in Round 5 before bettering Morocco’s representative Abdel El Harim (MAR) in the Quarterfinals.

“It’s been a tough week with the waves and I am a bit disappointed not to make the final,” Cloitre said. “Masatoshi (Ohno) definitely got the better waves and surfed them well and I think I lacked a bit of luck during the heat and did not have a great wave choice so I did not deserve to win that one heat.”

Cloitre, who used his renowned tactics and great competitive abilities to make it all the way through to the final four, heads to Scotland with a serious confidence boost and will be much expected on the hollow reefbreaks of Thurso’s area next week.

“It is my best result ever and I am stoked with this equal 3rd still,” Cloitre said. “It’s been a year only since I am full time on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) and eventhough it is sometimes hard to get eliminated first heat, it seems like the experience is paying off. I hadn’t had any big result yet and it is just great for my confidence for this year.”

Other Semifinalist to miss out on the final today was ASP World Tour member and first German ever to qualify for the elite Marlon Lipke (DEU). Lipke, who was ousted by 19-year-old phenomenon Muniz in a wave-starved heat, left the water disappointed with his Semifinal run.

“I wish I could have got just one good wave to express my surfing and defend my chances,” Lipke said. “It’s been a good week with a great day at Guincho and I had good fun watching my friends Tim (Boal, equal 5th) and Joan (Duru, equal 9th) surf so well. I think Joan is the revelation this year.”

The ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) now move to Scotland for the ASP WQS 6-Star Prime rated competition will start April 29, 2009

ESTORIL QUIKSILVER PRO FINAL
1st, Alejo Muniz (BRA), 13.00 pts
2nd, Masatoshi Ohno (JPN), 12.37 pts

ESTORIL QUIKSILVER PRO SEMIFINALS
Heat 1: Masatoshi Ohno (JPN) 15.67 pts Def. Romain Cloitre (REU) 8.83 pts
Heat 2: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 13.83 pts Def. Marlon Lipke (DEU) 11.73 pts

ESTORIL QUIKSILVER PRO QUARTERFINALS
Heat 1: Romain Cloitre (REU) 13.00 pts Def. Abdel El Harim (MAR) 9.67 pts
Heat 2: Masatoshi Ohno (JPN) 15.67 pts Def. Gony Zubizarreta (ESP) 12.00 pts
Heat 3: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 14.93 pts Def. Tim Boal (FRA) 11.57 pts
Heat 4: Marlon Lipke (DEU) 11.57 pts Def. Renato Galvao (BRA) 8.40 pts

ESTORIL, Carcavelos, Portugal (Friday, April 24, 2009) – The expected new swell has not reached Carcavelos yet and the on-shore wind at Guincho is way to strong to get anything started today.

The ASP WQS 6-Star Estoril Quiksilver Pro 2009 is thus OFF for today and the remaining seventeen heats will run this weekend with some exciting off-shore three to four foot (1 to 1.2 meter) waves expected to break at Carcavelos’ renowned beachbreak.

Officials will reconvene Saturday, April 25, at 7.30 AM and make a call to finish the last couple of heats of Round 4 before things heat up with Man-on-man battles from there until the grand final.

The Estoril Quiksilver Pro offers US$ 145.000 up for grabs with US$20.000 going to the winner plus an extra US$5.000 coming on top of the winner’s cheque, making the ASP WQS 6-Star event the richest one of this year’s ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS).

ESTORIL QUIKSILVER PRO ROUND 5 UPCOMING HEATS
Heat 1: Romain Cloitre (REU) Vs Heath Joske (AUS)
Heat 2: Frederic Robin (REU) Vs Abdel El Harim (MAR)
Heat 3: Marco Giorgi (URY) Vs Gony Zubizarreta (ESP)
Heat 4: Joan Duru (FRA) Vs Masatoshi Ohno (JPN)
Heat 5: Tim Boal (FRA) Vs Jonathan Gonzalez (CNY)
Heat 6: Vincent Duvignac (FRA) Vs Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Heat 7: TBA
Heat 8: TBA

ESTORIL QUIKSILVER PRO ROUND 4 REMAINING HEATS
Heat 7: Marlon Lipke (DEU), Nat Young (USA), Renato Galvao (BRA)
Heat 8: Charles Martin (GLP), Igor Morais (BRA), Pablo Gutierrez (ESP)

SAN CLEMENTE, California (Thursday, April 23, 2009) – The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is just days away from kicking off mainland America’s first ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star PRIME event at the premier location of Lower Trestles in California from April 28 through May 2, 2009 with the 6.0 Lowers Pro. Running alongside the highly touted event will be the ASP Grade-2 Oakley Pro Junior.

The ASP World Qualifying Series acts as a gateway to the ASP World Tour, with the series top 15 surfers at year’s end advancing on to the coveted tour the following year. The ASP North America Pro Junior Series is a regional qualifier for the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships held in Narrabeen, Australia. The junior seeds from each respective region do battle in an attempt to earn the title of ASP World Junior Champion.

Ben Bourgeois (Wrightsville Beach, NC), 30, who is a former ASP World Tour campaigner, claimed a victory at the 6.0 Lowers Pro last year when the event was an ASP 4-Star, by unleashing a furious forehand attack on the bombing righthanders provided by the famed pointbreak. Now the East Coaster is ready to tackle some of the world’s finest, including current ASP World Tour No. 5, C.J. Hobgood (Melbourne, FL), 29, who is a two-time champion at Trestles, California aerialist Dane Reynolds (Ventura, CA), 23, Brazilian talent Adriano de Souza (Guaruja Sao Paulo, BRA), 22, and Hawaiian goofy-footer Fred Patacchia (North Shore, HI), 27, amongst others at the top notch event.

“Last year we had really fun surf so I hope for swell this time around,” Bourgeois said. “To take the crown again this year would be insane since it is a 6-Star PRIME. There are going to be a lot more big names in the event this year so to take it out would be epic!”

Bourgeois knows that the repeat victory will be no easy task however, as the ASP 6-Star PRIME venue will attract the hungriest ASP WQS competitors looking to find their way on to the ASP Dream Tour as well.

“Lowers is one of the most high performance waves out there so your true talent comes out at that event,” Bourgeois said. “I’m looking forward to it but have no stress. I can’t wait to just have fun and surf some lowers with three other guys out.”

Nathaniel Curran (Oxnard, CA), 24, who was the winner of last year’s ASP WQS and is a rookie on the ASP World Tour this year, is looking to utilize the 6.0 Lowers Pro as a warm up for the ASP World Tour event held at Lower Trestles in the fall.

“Surfing in the 6.0 Lowers Pro will be a great warm up for the World Tour event there,” Curran said. “Other than the QS contests in Hawaii, I think it’s one of the best events on the WQS.”

The hard-working regular-footer will tackle fellow ASP Dream Tour surfers competing in the event in an attempt to keep his competitive skills sharp before leaving for the next stop on the ASP World Tour.

“It’s good to surf in this event and to keep up on my game and try and stay consistent,” Curran said. “It’s good to keep competing in between events and to try and keep focused. Everyone surfs well out there. It’s a high-quality wave with high-quality surfers, so as long as we have waves, it should be good.”

Kai Barger (Haiku, HI), 19, who is the reigning ASP World Junior Champion, is only competing in a few select ASP Pro Junior events this year, but the Oakley Pro Junior is one of the choice destinations on the prodigious Hawaiian’s calendar for the 2009 season.

“I’m doing a few ASP Pro Junior events this year, but I’m not focusing as much on qualifying for the ASP World Junior Championships this year,” Barger said. “I’m only going to do a few select events.”

The progressive goofy-footer is changing his focus from the ASP Pro Junior towards the ASP WQS and is looking to utilize his seed into several premier events. His berth in to events such as the 6.0 Lowers Pro was earned from his ASP World Junior title, and the young Hawaiian is looking to utilize the opportunity to continue to improve upon his standing on The Grind.

“My goal this year is to at least keep my seed and hopefully finish within the top 50,” Barger said. “I want to utilize the opportunity I’ve been given from winning Worlds and improve my seed on the QS this year.”

ESTORIL, Guincho, Portugal (Thursday, April 23, 2009) – The ASP WQS 6-Star Estoril Quiksilver Pro 2009 moved closer to its business today as Guincho’s consistent beachbreak delivered some excellent three foot (one meter) waves allowing organisers to wrap up Round 3 and six heats of Round 4, event outsiders creating major upsets for an exciting day of world class surfing. While current ASP Top 45 surfers Tiago Pires (Ericeira, PRT) and Michael Picon (Capbreton, FRA) suffered early eliminations, ASP WQS rising campaigners stole the show to advance through to the first Man-on-man heats of the event planned to kick off tomorrow at Carcavelos, main location of the Estoril Quiksilver Pro.

Marco Giorgi (URY), 21, flew the South American colours today, the newcomer dominating Day 3 of the Estoril Quiksilver Pro 2009 with exceptional surfing. Giorgi, who placed equal 5th in the recent ASP WQS 4-Star event in France, was unstoppable throughout the day netting an near perfect 9.83 point ride (out of a possible 10) on his way to Round 5.

“I have been having a great time so far in Europe, in or out of the water,” Giorgi said. “The waves were great all day and I am just trying to stay calm. It seems like things are definitely going my way and to get such high scores is definitely a great boost for my confidence before I get to surf my second Man-on-man heat ever.”

Giorgi, whose trip to Europe has been successful so far, will be a serious threat to his next opponent and ASP WQS No. 9 Gony Zubizarreta (Vigo, ESP) when competition resumes possibly tomorrow.

“I feel like I have nothing to lose and everything is bonus from now on,” Giorgi said. “I am just starting my WQS career so I am not expecting any huge result but I will take that one and try and go further of course. I am so stoked to finish the day on top when there is such a high level.”

Several big performances were displayed in the clean sometimes exceptional conditions breaking at Guincho. The incoming tide made the set-up close to perfect giving any surfer the chance to express his skills.

Other South American performer Alejo Muniz (BRA), 19, struck again with his impressive progressive surfing and breath-taking attacks, the rising star showing rare talent to take control of his Round 4 battle easily. Muniz, who secured a 9.00 point ride (out of a possible 10) and a 9.60 point score earlier in the day, showed he could flare in the conditions suiting his surfing and finishes the day with a new favourite status.

“It was such a fun day and I am so happy to keep things up this way before surfing in Round 5,” Muniz said. “I just had fun today and tried to show what I could do on my surfboard. Getting these scores is definitely another good step for me in this event.”

Muniz, who is considered one of surfing’s best rising talents by many, will now meet with other young man and promising talent from France Vincent Duvignac (Mimizan, FRA), 22, in Heat 6 of Round 5.

Yesterday’s inform man and former ASP Australasia Junior series No. 2 Heath Joske (AUS) confirmed his hot start in the Estoril Quiksilver Pro by escaping from two rounds to reach his first Man-on-man round ever on an ASP WQS 6-Star event. Joske (New South Wales, AUS), 20, who posted the event’s third best heat result on Day 2, came up with solid skills again to best Romain Cloitre (REU) in Round 3 before placing second to Moroccan competitor Abdel El Harim (MAR) in Round 4, enough to secure his ticket for another round.

“The waves were not big but gave enough quality to find a few little barrels and it was a lot better than I thought out there,” Joske said. “It’s my first time in Portugal and in this event so I am taking it heat by heat and hopefully I can get a big result.”

Favorites and much expected surfers Tim Boal (Anglet, FRA) and Joan Duru (Ondres, FRA) flew the French flag both men advancing to the Man-on-man finals confidently. Duru, whose impressive 9.50 point ride from Day 2 was still in everyone’s mind, repeated his good form with several solid scores including an 8.00 point ride whil Boal’s 15.83 point heat result was rocketing him in the final eight-man contingent.

ESTORIL QUIKSILVER PRO ROUND 5 UPCOMING HEATS
Heat 1: Romain Cloitre (REU) Vs Heath Joske (AUS)
Heat 2: Frederic Robin (REU) Vs Abdel El Harim (MAR)
Heat 3: Marco Giorgi (URY) Vs Gony Zubizarreta (ESP)
Heat 4: Joan Duru (FRA) Vs Masatoshi Ohno (JPN)
Heat 5: Tim Boal (FRA) Vs Jonathan Gonzalez (CNY)
Heat 6: Vincent Duvignac (FRA) Vs Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Heat 7: TBA
Heat 8: TBA

ESTORIL QUIKSILVER PRO ROUND 4 RESULTS
Heat 1: Romain Cloitre (REU) 12.06 pts, Frederic Robin (REU) 11.26 pts, Jorge Spanner (BRA) 10.17 pts
Heat 2: Abdel El Harim (MAR) 12.34 pts, Heath Joske (AUS) 11.57 pts, Jack Perry (AUS) 8.06 pts
Heat 3: Marco Giorgi (URY) 16.10 pts, Joan Duru (FRA) 14.00 pts, Justin Mujica (PRT) 7.40 pts
Heat 4: Masatoshi Ohno (JPN) 15.17 pts, Gony Zubizarreta (ESP) 12.50 pts, Madison Williams (AUS) 9.17 pts
Heat 5: Tim Boal (FRA) 13.16 pts, Vincent Duvignac (FRA) 11.80 pts, Eric Rebiere (FRA) 8.50 pts
Heat 6: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 16.67 pts, Jonathan Gonzalez (CNY) 12.13 pts, Jose Maria Cabrera (CNY) 5.43 pts
Heat 7: Marlon Lipke (DEU), Nat Young (USA), Renato Galvao (BRA)
Heat 8: Charles Martin (GLP), Igor Morais (BRA), Pablo Gutierrez (ESP)