HUNTINGTON BEACH, California (Sunday, May 3, 2009) – Mainland America just completed its first Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star PRIME event yesterday with the 6.0 Lowers Pro at the premier location of Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California. Local talents Nathan Yeomans (San Clemente, CA), 27, and Tanner Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), 20, led the contingent of ASP WQS talent looking to qualify for next year’s ASP World Tour and finished third an fifth respectively.

Both Yeomans and Gudauskas significantly improved their standing on the ASP WQS due to the 6.0 Lowers Pro’s ASP 6-Star PRIME status, which offers the maximum amount of ratings points available towards qualification for the ASP World Tour.

Yeomans used the support of his local crowd to top some of the world’s finest surfers including 2001 ASP World Champion and current ASP World Tour No. 5 C.J. Hobgood (Melbourne, FL), 29, aerial specialist Dane Reynolds (Ventura, CA), 23, and Nic Muscroft (Victoria, AUS), 26.

“It’s insane that Nike 6.0 stepped up and made this contest a 6-Star PRIME,” Yeomans said. “To be at home and get that many points is great and I think this is going to be a huge confidence booster and a good one for the rest of the year.”

Yeoman’s impressive third place finish at the premier event launches him from No. 21 to No.6 on the ASP WQS.

Gudauskas surfed amazingly in front of his home crowd and battled against some of the world’s finest surfers on the way to his solid result. The San Clemente native ousted top talents such as ASP World Tour surfers Heitor Alves (Rio De Janiero, BRA), 27, and Aritz Aranburu (Zarautz, EUK), 23, as well as 2008 ASP World Tour campaigner Jay Thompson (Burleigh Heads, AUS), 25, on the way to his Quarterfinals berth.

“I’m just taking it one heat at a time, I guess,” Gudauskas said. “Every heat I’ve had has been really tough and I didn’t really look past it. I just came out on top in that one. I knew Jay (Thompson) was going to be gnarly.”

The fifth place result earned by the standout goofy-footer at the ASP 6-Star PRIME event will play a crucial role in his attempt at qualification for next year’s ASP World Tour. Gudauskas is hungry to qualify for the ASP World Tour and the result launches him from 35th to 10th overall.

“I’m making a push to qualify this year,” Gudauskas said. “I’m stoked to get a good start and I have a couple of 1200 pointers, so this one will help even them out.”

Tanner earned the best result of his older brothers and travel partners Patrick and Dane. The Gudauskas Trio give each other constant support, relying on each other for video coverage and feedback from each of their heats.

“I think between the three of us, we don’t really look at the points,” Gudauskas said. “There are no real battles between us. We try and help each other out. They’re down here with the video camera supporting me and I do the same for them.”

SAN CLEMENTE, California (Saturday, May 3, 2009) – Fred Patacchia (North Shore, HI), 27, won mainland America’s first Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star PRIME event, the 6.0 Lowers Pro, when he defeated defending event champion Ben Bourgeois (Wrightsville Beach, NC), 30, by a score of 16.84 to 14.10 in two-to-four foot (1 metre) surf at the famed cobblestone reef of Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California. Today’s action also saw defending ASP World Junior Champion Kai Barger (Haiku, HI), 19, claim the ASP Grade-2 Oakley Pro Junior, which ran in conjunction with the 6.0 Lowers Pro.

The 6.0 Lowers Pro’s ASP 6-Star PRIME status marks the event as a critical stop on each competitors 2009 ASP WQS campaign because it offers the maximum amount of points towards qualification for the ASP World Tour. The Oakley Pro Junior is the second of eight stops on this year’s ASP North America Pro Junior Series, with the top five seeds at year’s end earning their chance to compete against the best ASP Junior talent in Narrabeen, Australia where they battle for the ASP World Junior Championship title.

Patacchia demolished the Lower Trestles righthanders in his Final against Bourgeois, opening up his battle against the former ASP World Tour campaigner with a 9.17 out of 10 in the opening minutes of the heat. The Hawaiian talent backed up the score with a 7.67 to solidify the win over Bourgeois.

“I’m psyching,” Patacchia said. “We got fun waves throughout the whole event and to do it at pretty fun Trestles with only one other guy out is even better, so I’m happy.”

Patacchia is currently sitting in the No. 3 position on the ASP World Tour after two events and was using the premier ASP WQS 6-Star PRIME to help his competitive focus before launching into the Billabong Pro Teahupoo next week.

“It’s a good warm up for the Hurley Pro,” Patacchia said. “It’s not a good warm up for Tahiti, but I just want to stay in contest mode, keep my body in shape and keep my mind strong and I’m having a fairly decent year this year so I just want to keep it going.”

Bourgeois won the 6.0 Lowers Pro last year when the event was an ASP 4-Star and worked his way through to the Final again this year. The talented regular-footer donated stellar performances throughout the event and fell short of the scores needed in the Final to overtake Patacchia for the 6.0 Lowers Pro win.

“I’m stoked to make the final, it was amazing,” Bourgeois said. “I wish I could have caught a few more waves there at the end, but I’m stoked for Fred (Patacchia) he’s been ripping.”

Bourgeois, who was a competitor on last year’s ASP World Tour, topped several of the finest up-and-coming competitors and also defeated current ASP World Tour No. 6 Adriano de Souza (Guaruja Sao Paulo, BRA), 22, who was in top form throughout the event, on the way to his result.

“It was a stacked field for sure,” Bourgeois said. “To make the Final with all of those guys in huge.”

Bourgeois, who is now living in Carlsbad, California, is only a part-time competitor and will be back in a jersey at the ASP 6-Star Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing this summer. In the meantime, the California transplant will be spending his time working on other surf related projects.

“I’m doing the U.S. Open and the O’Neill Cold Water Classic in Santa Cruz,” Bourgeois said. “I’m going on a boat-trip to Panama at the end of this month and for now I’m just hanging out at home in Carlsbad.

Bourgeois’ victory earns him a berth in to the trials for the Hurley Pro, the ASP World Tour contest held at Lower Trestles. The trials for the prestigous event will be held at the Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing this summer.

Barger claimed the Oakley Pro Junior in an amazing display of progressive surfing alongside fellow finalists Davey Cathels (North Narrabeen, AUS), 18, who finished second, Dillon Perillo (Malibu, CA), 18, and Hawaiian charger Kiron Jabour (Haleiwa, HI), 18, with an amazing two-wave-score of 18.60 out of 20. Each surfer went wave-for-wave, unleashing massive fins-free turns and huge air reverses, but in the end Barger’s performance would go unmatched.

“Man, that Final was epic, it glassed off out there and the sets just started pumping,” Barger said. “I finally got my chance to get a nice open face right and just tee off, which is what I’ve been waiting to do this whole time, so I’m just super stoked.”

The Oakley Pro Junior victory at Lower Trestles was the first event victory for Barger since his win at the ASP World Junior Championships in Narrabeen, Australia in January, and the result came as a relief to the progressive goofy-footer.

“I’m so stoked because I felt like people would be wondering if I didn’t back up my win from worlds with another result,” Barger said. “This is a solid result for me and it’s good.”

Cathels came from behind to bump Perillo down to the third place position with a last-second effort on a long righthand Lowers wall. The young Australian combined a variety of vicious turns and finished the wave off with a solid reverse to take second overall in the event.

“The waves are so fun out there, it’s just perfect little Trestles,” Cathels said. “The wave is just so rippable. Everone was getting great waves and Kai was just ripping out there, so what can you do, he’s the ASP World Junior Champion for a reason. To get that second, I’m just frothing, that’s what I came here to do.”

Cathels earned the impressive result during his first visit to America and he definitely hope to come back to compete at Trestles again in the future.

“This is my first time to America and my first time to Trestles about a week ago,” Cathels said. “I just fell in love with this wave. It just turned on for us in the Final, it was so good and I’d love to come back.”

6.0 Lowers Pro Final:
1 – Fred Patacchia (HAW)16.84
2 – Ben Bourgeois (USA) 14.10

6.0 Lowers Pro Semifinals Results:
Heat 1: Fred Patacchia (HAW) 13.17 def. Tim Boal (FRA) 7.60
Heat 2: Ben Bourgeois (USA) 15.80 def. Nathan Yeomans (USA) 14.66

6.0 Lowers Pro Quarterfinals Results:
Heat 1: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 15.00 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 8.83
Heat 2: Tim Boal (FRA) 14.96 def. Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 11.94
Heat 3: Ben Bourgeois (USA) 15.77 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.67
Heat 4: Nathan Yeomans (USA) 16.50 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA)

Oakley Pro Junior Final:
1 – Kai Barger (HAW) 18.60
2 – Davey Cathels (AUS) 16.13
3 – Dillon Perillo (USA) 15.94
4 – Kiron Jabour (HAW) 15.33

Oakley Pro Junior Semifinials Results: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Kiron Jabour (HAW) 15.06, Kai Barger (HAW) 14.94, Dege O’Connell (HAW) 9.56, Andrew Doheny (USA) 9.05
Heat 2: Dillon Perillo (USA) 17.90, Davey Cathels (AUS) 15.44, Nat Young (USA) 14.54, Chris Friend (AUS)

Oakley Pro Junior Quarterfinals Results: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Davey Cathels (AUS) 16.00, Chris Friend (AUS) 15.87, Cory Arrambide (USA) 15.50, Evan Thompson (USA) 14.94
Heat 2: Kai Barger (HAW) 15.50, Dege O’Connell (HAW) 11.77, Albee Layer (HAW) 10.76, Luke Davis (USA) 10.13
Heat 3: Davey Cathels (AUS) 16.00, Chris Friend (AUS) 15.87, Cory Arrambide (USA) 15.50, Evan Thompson (USA)
Heat 4: Nat Young (USA) 14.67, Dillon Perillo (USA) 13.07, Spencer Regan (USA) 12.77, Victor Done (USA) 7.47

SAN CLEMENTE, California (Friday, May 1, 2009) – The Quarterfinalists have been decided at the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star PRIME 6.0 Lowers Pro and four ASP World Tour surfers, two locals, the defending champion and a young Hawaiian are the only competitors left standing out of the 128-man-draw that made up the prestigious event. Kai Barger (Haiku, HI), 19, reigning ASP World Junior Champion, led the top seeds in Oakley Pro Junior competition and issued the top scores of the day.

All surfers on the ASP WQS are looking to capitalize on the valuable ratings points towards qualification for the ASP World Tour, with the series top 15 competitors earning a berth on to the coveted series at year’s end. All ASP North America Pro Junior Series surfers are looking to finish within the top five in their region so they can earn their chance to compete in Narrabeen, Australia in an attempt to take the title of ASP World Junior Champion.

Dusty Payne (Lahaina, HI), 20, issued one of the day’s biggest upsets when he ousted ASP World Tour surfer and Lower Trestles local Chris Ward (San Clemente, CA), 30, from competition while earning his Quarterfinals berth. Payne needed a six-point-score to advance from his heat over Ward, and posted a 6.5 out of 10 with only 10 seconds remaining to advance.

“I try not to get nervous when I need a score because you tend to fall,” Payne said. “Plus, once you get nervous, you can’t move the way you want to move. I just try to stay positive and I know if a wave comes I know I can get it, but, yea, I’m just glad that’s over.”

The young regular-footer was elated with the heat victory over Ward, who is his biggest surfing inspiration.

“He’s my favorite surfer, period,” Payne said. “Growing up, he was always my idol and I’d watch his surfing and just try and do what he does. I’m just so happy right now.”

Nathan Yeomans (San Clemente, CA), 27, who posted the highest heat total of the day on Wednesday, continued his tear on Trestles when he defeated ASP World Tour sophomore and aerial specialist Dane Reynolds (Ventura, CA), 23, on the way to his Quarterfinals berth in tough afternoon conditions.

“I saw that draw coming up a while back and I knew it was either going to be C.J. (Hobgood) or Dane (Reynolds) and obviously they’re both amazing surfers,” Yeomans said. “The conditions kind of deteriorated, but you can’t count them out any time. I decided to just catch waves, build my momentum and get some scores going and it worked in my favor.”

The Lower Trestles local is putting his superior knowledge of the famed pointbreak to good use in order to gain his fare share of the ratings points on offer towards qualification for next year’s ASP World Tour. Yeomans was sitting in the No. 21 position before entering the event, and is now guaranteed a fifth place finish in the ASP 6-Star PRIME contest, which will significantly help his cause on The Grind this year.

“It’s insane that Nike 6.0 stepped up and made this contest a 6-Star PRIME,” Yeomans said. “To be at home and get that many points is great and I think this is going to be a huge confidence booster and a good one for the rest of the year.”

Fredrick Patacchia (North Shore, HI), 27, was a top performer in today’s 6.0 Lowers Pro competition and convincingly surfed his way to the Quarterfinals with two heat wins. The goofy-footer is enjoying a brief respite from ASP World Tour competition to compete amongst some old friends at the ASP 6-Star PRIME event.

“I just like surfing competitions and a lot of my friends surf in this event,” Patacchia said. “I like to come down here and hopefully draw them in a heat, because it brings us back to the old school amateur days.”

Patacchia’s Round 5 heat resembled an ASP World Tour contest when he battled fellow ASP Dream Tour surfer Damien Hobgood (Satellite Beach, FL), 29, in the man-on-man format. The Hawaiian continued his standout showing when he eliminated Hobgood from the event and is utilizing the tough competition at the 6.0 Lowers Pro to prepare for the ASP World Tour event held at Lower Trestles in the fall, the Hurley Pro.

“That heat was a lot of pressure,” Patacchia said. “Man-on-man builds up that pressure because you have to win. You can’t get second and the Hobgoods are great competitors and gentlemen, but it’s a good warm up for us for the World Tour contest here, the Hurley Pro.”

Barger’s opening heat of the ASP Grade-2 Oakley Pro Junior explained why he’s the defending ASP World Junior Champion. The talented Hawaiian demolished a Lowers righthander on his backhand with several tail-drifting blasts to earn an amazing 9.93 out of 10. Barger followed up with an 8.73 to leave his fellow competitors in a combination situation while logging in the highest heat total of the day.

“The first thing that happened was I saw that other kid on the Hurley team (Conner Coffin) get a 7 and I got a bit freaked out,” Barger said. “I told myself I have to get the next one and not fall. I just put my head down and hit it as hard as I could and as soon as I came out of it I did it again.”

Barger is looking to have a successful campaign at the Oakley Pro Junior, especially since Lower Trestles is one of his favorite waves. The newly crowned champ is also feeling some pressure to post impressive results due to his recent success.

“I just want to do especially good at this place because it’s one of my favorite waves,” Barger said. “I felt a lot of pressure because I hadn’t made a heat out here in so long and to lose two in a row would have been terrible. I need to do better.”

Oakley Pro Junior Quarterfinalists will be the first to take to the water tomorrow at 8am. The opening heat will see Andrew Doheny (USA), Koa Smith (HAW), Kiron Jabour (HAW) and Miguel Pupo (BRA).

6.0 Lowers Pro Round of 16 Results: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 14.60 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 13.17
Heat 2: Dusty Payne (HAW) 13.67 def. Chris Ward (USA) 13.43
Heat 3: Tim Boal (FRA) 14.67 def. Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) 12.66
Heat 4: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 16.34 def. Jay Thompson (AUS) 13.16
Heat 5: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 17.80 def. Daniel Ross (AUS) 6.93
Heat 6: Ben Bourgeois (USA) 13.93 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 11.83
Heat 7: Nathan Yeomans (USA) 12.44 def. Dane Reynolds (USA) 10.73
Heat 8: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 15.00 def. Rob Machado (USA) 13.26

6.0 Lowers Pro Round of 24 Results: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Fred Patacchia (HAW) 16.50, Dusty Payne (HAW) 12.83, Evan Valiere (HAW) 12.36
Heat 2: Chris Ward (USA) 15.83, Damien Hobgood (USA) 15.34, Michel Bourez (PYF) 14.10
Heat 3: Tim Boal (FRA) 17.26, Jay Thompson (AUS) 9.74, Neco Padaratz (BRA) 9.07
Heat 4: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 15.07, Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) 13.77, Simao Romao (BRA) 11.34
Heat 5: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 17.80, Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 14.60, Chris Waring (USA) 10.27
Heat 6: Ben Bourgeois (USA) 17.20, Daniel Ross (AUS) 15.50, Torrey Meister (HAW) 12.10
Heat 7: Nathan Yeomans (USA) 15.90, Rob Machado (USA) 14.90, Travis Logie (ZAF) 13.80
Heat 8: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 15.00, Dane Reynolds (USA) 14.50, Nat Young (USA) 11.43

Oakley Pro Junior Round of 32 Results: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 3: Albee Layer (HAW) 13.50, Koa Smith (HAW) 11.60, Matt Meola (HAW) 11.50, Billy Kemper (HAW) 9.83
Heat 4: Kai Barger (HAW) 18.66, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 15.70, Conner Coffin (USA) 14.00, Kyle Kennelly (USA) 10.43
Heat 5: Cory Arrambide (USA) 15.40, Spencer Regan (USA) 12.83, Quinn McCrystal (USA) 12.33, Fisher Heverly (USA) 9.70
Heat 6: Chris Friend (AUS) 15.47, Victor Done (USA) 11.50, Brent Reilly (USA) 10.67, Keanu Asing (HAW) 9.80
Heat 7: Nat Young (USA) 15.66, Davey Cathels (AUS) 14.50, Dylan Goodale (HAW) 11.77, Trevor Saunders (USA) 10.43
Heat 8: Dillon Perillo (USA) 18.27, Evan Thompson (USA) 14.86, Cody Thompson (USA) 13.76, Gabe Garcia (USA) 11.60

SAN CLEMENTE, California (Thursday, April 30, 2009) – Exciting action continued in Round 3 of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star PRIME 6.0 Lowers Pro today when the event’s top performers donated spectacular surfing in the best conditions of the event. The two-to-four foot (1 metre) surf on offer also hosted the opening round of the ASP Grade-2 Oakley Pro Junior and saw young goofy-footer Conner Coffin (Santa Barbara, CA), 15, post the event’s first perfect 10-point-ride.

With the 6.0 Lowers Pro offering the maximum amount of points towards qualification for the ASP Dream Tour due to its 6-Star PRIME status, the event plays an integral role in all surfers 2009 campaigns. The ASP North America Pro Junior Series acts as a qualifier for the ASP World Junior Championships. At year’s end, each region sends its top seeds to do battle in Narrabeen, Australia in an attempt to take out the title of ASP World Junior Champion.

Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA), 17, continued to dominate the righthand walls of Lower Trestles on his backhand today, unleashing the day’s highest single wave score of 6.0 Lowers Pro competition, a near-perfect 9.57 out of 10. Young needed a nine-point-ride to advance through his Round 3 heat and earned the score in the dying minutes to progress through to Round 4.

“I pretty much had counted myself out of the heat by then,” Young said. “Once I saw that wave I knew it was going to be a good right and I just surfed it. Towards the end I was thinking, I could actually get the score!”

The impressive result by the Santa Cruz talent will earn him the most points of his career on the ASP WQS, significantly helping his seed on the The Grind. Young will now enter in to the three-man heat format utilized in ASP 6-Star PRIME competition and will face a stacked heat against current ASP World Tour No. 5 C.J. Hobgood (Melbourne, FL), 29, and ASP World Tour sophomore Dane Reynolds (Ventura, CA), 23, tomorrow.

“I think this is the most points I’ve ever gotten, so I’m stoked,” Young said. “Plus, next heat is only a three-man heat, so it’s one less person in the water out at Lowers. If I get through that heat I’ll be stoked.”

Adriano De Souza (Guaruja Sao Paulo, BRA), 22, was a standout in yesterday’s action and continued to flare today when he donated the highest heat total of 6.0 Lowers Pro competition when he dropped a 17.43 out of 20 to advance through to Round 4.

“I feel a little bit more consistent today,” De Souza said. “I’ve been getting lucky, everything has been going my way and my boards have been going really good.”

Although Lower Trestles’ rights often offer the highest scoring potential, the young Brazilian has been capitalizing on the steep lefthand walls to earn his top scores. De Souza is planning to use the same strategy as the event progresses.

“I’ve really been getting my best waves on the lefts,” De Souza said. “My three best waves in that heat were lefts and yesterday I was able to get big scores on the left handers instead of the rights and I think tomorrow will be the same because I’m surfing around the same tide.”

Dusty Payne (Lahaina, HI), 20, showed why he is considered by several of his peers to be one of the most progressive surfers on the planet when he dropped an 8.33 out of 10 with only two maneuvers. The Lahaina local blasted a radical tail-drifting first turn and followed up with a massive frontside air-reverse on a closeout section to earn the score, eventually allowing him to convincingly win his heat.

“The wave didn’t offer a whole lot, so it was either go for it or get a 3-point-score,” Payne said. “That’s what I had to do to make it through the heat because there are not a lot of waves and hopefully you come up on top.”

2008 was Payne’s final year in the ASP Pro Junior Series and the young Hawaiian is having a successful campaign on the ASP WQS this year. The talented regular-footer is currently rated 16th overall on the ASP WQS and taking his quest for qualification for the ASP Dream Tour event-by-event.

“I’m just going event-by-event and am going to see where I am halfway through the year,” Payne said. “If I’m in the top 16 at the halfway point in the year I’m definitely going to make a push to qualify. It’s my dream to be on the World Tour, so we’ll see how the year goes.”

Coffin got off to a slow start in his opening 2009 ASP North America Pro Junior heat, but he eventually calmed his nerves enough to annihilate a Lowers lefthander to earn the first perfect 10-point-score of Oakley Pro Junior competition with several vertical forehand blasts. The jaw-dropping performance was added to another near-perfect 9.67, which was also earned on a left.

“I had started out that heat so bad,” Coffin said. “I was so nervous and I got a beautiful right and fell. I didn’t even know what I was doing. Then I got those two lefts.”

Coffin is making good use of the entrance he earned into the Oakley Pro Junior as a wildcard and is enjoying surfing Lowers with only three other guys in the lineup.

“I’m only in to this contest because Oakley gave me a wildcard,” Coffin said. “I’m so stoked that I can compete in this event. There were so many waves in my heat and it’s so fun to surf Lowers with only a few guys out.”

6.0 Lowers Pro Round of 48 Results: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 14.34, Chris Ward (USA) 13.50, Micah Byrne (USA) 11.16, William Cardoso (BRA) 9.57
Heat 2: Dusty Payne (HAW) 16.83, Michel Bourez (PYF) 14.16, Che Stang (USA) 9.17, Joel Centeio (HAW) 2.50
Heat 3: Damien Hobgood (USA) 11.90, Evan Valiere (HAW) 11.30, Eric Geiselman (USA) 10.73, Mike Losness (USA) 9.02
Heat 4: Tim Boal (FRA) 10.73, Simao Romao (BRA) 10.67, Dylan Graves (PRI) 10.20, Mitchel Coleborn (AUS) 8.06
Heat 5: Jay Thompson (AUS) 15.30, Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 14.84, Flynn Novak (HAW) 14.24, Heitor Alves (BRA) 13.73
Heat 6: Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) 13.40, Neco Padaratz (BRA) 12.63, Tomas Hermes (BRA) 11.77, Hizunome Bettero (BRA) 6.67
Heat 7: Adriano de Souza (BRA) Torrey Meister (HAW) 13.76, Granger Larsen (HAW) 12.13, Charlie Brown (BRA) 10.10
Heat 8: Sebastien Zietz (HAW) 17.03, Ben Bourgeois (USA) 16.53, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 15.70, Gavin Gillette (HAW) 10.27
Heat 9: Daniel Ross (AUS) 14.16, Chris Waring (USA) 13.37, Austin Ware (USA) 13.16, Taylor Knox (USA) 12.70
Heat 10: Rob Machado (USA) 16.74, Dane Reynolds (USA) 14.00, Marcio Farney (BRA) 11.73, Brett Simpson (USA) 9.97
Heat 11: Travis Logie (ZAF) 15.66, Nat Young (USA) 14.57, Shea Lopez (USA) 14.27, Alain Riou (PYF) 12.77
Heat 12: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 15.66, Nathan Yeomans (USA) 13.27, Nic Muscroft (AUS) 12.57, Luke Dorrington (AUS) 11.33

Oakley Pro Junior Round of 48 Heats: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Luke Davis (USA) 15.07, Guilherme Ramalho (BRA) 11.67, Riley Metcalf (USA) 10.67
Heat 2: Dege O’Connell (HAW) 16.33, Jeffrey Lukasik (USA) 11.00, Oliver Kurtz (USA) 10.67, Icaro Ronchi (BRA) 10.43
Heat 3: Matt Meola (HAW) 15.00, Kyle Kennelly (USA) 10.14, Matt Pagan (USA) 8.47, Brett Barley (USA) 3.80
Heat 4: Conner Coffin (USA) 19.67, Koa Smith (HAW) 13.90, Rob Kelly (USA) 13.23, Isaac Stant (HAW) 11.07
Heat 5: Spencer Regan (USA) 16.40, Chris Friend (AUS) 13.13, Mikey McCabe (USA) 11.67, Kekoa Cazimero (HAW) 8.97
Heat 6: Victor Done (USA) 13.37, Quinn McCrystal (USA) 13.10, Dane Zaun (USA) 12.30, Nick Rupp (USA) 10.40
Heat 7: Davey Cathels (AUS) 16.33, Kealamaka Naihe (HAW) 10.96, Evan Thompson (USA) 13.00, Jeffrey Lukasik (USA) 9.87
Heat 8: Gabe Garcia (USA) 14.07, Dylan Goodale (HAW) 12.70, Sean Poynter (USA) 7.86, Hunter Heverly (USA) 7.43

Oakley Pro Junior Round of 32 Heats: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Andrew Doheny (USA) 16.00, Luke Davis (USA) 12.46, Evan Geiselman (USA) 10.10, Jeffrey Lukasik (USA) 9.87
Heat 2: Kiron Jabour (HAW) 11.66, Dege O’Connell (HAW) 9.83, Guilherme Ramalho (BRA) 9.03, Michael Dunphy (USA)4.56

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

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

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.”