Yakult HB Pro, Mens ASP LQS 1-Star
Gidget PLA Pro, Womens ASP LQS 2-Star
Ventura, California, United States of America June 20-21, 2009

Snow Wins Yakult HB Pro, Schumacher takes Gidget PLA Pro

HUNTINGTON BEACH, California (Sunday, June 21, 2009) Ned Snow (Waialua, HI), 23, won the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) 1-Star Yakult HB Pro today over former ASP World Longboard Champion Colin McPhillips (San Clemente, CA), 34, in two-to-three foot surf at South Huntington Beach Pier. Cori Schumacher (Cardiff, CA), 32, took out her fellow finalists to claim the ASP LQS 2-Star Gidget PLA Pro, which ran in conjunction with the mens event.

Surfers competing on the ASP LQS are eligible to earn a spot on to the prestigious ASP World Longboard Tour by finishing within the top two on their regional tour by years end. Once qualified, all surfers compete for the chance to be crowned ASP world Longboard Champion.

Snow proved to be unstoppable throughout the events entirety and successfully tackled the tough afternoon conditions on offer at South Huntington Beach Pier to top McPhillips by a score of 13.67 to 10.66.

Being able to surf in the man-on-man format really helped my mindset, Snow said. Surfing against guys like McPhillips, I can just go out there and I feel like its me against the ocean instead of battling a bunch of other guys. Im really happy that I was able to come over here and get the win at Huntington since there is no U.S. Open for Longboarding this year.

McPhillips dominated his early round heats, but was unable to find a rhythm in the hard Final against Snow. The San Clemente locals second place finish at the Yakult HB Pro keeps him on top of the ASP North America LQS ratings.

It was a great event and I had a lot of good heats leading up to the Final, McPhillips said. I think I peaked before the Final and I couldnt buy a wave out there. It seems to happen a lot to me at Huntington. I either do really good or really bad, but Ned got the waves and congratulations to him.

McPhillips used the Yakult HB Pro as a warm-up for the upcoming ASP WLT event in Tahara, Japan, the Oxbow ASP World Longboard Tour, and is hoping to utilize the momentum built in this weekends event as a building block for the prestigious international competition.

Its a great warm up for Japan, McPhillips said. Ive been feeling good the whole time, so its nice to have that feel in a contest and I want to keep it rolling. The next stop is Japan, so hopefully I can do well there also.

Schumacher earned a come-from-behind victory when she jumped from last place to first in the latter half of the Gidget PLA Pro Final to claim a victory over fellow finalists Bianca Valenti (Dana Point, CA), 22, 2004 ASP Womens World Longboard Champion Summer Romero (San Diego, CA), and Lindsay Steinriede (Dana Point, CA), 23.

It feels good to take the win, Schumacher said. The waves deteriorated pretty quickly out there and Im happy that I was able to come back to win in the last half of the heat.

The Cardiff Reef local is also using the early season ASP LQS events to help prepare for the ASP WLT. Schumacher is out the carry the confidence from todays victory at the Gidget PLA Pro over the Biarritz, France where she will compete for the ASP Womens World Longboard title.

I feel pretty solid going into France, Schumacher said. I know that its going to be summer surf in France, so its good to get as much variety in as I can in the summer surf. Its definitely a confidence booster and Im really looking forward to the event.

After a seven-year hiatus from competition, Schumacher has been dominating the ASP LQS and the current ratings leader continued to extend her lead over the field with todays victory.

Im super stoked, Schumacher said. Im doing better than I thought I would after coming out of retirement for so long. Im just trying to keep focused and keep my mind and body going.

The next ASP LQS event will be the Yakult HB Pro and Gidget PLA Pro at Crystal Pier in San Diego, California from October 3-4, 2009.

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com or www.aspnorthamerica.org

Yakult HB Pro Final Results:
1 Ned Snow (HAW) 14.67
2 Colin McPhillips (USA) 10.66

Yakult HB Pro Semifinals Results:
Heat 1: Colin McPhillips (USA) 15.50 def. Phil Rajzman (BRA) 10.13 Heat 2: Ned Snow (HAW) 14.67 def. Steve Newton (USA) 10.66

Yakult HB Pro Quarterfinals Results:
Heat 1: Phil Rajzman (BRA) 14.20 def. Josh Mohr (USA) 13.27 Heat 2: Colin McPhillips (USA) 14.00 def. Josh Baxter (USA) 8.63 Heat 3: Steve Newton (USA) 11.77 def. Taylor Jensen (USA) 8.60 Heat 4: Ned Snow (HAW) 13.83 def. Noah Shimabukuro (USA) 11.16

Yakult HB Pro Round of 16 Results: (1st and 2nd advance) Heat 1: Josh Mohr (USA)13.00, Josh Baxter (USA) 12.93, Justin Quintal (USA) 11.83, Keegan Edwards (HAW) 10.20 Heat 2: Colin McPhillips (USA) 17.83, Phil Rajzman (BRA) 14.34, Tony Silvagni (USA) 12.86, Scott Brandenburg (USA) 7.63 Heat 3: Taylor Jensen (USA) 12.26, Ned Snow (HAW) 10.67, Troy Mothershead (USA) 9.67, Mike Jorgensen (USA) 9.27 Heat 4: Noah Shimabukuro (USA) 10.70, Steve Newton (USA) 10.57, Eli Gillis (USA) 6.94, Chase Stavron (USA) 6.40

Yakult HB Pro Round of 32 Results: (1st and 2nd advance) Heat 1: Keegan Edwards (HAW) 14.67, Scott Brandenburg (USA) 9.66, Geoff Wong (HAW) 7.93, Terry Gillard (USA) 6.90 Heat 2: Josh Baxter (USA) 16.57, Phil Rajzman (BRA) 15.93, Joe Aaron (USA) 8.87, David Arganda (USA) n/s Heat 3: Tony Silvagni (USA) 13.43, Josh Mohr (USA) 12.00, Cole Robbins (USA) 7.53, Dennis Bourg (USA) 5.30 Heat 4: Colin McPhillips (USA) 16.33, Justin Quintal (USA) 10.93, Bryce Young (USA) 7.40, Mike Stidham (USA) 5.83 Heat 5: Ned Snow (HAW) 10.17, Eli Gillis (USA) 9.67, Jerry Swearingen (USA) 7.84, Quintin Macklin (USA) 7.50 Heat 6: Taylor Jensen (USA) 12.74, Chase Stavron (USA) 11.33, Brendan White (USA) 11.30, Kevin Osborne (USA) 10.34 Heat 7: Noah Shimabukuro (USA) 12.94, Troy Mothershead (USA) 11.07, Claude Maki (JPN) 9.00, Ramon Perez (USA) 3.93 Heat 8: Steve Newton (USA) 10.27, Mike Jorgensen (USA) 9.47, Eric Marin (USA) 6.03, Artie Castro (USA) 9.47

Gidget PLA Pro Final Results:
1 Cori Schumacher (USA) 8.20
2 Bianca Valenti (USA) 7.84
3 Summer Romero (USA) 7.43
4 Lindsay Steinriede (USA) 6.76

Gidget PLA Pro Semifinals Results: (1st and 2nd advance) Heat 1: Summer Romero (USA) 12.16, Lindsay Steinriede (USA) 9.16, Kelly Nicely (USA) 5.00 Heat 2: Cori Schumacher (USA) 13.33, Bianca Valenti (USA) 10.00, Kamalehu Keohakapu (HAW) 3.10

...Huntington Beach

HUNTINGTON BEACH, California (Tuesday, June 16, 2009) – The third of five stops on the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) North America Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) will hit Huntington Beach Pier this weekend with ASP LQS 1-Star Yakult HB Pro and ASP LQS 2-Star Gidget PLA Pro.

Surfers competing on the ASP LQS earn points towards qualification for the ASP World Longboard Tour (WLT), where each surfer earns the right to tackle the finest competitive longboarding talent in a chance to claim the title of ASP World Longboard Champion.
Taylor Jensen (Oceanside, CA), 25, claimed a victory at the last ASP LQS event in Ventura and is now out for back-to-back victories when he hits the water in Huntington Beach. Jensen is the reigning two-time regional ASP Longboarding Champion and was victorious two events in Huntington last year, making him a favorite entering the Yakult HB Pro.

“Getting a win in my first North American event for the year really gets me in the right head space going into the second half of the year,” Jensen said. “This is the best start to a year I have ever had so I am just trying to keep the momentum going and take things one heat at a time.”

Josh Mohr (Huntington Beach, CA), 33, earned a third place finish at the last Huntington Beach event and is always a standout at his home break. Mohr is looking to utilize his local knowledge to fend off the stacked competitive field at the upcoming event.

“It’s hard to do well in Huntington if you’re not familiar with the wave,” Mohr said. “I’ve worked on riding more progressive equipment to fit the wave and have it dialed. Plus, it’s my home, so I have the comfort of sleeping in my bed which always helps.”

After taking several years off from competitive surfing, the new regional ASP LQS series launched this year has re-sparked the Huntington Beach native’s desire to compete. Mohr is currently rated fourth overall on the ASP North America LQS and is looking to gain ground on Jensen at his home break.

“Having a series and being able to shoot for the top ranks really brought me back to competition,” Mohr said. “Before, I had lost interest because there were only one or two events to compete in. To be in the top rank amongst the up-and-coming talent is great.”

Cori Schumacher (Cardiff,CA), 32, is the defending Women’s ASP North America LQS champion and is currently sitting atop the ratings once again over the nation’s top competitive longboarding talent.

“The competition has been fierce and sustained,” Schumacher said. “My fellow competitors are hungry for their piece of the tour and I believe that it takes this type of competition to push a sport to higher levels. Having Gidget step up to support our tour has really been an amazing gift as well. I am truly thankful to them and the PLA for supporting women’s longboarding in the North American Region.”

Schumacher feels that she has been able to sharpen her competitive skills due to this year’s regional tour.

“Being fortunate enough to have multiple events at diverse locations this year gives me the opportunity to consistently approach my surfing with a renewed sense of purpose,” Schumacher said. “I feel as though I am pushing myself and my surfing to new levels, striving for ever more effective winning strategies, in body and mind. Changing locations keeps me on-point and aware of my conditioning.”

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