HUNTINGTON BEACH, California (Wednesday, March 25, 2009) – The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) kicked off its West Coast season opener today with the ASP WQS 2-Star Vans Pier Classic presented by Jack’s Surfboards in peaky two-to-three foot (1 metre) conditions at South Huntington Beach Pier. The first day of the Vans Pier Classic saw ASP North America Pro Junior Series surfers post impressive performances over their competition.

All surfers competing in the Vans Pier Classic are looking to earn points to improve their seed towards qualification for the ASP World Tour, with the top 15 ASP WQS performers advancing onto the coveted tour each year.

Michael Dunphy (Virginia Beach, VA), 18, was definitely one to watch in the opening day of the Vans Pier Classic, winning both his Round 1 and Round 2 heats. The young East Coaster blasted the day’s highest heat total of a 14.50 out of 20 on the way to his Round 3 berth by utilizing a selective strategy that paid off in his tough heat.

“The first heat I just didn’t feel right, but I felt better in that heat,” Dunphy said. “I only caught two or three waves in my last heat, but they kind of linked up and I surfed them accordingly.”

Dunphy earned a single wave score of an 8.25 out of 10 to open up his Round 2 heat and the excellent score played a critical role in his advancement into Round 3.

“I wasn’t going to go on that wave because I thought it was going to be a shoulder, but it connected all the way through,” Dunphy said. “I thought I had got about a 6 on it, so when I heard the 8 called out I was stoked.”

The young regular-footer, who finished 11th overall on last year’s ASP North America Pro Junior Series, is using today’s ASP WQS action as a confidence builder going into his ASP Pro Junior campaign.

“This just gets you going for the junior,” Dunphy said. “I care about this event, but it’s more important for me to do well in the junior right now. This is a good warm up and it gives me confidence for the juniors.”

Victor Done (Newport Beach, CA), 17, was another ASP North America Pro Junior series surfer who was one to watch as well. Done also advanced through two heats today, winning a tough Round 2 heat over ASP WQS veteran Heath Walker (Carlsbad, CA), 33, who advanced in second, and Hawaiian charger Levi Gonzales (Kailua, HI), 18. The Orange County native dropped two solid scores in the opening minutes of the battle and his 14.35 out of 20 heat total proved to be enough to fend off his competitors.

“I got two 7-point-rides in the first five minutes and then at the end Heath (Walker) got an 8 and I saw someone else get a wave and got scared,” Done said. “Luckily I was able to hold on.”

Robert Patterson (Hilo, HI), 25, dropped the day’s highest single wave score of an 8.50 out of 10, advancing comfortably through his Round 1 heat by opening the wave up with a big backside turn. The regular-footer worked his way through the classic Huntington Beach reform and had several frontside hacks to earn the solid score.

“I got a nice whack on the outside and when it reformed I hit it a couple more times,” Patterson said. “I guess the judges liked the wave, so I’m stoked.”

Patterson, who is from the Island of Hawaii, has spent the last few years living in Huntington Beach while pursuing his competitive career and his impressive performance today showed his obvious knowledge of the tricky beach break.

“I think the conditions are pretty good,” Patterson said. “I’m from the Big Island and have been staying here for a couple of years and trying to do the contests and I think the waves are super fun compared to how it usually is.”