ASP Euro Junior title Race Heats up for Oakley Pro Junior Lacanau Men & Women Showdown
LACANAU, France (Thursday, August 12, 2010) - It’s time for business as the ASP European Junior Men and Women titles are on the line as the ASP Grade-2 Oakley Pro Junior Lacanau will kick-off tomorrow in France for an intense four days of competition.
Last event on this year’s ASP European Junior tour or both me and women, the prestigious crown is on all minds with a crucial double-goal finish, the regional title and the overall ratings’ Top 4 meaning qualification into he elite field of surfers to compete in the ASP World Junior Tour events of Bali and Narabeen.
Coming from an equal 5th plac finish in the Canary Islands and a win a couple of weeks ago in the Basque country, defending event champion and current rating’ No. 5 Charles Martin (GLP) will be back to battle towards his maiden regional title, definitely in his reach for his last year in the Under-21 division.
“I’ve had a good run so far and coming back to Lacanau is great after a win last year,” Martin said. “I’ve done well in the Oakley Pro Junior Lacana for thee years now but this one will be special as the title is the target. I hope we get good enough waves.”
While the men’s race is heating-up dramatically with the event set to start tomorrow morning, all will also be looking at he intense and tight women’s title battle, current ratings’ front-runners all having a shot at both the qualification for the ASP World Junior tour and the title.
Having pushed women’s junior surfing for years now, and been last year’s decider for the ASP European Women’s Junior title, the Oakley Girls Pro Junior will be a highlight as well, Europe’s best Under-21 female athletes being some of the world’s best at the moment.
Winner in the second event in the Basque Country and former ASP Women’s World Junior champion (2008), Pauline Ado (Hendaye, FRA),18, will be much expected in her title quest, the French favorite coming straight from a Quarterfinal finish in the ASP 6-Star event in the Azores Islands.
“I’ve won the event a couple of times in Lacanau and it’s always been pretty good to me actually,” Ado said. “I have now started touring on the ASP Star Series but the better you do at any event, the better you feel!”
With an action-packed four-day waiting period ahead with a variety of nations attending the prestigious event, all eyes are fixed on the surf forecast now as conditions are expected to be tricky.
“Day 1 will allow for a good show and we will just take things one after the other and are confident the ASP European Junior Tour wraps-up well in Lacanau,” ASP Europe Junior Tour Head Judge Aitor Aguirremota said.
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Past Champs:
1993 – Conan Hayes (Haw)
1994 – Shaun Brooks (Aus)
1995 – Lee Winkler (Aus)
1996 – François Heer (Fr)
1997 – Trent Munro (Aus)
1998 – Joao Gutemberg (Bra)
1999 – Hira Terinatoofa (Tah)
2000 – Pablo Gutierrez (Sp)
2001 – Pablo Gutierrez (Sp)
2002 – Gonzalo Zubizaretta (Sp)
2003 – Alain Riou (Tah)
2004 – Da Silva Jean (Bra)
2005 – Ola Eleogram (Haw)
2006 – Mitch Coleborn (AUS)
2007 – Romain Cloitre (Reu)
2008 – Miguel Pupo (BRA)
2009 – Charly Martin ( FRA)
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Category: All ASP News, ASP Junior News
