Quarterfinalists Battle Stormy Conditions on Day 2 of ASP 1-Star Fins Pro Junior
Newport Beach's Colin Moran posted the highest scores in the Quarterfinals of Fins Pro Junior competition.
BELMAR, New Jersey / USA (Saturday, September 17, 2011) – Quarterfinalists at the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 1-Star Fins Pro Junior tackled tricky wind-blown one-to-three foot surf to decide the event’s Semifinalists in Belmar, New Jersey today.
The first stop on the 2011-2012 ASP North America Pro Junior Series, the Fins Pro Junior allows up-and-coming surfers to establish a seed on the regional standings while several of the event’s top names are using the event to sharpen their competitive skills.
Colin Moran (Newport Beach, CA) led the field today, locking in both the day’s highest single-wave score of an 8.00 (out of 10) and the highest heat total of 14.50 (out of 20) and felt at home in the testing conditions which reminded him of his home of Newport Beach.
“I just tried to catch anything that came to me,” Moran said. “It’s pretty tricky out there so I just tried to get whatever I could. These waves are like home to me. I’m from Newport and it is just little wedges, so it’s like this everyday.”
Moran, who earned his career-best result of a 7th place finish at the US Open of Surfing Pro Junior, is hoping to carry his momentum from the performance into the Final of the Fins Pro Junior.
“My result at the US Open was the best result I’ve ever had,” Moran said. “I’m hoping to finish strong in this event and just start off the year with a good result and hopefully make a Final.”
Nic Hdez (Santa Cruz, CA) was another Californian to find success in Belmar when he found a rare lefthander that allowed him to unload a series of backhand blasts to advance out of his Quarterfinals heat.
“No lefts were coming through earlier, before I went I told myself I was only going to go right because the lefts were down the line and closed out,” Hdez said. “This left came through and I just went and it opened up. I just went on everything I could. It’s really short period storm surf, so you have to just go on everything and see what happens.”
Tanner Strohmenger (Deerfield Beach, FL), who is relatively new to the ASP Pro Junior Series, continued to find success in his Quarterfinals bout by staying busy in his heat and his Semifinals berth marks the best result of his young career.
“I was just kind of looking for a wave that could offer one big turn or an air, but it was kind of hard to find so I just caught whatever I could,” Strohmenger said. “I’m happy to make it through. I’m stoked, this is the third ASP Pro Junior event that I’ve done and hopefully I can make it into the Final.”
The Fins Pro Junior champion will be crowned tomorrow.
FINS PRO JUNIOR QUARTERFINALS RESULTS:
QF 1: Evan Thompson (USA) 11.90, Tanner Strohmenger (USA) 10.50, Taylor Clark (USA) 8.53, Joe Diamond (USA) 5.44
QF 2: Matty Lewis (USA) 11.13, Jacob Davis (USA) 10.43, Christian Saenz (USA) 10.13, Tommy Ihnken (USA) 2.56
QF 3: Nick Hdez (USA) 12.23, Parker Coffin (USA) 12.07, Trevor Thornton (USA) 11.27, Jake Kelley (USA) 8.36
QF 4: Colin Moran (USA) 14.50, Cole Richards (USA) 9.83, PJ Raia (USA) 7.47, Nathan Behl (USA) 5.67
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Category: All ASP News, ASP Junior News
