AITPINGA BEACH, South Australia – Clean three-foot (1 metre) surf at Waitpinga Beach in the southern waters of South Australia was on offer today as Australia’s top 20-year-old-and-under surfers completed rounds three and four of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Grade-4 Fantastic Noodles Pro Junior.

The cold waters, which are down around 13 degrees celsius, and significantly colder with a wind chill factor in full force, did not stop the high-performance surfing with impressive showings from the events’ top two seeds, Owen Wright and Garrett Parkes, both Byron Bay region of NSW.

Owen Wright is the defending event champion and he has not been defeated this entire season, having won all four ASP Australasian Pro Junior events to date in an display of unprecedented dominance at national ASP Pro Junior level.

This year he has also stormed the world with his surfing performances which sees the unassuming 19-year-old highly placed on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS), following a major win in the Maldives last month and he is widely regarded as the hottest emerging surfer globally.

Despite all this great form and his comfortable heat win today, Wright cannot win this year’s Fantastic Noodles Pro Junior because he’ll forfeit his Semifinal place tomorrow as he heads to California for the ASP WQS 6-Star Hurley US Open of Surfing.

“I’ve had a break from competitive surfing the past month and thought this event would be good to get back into it before the US Open,” Wright said. “I was hoping the event might finish today, but it won’t, so I’ll have to depart tonight, but it’s been good and I’m ready to hit Huntington Beach in California.”

So, Wright will suffer his first loss here by default, but his appearance has none-the-less delighted the surfers of South Australia who realize they are possibly watching surfing’s next emerging star who has had great success in these waters over the past two years, winning this event last year and an Australian Junior title the previous year.

Wright’s pending absence opens the door for all others and No. 2 seed Garrett Parkes should be hardest to beat here.

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Five Brazilians and three internatiionals surfers will decide the title of ASP WQS 6-Star Coca-Cola Saquarema Pro pres. by Rip Curl tomorrow in the great waves of Itauna Beach at Saquarema – with no waves and bad weather predicted for Sunday, the last day of the contest will be run tomorrow.

Brazilian and ASP WQS Leader Jadson Andre, continued his run of good form in the clean waves of three-to-five foot (1-1.5 meter) waves, Jadson posted the highest total heat score of the day – 17.27 points out of a possible 20 – to win his heat and advance to the final eight of the 6-Star Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) event number #20.

Jadson is fresh off a 5th place in the ASP WQS 6-Star event of Florianopolis last week, and is looking like a serious contender in the Coca-Cola Saquarema Pro pres. by Rip Curl, dispatching the American Tanner Gudauskas and Australian Shaun Gossmann on his way to the quarters.

“Anyone can take my first place here in Brazil, so I want to take this contest to increase my leading. I do not want to be thinking to much about it and who is behind me or not, I just want to do my job well. My goal was take these two events here in Brazil to get more points, I finished in fifth last week and now I will do anything to reach the final. That is what I am focusing on” said Jadson. Jadson will face the Australian Brent Dorrington in the first quarters. Dorrington also had an impressive performance after finish his heat with 17.13 points (out a possible of 20).

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Surfing Australia today announced its powerful  TravelSIM Team Australia which departs in the final week of July  for Costa Rica to represent Australia at the  Billabong ISA World Surfing Games 2009.

The eight surfer team consists of four current Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour surfers along with the two open Longboard surfers who are experienced ASP World Tour competitors.

Team Coach and World Surfing Champion Barton Lynch was enthusiastic with the team announcement saying, “We are stoked with the team we have been able to put together. This team is a great well balanced with a solid combination of experience and youth. Importantly, we have excellent friendships in place among team members that will ensure a cohesive and spirited team to defend our title”.

Surfing Australia CEO and Team Manager Andrew Stark commented on the team today saying, “This is  a very high quality and experienced  team and we are looking forward to the challenge of defending the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games title.

Being a part of TravelSim Team Australia and representing Australia is a proud achievement for all of the team and we’ll head to Costa Rica fully prepared for the challenges ahead.”

The Billabong ISA World Surfing Games 2009 are to be held at Playa Hermosa, Jaco, Costa Rica, August 1st through the 8th.

Open Men:

Mick Campbell (ASP World Tour rating 13/Port Macquarie NSW ),

Dayan Neve (ASP World Tour Rating 24/ Manly),

Dane Atcheson (Current Country Energy  Australian Champion/Central Coast/Copacabanna NSW),

Matt Bemrose (2007 Country Energy Australian Champion and 2008 runner up/Manly).

Open Women

Samantha Cornish (ASP World Tour rated 9/Crescent Head NSW),

Amee Donohoe (ASP World Tour rated 13/Central Coast NSW )

Open Longboard

Harley Ingelby (ASP World Tour rated 3/Coff’s Harbour NSW)

Dane Pioli (2008 ASP Australasian Longboard Qualifying Series Champion/Wollongong NSW)

Head Coach

Barton Lynch

Assistant Coach (first reserve open team)

Beau Mitchell

Team Manager

Andrew Stark

Medical Manager

Matt Butel

original from ISA