2001 ASP World Champion and current ASP Dream Tour stalwart C.J. Hobgood (USA) confirmed his status of top seed at the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 6-Star PRIME Hang Loose Pro, winning the first ASP Prime event of the year in Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. Raoni Monteiro made his third final in a row in Cacimba do Padre waves, but as last year, didn’t find the barrels to win.

“I’m stoked,” Hobgood said. “Last year I put too much pressure on myself and it didn’t paid off. It was amazing to win right now in the ning of the season. I was lucky all day long finding those left barrels and I’m glad to be here in this amazing place.”

Hobgood walked away with a US $20,000 winner’s check and 6,500 points to take the lead of the ASP World Rankings. Raoni pocketed US $10,000 and 4,875 points to place himself two steps below Hobgood on the ASP World Rankings where young Brazilian Alejo Muniz is the current No. 2. Here in Noronha Alejo and fellow coutryman Wiggolly Dantas was equal 3rd.

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Chris Friend (Alexandra Headland, Qld) today claimed the inaugural Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Grade–3 Couran Cove Island Resort Pro Junior by less than one point ahead of the Gold Coast’s Mitch Crews (Currumbin, Qld).

In perfect 1.5-2m waves on Queensland’s (Australia) notorious South Stradbroke Island, Friend edged out Crews in a thrilling final, which saw the lead change multiple times before Friend shut the gate with a 9.50 registering a combined two-wave total of 16.00 (out of a possible 20) to Crews’ 15.00.

“That was one of the hardest heats I think I’ve ever surfed,” said and exhausted Friend. “We were sitting way out the back riding these awesome waves all the way through to a crazy barreling shore-break and then having to paddle all the way back out to the lineup, it was hard work, but definitely worth it in the end.”

2010 ASP Australasian Junior Men’s Series Ratings
* After The Couran Cove Island Resort Pro Junior:

1. Mitch Crews (Currumbin, QLD) – 6490 points
2. Chris Friend (Alexandra Headland, QLD) – 5930 points
3. Davey Cathels (Narrabeen, NSW) – 5420 points
4. Dean Bowen (Gerroa, NSW) – 5000 points
5. Chris Salisbury (Newport, NSW) – 4400 points

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Jeremy Flores (Capbreton/New Caledonia, FRA), 21, has hit Australia last week, the only French surfer of the ASP Top 45 getting back to work to prepare the 2010 ASP World Tour season opener, the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast.

The French prodigy, a former ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) champion in 2006 and ASP Roookie of the Year in 2007, went on rehabilitation in France after an ankle and foot injury forced him to pull out from the last three events of last year’s ASP World Tour, but is now ready to hit the line-up again.

Despite missing the Billabong Pro Mundaka, the Rip Curl Pro Search and the Billabong Pipeline Masters, Flores finished his 2010 campaign ranked inside the requalifying group, an impressive result for the 21 year-old phenomenon.

Coming back from a long break that kept him out of the water (October, November and December), Flores is back in good form to get things going again and be ready for the 2010 ASP World Tour launch on the Gold Coast of Australia, at the end of February.

“I am really happy to be able to get back in the water,” Flores said. “My foot feels good and that long break from competitive surfing gave me the opportunity to do things that I usually can’t do. Therefore, I think that injury was a good experience for me.”

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