HUNTINGTON BEACH, California (Sunday, July 18, 2009) – The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6- Star Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing kicked off the Round of 172 today and saw Matt Pagan (Westchester, CA), 19, Kellen Ellison (Ventura, CA), 21, Richard Christie (Mahia NZL) 20, and Jason Harris (Huntington Beach, CA), 21, advance through the 32-man trials format to earn berths in to the main event, which s with the Round of 144. Running in conjunction with today’s trials event was the ASP North America Pro Junior Series Grade-4 Women’s U.S. Open Nike 6.0 Pro Junior, which announced its finalists to conclude the day’s action.

Surfers competing on the ASP WQS are looking to claim the crucial points on offer at the famed event to help their cause towards qualification for the 2010 ASP World Tour, as well as the historic US$100,000 prize purse put up by Hurley for the this year’s winner. The female surfers on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series are out to put their top two results towards qualification for the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships held in Narrabeen, Australia each January and the U.S. Open Nike 6.0 Pro Junior will play an integral role in each of their respective campaigns.

Local surfer Jason Harris (Huntington Beach , CA), 21, utilized his familiarity of the south Huntington Beach Pier to advance through three heats today, marking his first appearance in the main event of the Hurley U.S. Open. The native talent blasted the trials’ top heat total of a 14.33 out of 20 to advance through to the Round of 144. While Harris spends most of his time competing on the road, he’s taking advantage of the benefits of surfing at home while competing at the Hurley U.S. Open.

“I’m just so stoked to finally make the main event,” Harris said. “There are fun waves and people don’t have to hassle, so I’m stoked. You travel around and do all of these comps, but at home you sleep in your own bed and just cruise down to the beach and I just feel way more comfortable.”

The explosive regular-footer is hoping to carry his momentum through to the main event where he will tackle some of the finest up-and-coming competitive talent.

Coastguards said they had been ‘boogie-boarding’ off Newquay’s Fistral Beach without wetsuits just after 6pm, when the lifeguards who patrol the area leave for the day.

Other people on the beach noticed the 51-year-old man and the boy, who is believed to be his son, were in difficulties and went into the water to try to save them.
Falmouth Coastguard received a 999 call at 7pm and a lifeboat, helicopter and coastal rescue team were all sent to the scene.

A spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said when they arrived: “As Newquay Coastguard rescue team arrived on scene at Fistral Beach, the man was receiving CPR and the child was semi-conscious.

“The Coastguard team members continued administering CPR until the paramedics arrived. The rescue helicopter landed at Fistral beach and evacuated the man and child with paramedics and a policeman direct to the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske.

“It is believed that they were boogie boarding, wet suits were not being worn and the surf height was six feet.”

Devon and Cornwall Police said the boy was suffering from “exposure and shock”, but was otherwise unhurt.

The MCA spokesman advised surfers to wear wetsuits even in sunny conditions.

“People get a false sense of security if there is a bit of sunshine. Wetsuits are helpful to keep you warm,” he said.

“If there was six-foot high surf, there will have been quite a bit of wind blowing. Most surfers, you see them in wetsuits and that does give them a bit of protection from the conditions.”

The lifeguards on the beach work from 10am to 6pm.

“We’d always recommend to anybody thinking of undertaking any waterborne activities to go where there are lifeguards, to do it when there are lifeguards there and to wear appropriate protection,” the MCA spokesman added.

“Basically people should conduct their own risk assessment: what’s the risk if the weather is cold if you’re not wearing the right clothing?”

WAITPINGA BEACH, South Australia (Sunday, July 19, 2009) – Noah Lane (Rainbow Beach/Queensland) and Laura Enever (North Sydney Beaches/NSW) have won the ASP Pro Junior Men’s and Women’s divisions of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Australasia Fantastic Noodles Pro Junior.

In very good three-to-four feet (1 meter) surf, both surfers produced outstanding 9-point-plus rides to secure today’s wins.

Laura Enever’s victory was one of the best of her career, and has further extended her lead on the 2009 ASP Australasian Pro Junior Series Women’s ratings.

Enever, 17, was staring at a big defeat at the halfway stage in the Final which saw Tyler Wright open with a strong 7.75 and shortly after take a commanding lead with an excellent 8.75.

Enever, with just two moderate scoring rides was requiring a combination of scores to take the lead, and with just 10 minutes remaining in the 30 minute Final, she found an excellent wave, unleashed four major bottom-to-powerful-top turn snaps and found herself right back in the Final when she was awarded the heat’s top scoring ride of a 9.25.

Her task was still difficult, requiring a 7.25 to win with Wright also holding priority, and by the time Enever had returned to the outside peak, the Final had less than 5 minutes to go.

Surprisingly Wright allowed Enever to take a mid-sized wave under priority (Wright had the right to take the wave), and Enever wasted no time extracting every potential point out of the ride which she rode through to the beach and was awarded a 7.35 to take the Final on 16.60 out of a possible 20 to Wright on 16.50.

“I never gave up at all in the final even tho I knew Tyler had a big lead,” Enever said. “I scored a 9.8 in the opening round so I actually thought I need to do that again and I was chasing a 9.5 ride to try and win it on one wave when I caught that second last ride.”