Owen Wright (Lennox Head, NSW) today claimed his fourth consecutive ASP Australasia Pro Junior Title today, with a convincing victory at the Chill Pro Junior at Trigg Point, Western Australia. The $6000 winner’s cheque means that Owen Wright has now won more prize money than any other surfer in the history of the ASP Australasia Pro Junior Series.

At just 19 years of age, Wright now sits clearly on top of the ASP Australasia Pro Junior ratings, as well as holding down third place on the ASP World Qualifying Series ratings.

The best surf of the event was saved for the finals where clean two feet waves allowed for some true high performance surfing, with all finalists stepping up to the challenge.

Wright’s scores in the 30 minute final against Noah Lane (Rainbow Beach, QLD) reflect his total dominance of the three day event. He locked in a 9.50 ride in the opening minutes which set him up for the rest of the final. He went on to score a back up 8.90 to finish with a combined total of 18.40 from a possible twenty, the highest total for the entire event.

Owen Wright (Lennox Head, NSW) today claimed his fourth consecutive ASP Australasia Pro Junior Title today, with a convincing victory at the Chill Pro Junior at Trigg Point, Western Australia.  The $6000 winner’s cheque means that Owen Wright has now won more prize money than any other surfer in the history of the ASP Australasia Pro Junior Series.

At just 19 years of age, Wright now sits clearly on top of the ASP Australasia Pro Junior ratings, as well as holding down third place on the ASP World Qualifying Series ratings.

The best surf of the event was saved for the finals where clean two feet waves allowed for some true high performance surfing, with all finalists stepping up to the challenge.

Wright’s scores in the 30 minute final against Noah Lane (Rainbow Beach, QLD) reflect his total dominance of the three day event. He locked in a 9.50 ride in the opening minutes which set him up for the rest of the final. He went on to score a back up 8.90 to finish with a combined total of 18.40 from a possible twenty, the highest total for the entire event.

Owen Wright (Lennox Head, NSW) today claimed his fourth consecutive ASP Australasia Pro Junior Title today, with a convincing victory at the Chill Pro Junior at Trigg Point, Western Australia.  The $6000 winner’s cheque means that Owen Wright has now won more prize money than any other surfer in the history of the ASP Australasia Pro Junior Series.

At just 19 years of age, Wright now sits clearly on top of the ASP Australasia Pro Junior ratings, as well as holding down third place on the ASP World Qualifying Series ratings.

The best surf of the event was saved for the finals where clean two feet waves allowed for some true high performance surfing, with all finalists stepping up to the challenge.

Wright’s scores in the 30 minute final against Noah Lane (Rainbow Beach, QLD) reflect his total dominance of the three day event. He locked in a 9.50 ride in the opening minutes which set him up for the rest of the final. He went on to score a back up 8.90 to finish with a combined total of 18.40 from a possible twenty, the highest total for the entire event.

Testing conditions, solid overhead surf and crosshore winds made life difficult for competitors and officials alike on Day Two of the 2009 South Coast Tourism South African Surfing Championships at St Mikes but according to those in the know, the wind will switch overnight and the prediction is that the final two days of the tournament will deliver epic surf.

For some, Day Two was just too tough resulting in elimination from the event while others revelled in the condition and took the opportunity to show their skills in the 2 metre surf that wrapped around the St Mikes point.

Best surfer on the day was Dan Redman of KZN who posted a 9 point and a 9.25 ride ( maximum is 10 points per wave) in Round Two of the Men's division which gave him the highest heat score of the contest.

Redman and 2008 SA Championships finalist Ryan Payne of EP had both surprisingly slipped into the Repercharge Round on Day One but Redman came back with a bang and is through to Round Four as is Payne, who looked strong in the big surf.
Also through to Round Four are Redman's KZN teammates, Paul Canning, Michael Vawda and Wes O'Driscoll while Payne is joined by his brother and defending SA Champion Shaun and another EP surfer, Etienne Potgieter.

Dave Richards of WP also advanced to Round Four as did Stuart Fowles of Border, Shaun Botha of Boland and John Van Reenen of Southern KZN.

Testing conditions, solid overhead surf and crosshore winds made life difficult for competitors and officials alike on Day Two of the 2009 South Coast Tourism South African Surfing Championships at St Mikes but according to those in the know, the wind will switch overnight and the prediction is that the final two days of the tournament will deliver epic surf.

For some, Day Two was just too tough resulting in elimination from the event while others revelled in the condition and took the opportunity to show their skills in the 2 metre surf that wrapped around the St Mikes point.

Best surfer on the day was Dan Redman of KZN who posted a 9 point and a 9.25 ride ( maximum is 10 points per wave) in Round Two of the Men's division which gave him the highest heat score of the contest.
Redman and 2008 SA Championships finalist Ryan Payne of EP had both surprisingly slipped into the Repercharge Round on Day One but Redman came back with a bang and is through to Round Four as is Payne, who looked strong in the big surf.
Also through to Round Four are Redman's KZN teammates, Paul Canning, Michael Vawda and Wes O'Driscoll while Payne is joined by his brother and defending SA Champion Shaun and another EP surfer, Etienne Potgieter.
Dave Richards of WP also advanced to Round Four as did Stuart Fowles of Border, Shaun Botha of Boland and John Van Reenen of Southern KZN.

In the U20 Boys Division ISA Scholarship recipient Khayehihle Ngcobo of Southern KZN advanced from the Repercharge Round into Round Three as did Lotto Scholarship recipient Bertie Stuurman and fellow EP surfer Dominic Abersalie.
After a bad start to the championships on Day One Kyle Lane of KZN, the 2009 Quiksilver Pro Junior Champion, won his heat and is into Round Three as is JC Susan of WP and Jean du Plessis of Border.

The South American Sports Organization (ODESUR) has confirmed that the First South American Beach Games will be held from December 3 to 13 in Montevideo and Punta del Este, Uruguay and Surfing is going to be an official sport in this historic occasion.

Recently, Surfing has taken big strides on the long path towards Olympic Games participacion, something first requested by multi Olympic gold medallist Duke Kahanamoku in 1920. In October 2008 Surfing debuted in the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) sanctioned Beach Games, part of the Olympic Movement, that were held in Bali, Indonesia. Surfing was the most popular sport according to visitors’ votes on the official event webpage.

Now, in the first ever South American Beach Games, the Olympic Movement has invited Surfing once again in its newest and more and very promising event.

Fernando Aguerre, ISA President, said about the upcoming event: “The ISA is proud and honored to accept to organize the surfing competitions on this Beach Games. This time aided by the Pan American Surfing Association (PASA) our organization will show the world that Surfing is a key sport for today’s youth.

Surfing and its attractive lifestyle are at the centre of beach culture around the world. The inclusion of surfing in these inaugural Beach Games is a very wise move by ODESUR. Millions of surfers in South America are going to be very supportive of these Games.”

Australian paddling star Jamie Mitchell (Currumbin, Queensland) made sure history didn’t repeat today, storming to victory in the Honoula Ocean Paddle Race on the Gold Coast.

31-year-old Mitchell, who wiped out of last year’s event after the rudder on his paddleboard snapped as he made his way out to the offshore start line, completed the eight kilometre open ocean race from Snapper Rocks to Currumbin unscathed, crossing the line in a in a time of 51 minutes and 48 seconds.

The paddleboarding ace says he was stoked to take the win after an unfortunate finish in the 2008 race.

“I felt pretty good out there today,” he said.

“Last year was disappointing, but when you dealing with the ocean anything can happen.”

“Towards the end we had a few nice runners and you could really feel the board moving. It was so much fun.”

It was clear sailing for the seven times Molokai to Oahu Paddleboarding Championship title winner from the stater’s gun, shooting to an early lead before widening the gap by race end to finish almost four minutes clear of Dean Hamner (Broadbeach), who crossed the line in 55 minutes and 37 seconds.
 
Mermaid Beach’s Sean Campbell finished in third with a time of 56 minutes and 22 seconds.

“My plan was to go flat stick off the start,” said Mitchell.

Several international news sources have been telling that the 2009 Rip Curl Search will be held in the Supertubos Beach, in Portugal.

The rumour is spreading quick, after words by Tom Whitaker in STAB Magazine.

He was talking about Kelly Slater's eventual retirement from the WCT in 2009. "He’s definitely gonna go to [the Rip Curl Search] Portugal because the place where we are staying has a sick golf course", Whitaker state.

Tom Whitaker might be talking about the four-star resort Atlantico Golfe Hotel, located in Peniche, near the world class wave of Supertubos.

The 2009 Rip Curl Search Somewhere In will be the 9th stop of this year's WCT.

The official schedule provided by the Association of Surfing Professional says it will happen between 19th-28th April, «Somewhere in the North Atlantic».

If the rumour is confirmed by an official statement, Kelly Slater would be surfing in a WCT stage, for the first time held in Portugal, as the country never hosted the main surfing world competition.

In fact, in 2002, there was a WCT held in Figueira da Foz, but it was never concluded due to severe lack of waves. Then, Al Hunt decided to make a rare decision in the ASP history - to abort the event.

Competitors in the first round of the Men's and Under 20 Boys Divisions of the 2009 South Coast Tourism South African Surfing Championships were treated to typical six foot St Mikes surf on Day One of this premier Surfing South Africa event and made the best of the conditions.

In the Men's division Southern KZN surfers used their local knowledge to produce four heat winners in Gary Van Wieringen, Dereck Footit, Ryan Balfour and Gavin Roberts who all advanced to Round Four. Another SKZN surfer, Wynand Louw, came second and advances to Round Three.

Border secured three wins with former two time SA Champion Wayne Monk, Philip Malherbe and 2007 SA Champion Devyn Mattheys advancing to Round Four while teammate Tyrell Johnson's second place sees him in Round Three.

Josh Salie and Brandon Roberts were Round One winners for Western Province and David Richards posted a second place while Llewellyn Whittaker was the only Boland Round One winner. Teammates Peder Christensen, Johan Kriek and Mikhail Thompson secured second place finishes and will advance to Round Three alongside Paul Canning, Wes O'Driscoll, Michael Vawda and Manfred Adrio of KZN and defending champion Shaun Payne of Eastern Province.

Dylan Stone of Eastern Province won his heat and advances to Round Four as does Dylan Stewart of KZN.

First round upsets included that of WQS surfer Dan Redman of KZN who is in the repercharge round along with 2008 finalist and SA Team captain Ryan Payne of EP.

In the Under 20 Boys Division Western Province and KZN posted two wins each in Mikey February and Jaco Steyn and Chris Leppan and Haydn Mc Nicol respectively while 2007 U20 champion Klee Strachan of Boland secured a win as did Remi Petersen of Eastern Province.

Mbongeni Hlengwa, a SSA Lotto Scholarship recipient, and Southern KZN teammate David Defillipi as well as Donovan Zoetmulder of Eastern Province, Bolanders Jacob Mellish and Tommie Kruger and KZN surfer Shawn Dennis all secured second spots in their respective Round One heats and advanced to Round Three.

It is confirmed.

Stella Maris, is the first of the beaches of the north coast of Salvador, Bahia, that will be, between 21st and 23rd of August, stage of the third of four stages of the championship “Maresia Brasileiro”, the circuit of the Brazilian Confederation of Surf (Confederação Brasileira do Surf, CBS, in portugues), which are held in six categories , Open and Junior (Under 18), with Men's and Women's divisions, Novice (U-16) and Beginner’s (U-14), many of them are basis for the participation of the Brazilian selections in different events of the International Surfing Association (ISA), an world sports organization affiliated to the International Olympic Committee (COI).

August's Surf

The month of August is a promise to the calendars of the ISA and the CBS, with its first eight days reserved for ISA Surfing Games 2009, for which the ranking after two stages of the “Maresia Brasileiro” guaranteed places to the leader of the Junior and Open, from Espiritos Santos, Kristian Kimmerson, the vice Open, from Bahia, Marco Fernandez, and, from Ceará, Estefany Freitas, for the Women's Open, which will be a companion Camila Cássia, from São Paulo, the current third position of the SuperSurf.

At Salvador, Stella Maris, will be in June the seat of stage of the SuperSurf, and that in 1987 was part of the inaugural edition of the Brazilian Professional, defining Paulo Matos, from São Paulo, the first champion in the official circuit while Fábio Gouveia repeated from amateur to win the earlier stage in Ubatuba, São Paulo, which made him integrate the Brazilian selection and the year after won the “World Surfing Title in 1998”, event that turned in to an biennial  of the ISA that amounted today as the annual World Games for the 2009 edition in Jacó, Costa Rica from 1st to 8th  of August.