Beginning in 2010, ASP International will activate a One Ranking structure for the men’s ASP Dream Tour and the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS).

The concept of the ASP One Ranking structure is to make both the ASP-sanctioned World Tour and Qualifying Series events contribute to a surfer’s year-end rating. The ASP One Ranking structure will be the primary means for determining if a surfer is eligible to compete in ASP World Tour events and the highly-rated ASP Qualifying events.

Surfers will start to accumulate their respective ASP One Ranking points from the start of the 2010 season. However, the first season will be a bridge year to allow ASP to ensure that points are correct across all events and the changeover times onto the ASP World Tour are finalized.

The 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship is being staged at Piha Beach, Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand from 20-28 January. It is the first time the event has been staged in New Zealand and it has been 25 years since an ISA event of this magnitude has been held in the Australasia region.

The 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship will see the world's best under 18-year-old surfers battling it out for world titles in the biggest event of the junior surfing year. The spectacle at Piha is an Olympic-type event staged with competitors from around the world competing both individually and for their countries in front of large crowds.

“We're really happy to announce that New Zealand will be the 2010 location for the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship. It is an amazing location with perfect waves and a great surfing culture” says the ISA President, Fernando Aguerre.

In testing 1 to 1.5m waves at Piha, Tim O'Connor (Mnt) methodically worked his way through a stella field to win the open mens final in an enduring 12 hour contest on Saturday (12th December). Organisers were keen to get the contest finished in one day and while the weather looked ominous to begin with, things improved and there were plenty of waves scored in the excellent range despite the ever changing tidal conditions.

Tim O'Connor saw off his opposing finalists with his clinical backhand snaps in the pocket followed up with some east coast reverse trickery on the inside. The judges were strict on ASP criteria and O'Connor took the title by being both radical and having variety in his moves.

Fellow Mount surfer, Alex Dive impressed all day with his speed and vertical attack everytime a critical section appeared. He claimed second in the Open after previously dispensing with all comers in the junior final. For Alex, it was hopefully a prequel for how he will want to perform at the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Championship that will also be held at Piha next month.

The Irish National Surfing Championships and the Irish Junior National Surfing Championships are to be replaced with a new format in 2010.

Next year’s National Champions will be crown from Championships Tours rather than from once off events.

The Irish Championships tour will comprise of four events in Portrush, Cork, Strandhill and Easkey and will include Open Surf, Women’s Surf, Open Bodyboard, Women’s Bodyboard, Longboard, Master (over 35), Senior (over 27) and SUP categories.

The Irish Junior Championships tour will comprise of four events in Lahinch, Tramore, Bundoran and Rossnowlagh and will include U18 Boys Surf, U18 Girls Surf, U16s Surf, U14s Surf, U18 Longboard, U18 Girls Bodyboard, U18 Boys Bodyboard and U16 Bodyboard categories.

Twenty fivefoot waves have hit the Hawaiian Islands, during Christmas.

Despite the dreadful weather, thousands of surfers enjoyed the huge swell and lifeguards had not an easy 25th December.

Also, it is reported that two-thirds of the sand of Sunset Beach was brought back, after being washed away days before.

More than 30 surf rescues were made, while surfers and bathers were warned to stay out of the water.

Yokohama Bay's high surf was closed, as well as Hookipa Beach Park on Maui.

With a historic 2009 coming to a close, the 2010 ASP schedule has been released and will mark some major shifts in venues and dates in order to ensure that the world’s best surfers battle one another in the world’s best waves.

“2010 will mark some major changes for professional surfing and the schedule reflects this,” Brodie Carr, ASP International CEO, said. “We’re moving dates of certain venues to ensure that we get the best possible surf as well as adding landmark new events. Across all disciplines, the 2010 ASP schedule will see nearly $12,000,000 paid out in prize money. It’s going to be an incredible year for surfing.”

The 2010 ASP World Tour schedule is as follows:
Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, February 27 – March 10, 2010
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, March 30 – April 10, 2010
Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro, April 21 – April 30, 2010
Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay, July 15 – 25, 2010
Billabong Pro Teahupoo, August 23 – September 3, 2010
Hurley Pro Trestles, September 12 – 21, 2010
Quiksilver Pro France, September 25 – October 5, 2010
Rip Curl Pro Portugal, October 7 – 18, 2010
Rip Curl Pro Search, October 30 – November 10, 2010
Billabong Pipe Masters, December 8 – 20, 2010

After a final that he dominated from the start, Jair Pérez won the first date of the Circuito Nacional de Surf DayStar called Copa Mango in his hometown of Jaco. Placing in front of the Puerto Viejan Gilbert Brown, the surfer from Montezuma Matías Braun, and Jaco’s Anderson Tascon, Pérez surpassed the expectations of his opponents by earning the highest points on a stunning right.

Pérez, who was the leader during the first 12 minutes of the final with more than 13 points combined, then happened to lock-in the heat at minute 16 with that last right wave earning 8 points improving his results and making it impossible for anyone to catch him.

With this win in Jaco, “the small giant of Latin America” gains his second Circuit Open 1st place trophy, the first being a 2008-2009 date in Nosara. Pérez scored an important Asociacion of Latinamericana Surfing (ALAS) Latin Pro Tour win in 2008, also in Jaco. For that date, he won $4,000.

The 5th event of the 2009 National Open Series was held at Long Bay in Portland on Saturday 19 December in 2’-3’ waves.

Seventeen of the islands top surfers turned out for the event which saw six heats run to narrow the field to the top six competitors.

The north coast surfers had a big advantage at the popular Portland surfing beach and a number of junior surfers stood out in the smaller less powerful waves.

Surfers were under the watchful eyes of the judges as 15 minute heats were run for the surfers to demonstrate their surfing talents, and when the field had been narrowed the top six were Inilek Wilmot, Ackeem Taylor, Icah Wilmot, Ackeam Phillips, Michael Panton and Garren Pryce.

Portugal will have an ASP Dream Tour stop in 2010 and 2011.

Rip Curl has confirmed that Supertubos, in Peniche, will host the event for the best 45 surfers in the world.

There is also an additional nine year renewal clause for this specific Rip Curl licence.

The Rip Curl Peniche 2010 is scheduled for October, exactly as it happened with "The Search", two months ago.

António José Correia, “the coolest mayor of the tour”, has already promised to start improving the next stop of the ASP Dream Tour in Portugal, from January on to October.

Kirra Boardriders surfer Darren O’Rafferty, 30, today captured the prestigious Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Trials for the Trails qualifying for the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Trials event, which is held at Snapper Rocks (Gold Coast) on February 26 – One day before the 2010 Quiksilver and Roxy Pros begin.

Held in testing, 0.5-1m conditions at Southport Spit, O’Rafferty clinically attacked the shifting beach break peaks, scoring a combined final heat total of 16.93 (out of a possible 20) including an impressive 9.1 ride (out of a possible 10) shutting out his nearest opponents with a dominant display of surfing.

Joining O’Rafferty in 2010’s Quiksilver Pro Trials will be Coolangatta’s Blake Ainsworth, 21, who also qualified after finishing second in today’s men’s draw, edging out Luke Dorrington (Coolangatta) and Corey Ziems (Currumbin) who just missed out finishing third and fourth respectively.