2007 PIER PRESSURE

Uncategorized - June 3, 2009 - 16:03

2007 Surfer Magazine Coverage
by Chris Mauro

THE ASP’S PRO JUNIOR TOUR HEATS UP
Wickwire’s Win at the Nike 6.0 Pier Pressure Pro Gives Him Ratings Lead

Making the leap from the amateur ranks to the World Qualifying Series is getting increasingly difficult for today’s best young talents, which is one reason why the ASP’s Pro Junior Tour is taking on added significance these days. Pro Junior events have become the premier venue for surfers 20 years and younger to both showcase and test their talent against the best out there, but more importantly in a professionally run format.

The ASP has broken their Pro Junior circuit into five hotly contested regions, including Europe, Australia, North America, South America, and Hawaii. Surfers from each region compete to qualify for the World Junior Championships, an event that has served as a launching pad for the careers of names like Jordy Smith, Joel Parkinson, and Andy Irons. The winner of the crown also gets a valuable late-round seed on the high-pressure WQS, which is something that can take years for others to establish.

Nike 6.0 bolstered the visibility of the Pro Junior Tour this year by producing the first-ever live Webcast for a Pro Junior event at their Pier Pressure Pro held in Huntington Beach, CA which was stop number five of the 10-stop North American tour. Fans from around the world (including Kelly Slater) tuned in to watch a stellar showdown between future stars like Hawaiians Kai Barger, and Wesley and Granger Larsen, Florida’s Eric Geiselman and Adam Wickwire, California’s Cory Arrambide and Andrew Doheny, and Australia’s Own Wright.

“It’s always amazing to see what kind of talent is on the horizon,” says former world champion Peter Townend. “These guys can get lost out on the WQS, but this tour gives them some of the spotlight they need, as well as a good amount of momentum.”

“The surfing I’ve seen here is as good as it gets, at any level,” says photographer Jason Kenworthy. “These are the guys who will be pushing us into the future and the performances here have proved that.”
Florida’s Adam Wickwire edged out the Larsen clan of Granger and Wesley for the event win. The result shot him into the lead of the North American race. “This feels amazing. I’ve never had a big win like this. I just hope I can keep the momentum going.”