Cory Arrambide (Ventura, CA) scalped the inaugural Arnette Pro Junior presented by Jack’s Surfboards, event No. 4 on the 2008 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) North America Pro Junior Series, in clean two-to-three foot (1 metre) waves at Newport Beach’s 54th Street.
The young goofy-footer was the form surfer on the final day of competition, and Arrambide wasted no time in the Final, quickly comboing opponents Spencer Regan (Ventura, CA), Matt Mohagen (Los Angeles, CA), and Bruno Rodrigues (Huntington Beach, CA) in the opening minutes of the heat.
“As soon as I paddled out I got three fun waves,” Arrambide said. “That gave me the lead for the rest of the heat.”
Today’s victory at the Arnette Pro Junior puts Arrambide into the lead on the 2008 ASP North America Pro Junior ratings, a spot he held for the majority of the 2007 season.
“I started off the year with a win, and then had two shockers, so I’m so stoked with this win,” Arrambide said. “I’m really focusing on staying consistent for the rest of the year now that I have the ratings lead, and plan on doing as many ASP Pro Junior events as I can because this is my last year.”
“As soon as I paddled out I got three fun waves, and that gave me the lead for the rest of the heat.”
Mohagen, who came from behind in his Semifinal heat to take 2nd and advance into the final, the first of his ASP Pro Junior career.
“I’ve never even made a semifinal before, so this is my best ASP Pro Junior result, so I was stoked to make the final,” Mohagen said. “This is my last ASP Pro Junior year, so I’m just going to do as many events as I can, and do as many ASP WQS events as I can to build my seed up.”
Rodrigues, who opened up the 2008 ASP North America Pro Junior Series with a win at the ASP Grade-2 Ezekiel Pro Junior in March, collected another solid result this afternoon, finishing 4th in the Arnette Pro Junior and moving up to 3rd on the ASP North America Pro Junior ratings.
“I not happy about getting last in the final, but I’m happy to get the points,” Rodrigues said. “The next ASP Pro Junior event is in Huntington, so I’m stoked, because I do well there.”
Regan (Ventura, CA), who earned the first finals berth of his career, did so by scoring the events only perfect 10 for an unbelievable double-grab aerial in his Semifinal heat.
“I knew I needed a big score and everyone was really close so I just wanted to hold my line and get a good one because everyone was blowing up out there,” Regan said. “Then that perfect little nugget came through with that perfect ramp, and I was stoked to stick the air, and I got a few more really good turns after that. I’m really psyched because this is the first 10 I’ve ever gotten in the ASP Pro Juniors.”
Today’s runner-up finish marked Regan’s career high on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series, and the young Californian will look to use this finish to better his seed for next year in hopes of qualifying for the prestigious Billabong ASP World Juniors Championships.
“I’m just trying to get the best seed I can for next year right now,” Regan said. “I really want to make the ASP World Juniors, but I’m not sure if I can because I didn’t get to do the Lowers event, but my goal is to make the ASP World Juniors and just get the best seed I can get.”
The ASP North America region qualifies the top 4 finishers of the season as well as the highest finishing North American surfer on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) who is of junior age for the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships, held in Narrabeen, Australia each January.
The Billabong ASP World Junior Championships crown the undisputed ASP World Junior Champions, awarding them preferred seeding on the ASP WQS that season. The prestigious event has crowned past champions such as Andy Irons (Hanalei, HI), Joel Parkinson (Coolangatta, AUS), Jordy Smith (Durban, ZAF), Jessi Miley-Dyer (Bronte, AUS), Sally Fitzgibbons (Gerroa, AUS), among others.
The next stop on the 2008 ASP North America Pro Junior Series will be the ASP Grade-4 Nike 6.0 Pier Pressure Pro Junior at Huntington Beach, California from June 29-30, 2008.