Coffin joins Peterson in World Pro Junior quarters

Santa Barbara's Conner Coffin checks into one of his high-scoring rides on Thursday in Bali. (ASP/Steve Robertson Photo)

KERAMAS, Bali/Indonesia —  It was a barrel bonanza at the Oakley ASP World Pro Junior, event no.1 on the ASP World Junior Tour (WJT), in Bali today, with the world’s top young bloods going tube-for-tube in clean 5-6ft (1.5m) barrelling conditions at the host venue of Keramas.

With supreme conditions on offer, Contest Director, Beau Emerton, opted to start Round 4 of the men’s division at 6.30am in the best conditions seen for the event.

Santa Barbara’s Conner Coffin, 17, unleashed a blitzkrieg of barrels against Brazilian Krystian Kymerson, driving through the belly of a gaping Keramas tube to nail the day’s highest individual wave score, an 9.83 (out of a possible 10).

Coffin backed it up with an 8.43 (out of a possible 10) to finish with an 18.26 two-wave total to Kymerson’s 2.83.

He’ll now take on Brazilian Caio Ibelli in the second quarterfinal. With a quarterfinal victory, Coffin may be one of the least favorite people in Brazil, having already eliminated Brazilians Jesse Mendes, Alejo Muniz, and Kymerson.

With onshore conditions hampering proceedings mid-morning, contest organizers decided to finish the day’s surfing with the last heat of Round 4 men’s action.

The next call will be made at 5.30am tomorrow morning local Bali time (2:30 p.m. in California).

That when we may see a return to action for the women’s competition, off since Monday and also at the quarterfinal stage. Santa Barbara’s other teenage surfing prodigy, Lakey Peterson, is set to square off against Australia’s Tyler Wright.

To watch Conner and Lakey compete, and for all of the LIVE action, log on to Oakleyprojunior.com.

In other action, Santa Cruz star Nat Young, 19, got straight to business in the opening heat of the morning against Tyler Newton (HAW), stalling through a selection of Keramas caverns to storm through to the quarter-finals with a day high 18.96 two-wave combined total (out of a possible 20).

“Last year we surfed this wave and it was pretty small with tight little barrels,” he said.

“You couldn’t have asked for better waves today. I got a lot of fun waves and some awesome barrels. I hope I get to surf again in this type of condition.”

In a tube battle royal, Jack Freestone (AUS), 18, eliminated event favorite Kolohe Andino (USA) – 18.47 to 15.24, to set up a quarterfinal showdown with Young.

OAKLEY ASP WORLD PRO JUNIOR ROUND 4 RESULTS (MEN’S):
Heat 1:Nat Young (USA) 18.96 def. Tyler Newton (HAW) 15.50
Heat 2: Jack Freestone (AUS) 18.47 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 15.24
Heat 3: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 15.40 def. Shaun Joubert (ZAF) 9.17
Heat 4: Conner Coffin (USA) 18.26 def. Krystian Kymerson (BRA) 2.83
Heat 5: Mitch Crews (AUS) 11.66 def. Charles Martin (GLP) 6.97
Heat 6: Kiron Jabour (HAW) 18.16 def. Alex Smith (HAW) 16.70
Heat 7: Dale Staples (ZAF) 16.07 def. Granger Larsen (HAW) 15.46
Heat 8: Evan Thompson (USA) 13.50 def. Davey Cathels (AUS) 10.47

OAKLEY ASP WORLD PRO JUNIOR QUARTERFINAL MATCH-UPS (MEN’S):
QF 1: Nat Young (USA) vs. Jack Freestone (AUS)
QF 2: Caio Ibelli (BRA) vs. Conner Coffin (USA)
QF 3: Mitch Crews (AUS) vs. Kiron Jabour (HAW)
QF 4: Dale Staples (ZAF) vs. Evan Thompson (USA)

OAKLEY ASP WORLD PRO JUNIOR QUARTERFINAL MATCH-UPS (WOMEN’S):
QF 1: Sage Erickson (USA) vs. Malia Manuel (HAW)
QF 2: Alizee Arnaud (FRA) vs. Laura Enever (AUS)
QF 3: Diana Cristina (BRA) vs. Airini Mason (NZL)
QF 4: Lakey Peterson (USA) vs. Tyler Wright (AUS)