ARPOADOR, Rio de Janeiro / Brasil – The second stop on the 2011 ASP World Junior Tour, the Arnette World Pro Junior, capitalized on the clean two-to-foot waves on offer at Rio de Janeiro’s lefthand pointbreak of Arpoador to complete men’s Round 1 as well as the first four heats of Round 2 on the opening day of the waiting period.
The Arnette World Pro Junior is the second of three ASP World Junior Tour events which hosts several of the finest male and female under-21 surfers as they battle for the ASP World Junior Title and the seeding points for ASP PRIME and Star rated events.
Santa Barbara’s Conner Coffin, fresh off a semifinal result in Bali at the Oakley World Pro Junior, nudged past a pair of Brazilians in the opening round to advance straight to the third round. Coffin, who was the only mainland U.S. surfer to win an opening-round heat, debuted in Rio with a two-wave score of 14.66. Only three scored better.
The Arnette ASP World Pro Junior holds a waiting period from October 24 through November 2, 2011 and is webcast LIVE.
Brazilian darkhorse Luel Felipe (BRA) was lethal in his Round 1 performance, posting the day’s highest single-wave score of 8.83 out of 10 en route to the day’s highest heat total of 17.53 to advance directly through to Round 3 over Hawaiian Dylan Goodale (HAW) and current ASP World Junior No. 3 Garrett Parkes (AUS).
“I started near the rock, but the waves weren’t coming, so I changed my strategy and came to the middle of the beach,” Felipe said. “I got good positioning in the best spot and I managed to find two really good waves. After I got those two scores I tried to build on it.”
Felipe, who is currently recovering from a knee-injury, showed no signs of weakness in his high-scoring affair and attributes a change in equipment to his early-round success.
“I changed my boards after last week,” Felipe said. “I was riding a really thin board and I changed it up and went with a thicker one. I think it has really helped. I have to thank God for everything, I just came from a knee surgery and I couldn’t do this myself. I’m really stoked to make it through to the next round of competition.”
Yan Guimarares (BRA) was another South American up-and-comer to post an upset today, relegating current ASP World Junior Tour ratings leader Davey Cathels to Round 2 of competition with a hard-fought win in Round 1.
“I feel really good,” Guimarares said. “I got invited just yesterday to this contest and I’m just really happy to beat Davey (Cathels), he’s number one. I watched him surf in Bali and he was surfing really well.”
Guimarares has spent little time in the lineup of Arpoador, but adapted easily to the conditions and is ready for his Round 3 bout.
“I don’t feel really that comfortable out here, I’m from Saquarema and the waves are usually bigger,” Guimarares said. “The surf is a little small, but that’s okay, I’m through to the third round and that’s what’s important.”
Jack Freestone (AUS) defending ASP World Junior Champion, suffered an uncharacteristic early exit at the opening ASP World Junior Tour event in Bali, but hopes to rebound at the Arnette World Pro Junior in Rio de Janeiro.
This year’s been a hard year and I’ve been looking forward to the World Juniors all year,” Freestone said. “Unfortunately I had a bad run in Bali and I hope to regain something here. I’d love to win this event. Where we’re surfing is amazing. It’s a perfect little lefthand point. The water is freezing, but there’s sun around and heaps of people and I’m loving the place.”
Tanner Hendrickson (HAW) was one Hawaiian to shine among several upsets with a precise attack at Arpoador to take his Round 1 heat while visiting Brazil for the first time.
“It feels good to win the heat and I’m happy to pass that second round, that’s always nice,” Hendrickson said. “This wave is fun, sometimes there’s a right that offers up a good air section and the left is good for linking turns. Brazil is pretty cool. It’s a lot different than I expected and it’s a lot more beautiful than I had imagined, it’s my first time here.”
ARNETTE WORLD JUNIOR MEN’S ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 15.60, Peterson Crisanto (BRA) 9.50, Slade Prestwhich (ZAF) 9.43
Heat 2: Jack Freestone (AUS) 14.84, William Alotti (FRA) 10.04, Dean Bowen (AUS) 7.77
Heat 3: Marco Fernandez (BRA) 14.20, Thomas Woods (AUS) 13.70, Gustavo Machado (BRA) 6.87
Heat 4: Matt Banting (AUS) 13.40, Caio Ibelli (BRA) 9.83, Joao Abreau (BRA) 7.64
Heat 5: Cristobal De Col (PER) 11.66, Kiron Jabour (HAW) 11.40, Deivid Silva (BRA) 6.77
Heat 6: Maxime Huscenot (FRA) 13.83, Vasco Ribiero (PRT) 9.47, Mateia Hiquily (PYF) 8.86
Heat 7: Conner Coffin (USA) 14.66, Italo Ferreira (BRA) 14.43, Thiago Guimaraes (BRA) 10.90
Heat 8: Yan Guimarares (BRA) 11.67, Sidney Guimarares (BRA) 10.90, Davey Cathels (AUS) 10.50
Heat 9: Tanner Hendrickson (HAW) 11.34, Michael Rodrigues (BRA) 10.64, Andrew Doheny (USA) 9.30
Heat 10: Luel Felipe (BRA) 17.53, Dylan Goodale (HAW) 9.67, Garrett Parkes (AUS) 9.37
Heat 11: Beyrick De Vries (ZAF) 13.16, Kaito Ohashi (JPN) 5.64, Kan Watanabe (JPN) 4.83
Heat 12: Ian Gouveia (BRA) 11.67, Caue Wood (BRA) 8.32, Dylan Lightfoot (ZAF) 6.80
Heat 13: Frederico Morais (PRT) 12.80, Luan Carvalho (BRA) 9.24, Evan Thompson (USA) 9.10
Heat 14: Matt-Lewis Hewitt (NZL) 11.34, Hiroto Arai (JPN) 9.83, Medi Verminardi (REU) 9.44
Heat 15: Keanu Asing (HAW) 10.17, Dane Zaun (USA) 8.37, Chase Wilson (USA) 7.70
Heat 16: Lucas Silviera (BRA) 13.73, Arashi Kato (JPN) 11.10, Santiago Muniz (BRA) 10.84ARNETTE WORLD JUNIOR MEN’S ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Davey Cathels (AUS) 12.33 def. Michael Rodrigues (BRA) 9.90
Heat 2: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 13.93 def. Andrew Doheny (USA) 11.16
Heat 3: Garrett Parkes (AUS) 10.80 def. Mateia Hiquily (PYF) 10.60
Heat 4: Kiron Jabour (HAW) 13.60 def. Deivid Silva (BRA) 9.97ARNETTE WORLD JUNIOR MEN’S ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 5: Caio Ibelli (BRA) vs. Gustavo Machado (BRA)
Heat 6: Peterson Crisanto (BRA) vs. William Ilotti (FRA)
Heat 7: Medi Verminardi (REU) vs. Slade Prestwhich (ZAF)
Heat 8: Santiago Muniz (ARG) vs. Kan Watanabe (JPN)
Heat 9: Sidney Guimaraes (BRA) vs. Dylan Lightfoot (ZAF)
Heat 10: Dylan Goodale (HAW) vs. Luan Carvalho (BRA)
Heat 11: Thiago Guimaraes (BRA) vs. Hiroto Arai (JPN)
Heat 12: Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) vs. Dane Zaun (USA)
Heat 13: Joao Abreu (BRA) vs. Arashi Kato (JPN)
Heat 14: Thomas Woods (AUS) vs. Chase Wilson (USA)
Heat 15: Dean Bowen (AUS) vs. Evan Thompson (USA)
Heat 16: Kaito Ohashi (JPN) vs. Caue Wood (BRA)
UPCOMING ARNETTE WORLD JUNIOR WOMEN’S ROUND 1 HEATS:
Heat 1: Faye Zoetmulder (ZAF), Leila Hurst (HAW), Carol Fernandez (BRA)
Heat 2: Nao Omura (JPN), Gabriela Leite (BRA), Alana Pacelli (BRA)
Heat 3: Dimity Stoyle (AUS), Monik Santos (BRA), tba
Heat 4: Joanne Defay (FRA), Heidi Palmboom (ZAF), tba
Heat 5: Phillipa Anderson (AUS), Juliana Meneghel (BRA), tba
Heat 6: Maud Le Car (FRA), Quincy Davis (USA), Natali Paola Peixoto (BRA)
