NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 21, 2008) – Nathan Yeomans (San Clemente, CA), 27, has claimed his third consecutive event title with a big win at the 2008 Oakley Newport Beach Pro over fellow finalists Dillon Perillo (Malibu, CA), 18, Travis Mellem (San Clemente, CA), 23, and Micah Byrne (Huntington Beach, CA), 26, in clean two-to-three foot waves at Newport Beach’s 56th Street.

 

The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 2-Star event is the second of three stops on the 2008 Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series (an ASP North America Specialty Series), and Yeomans’ emphatic victory vaults the phenomenal goofy-footer into the lead heading into the third and final stop, the O’Neill Cold Water Classic in Santa Cruz this October.

 

Yeomans, the two-time defending event champion and 2006 Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series Champion, wasted no time in this afternoon’s Final, picking off an excellent 8.50 out of a possible 10 for detonating on a roping lefthander in the opening minutes.

 

“I knew that all the other guys were ripping so I wasn’t planning on leaving anything to chance out there,” Yeomans said. “I got that pretty good left at the start and that set me up for the rest of the heat. Dillon (Perillo) was ripping everything that came his way, but I got a solid righthander about midway through and was able to throw a little backhand air and that sealed it for me.”

 

Currently sitting No. 26 on the 2008 ASP WQS ratings, Yeomans will be looking to use the momentum from today’s win as he continues his campaign to qualify for the prestigious ASP World Tour in 2009.

 

“I’m a little bit speechless after all this,” Yeomans said. “Everyone is coming up to me and saying that no one has ever won a ’QS three years in a row and that kind of spins me out. It’s great. I love this event and it’s a great confidence boost heading into the rest of the year. My goal is to qualify for the ASP World Tour and I’m planning to do that in the next few months.” 

Dillon Perillo (Malibu, CA), 18, former No. 8 on the 2008 ASP North America Pro Junior Series, claimed the ASP Grade-2 Oakley Pro Junior today over fellow finalists Tanner Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), 20, Michael Dunphy (Virginia Beach, VA), 18, and Trevor Saunders (San Clemente, CA), 19. The stylish natural-footer comboed the field, netting a 9.33 and an 8.83 (throwing away a 7.33) with a blistering series of backhand blasts and forehand aerials to secure his first ASP Pro Junior victory.

 

“It feels great to get that first win out there,” Perillo said. “There were so many good guys in that Final and I’m stoked to come out on top. I came really close a couple of weeks ago at Ponto, but came up just short. I was in a really good rhythm for the junior Final and everything just went my way.”

 

Competing in both the Oakley Pro Junior and the ASP WQS 2-Star Oakley Newport Beach Pro, Perillo took honors for being the form surfer of the event, announcing himself as a legitimate threat on the 2008 ASP North America Tour.

 

“I was maybe a little bit tired for the men’s Final,” Perillo said. “It’s a whole new level of surfing in the men’s division and I felt like I had it in me, but Nate (Yeomans) was ripping and kind of unstoppable. Still, I’m stoked with 2nd and it’s been a pretty good day for me all in all.”

Owen Wright (Culburra, NSW) reigned supreme today en route to taking out the prestigious Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Grade-3 Mambo Pro Junior presented by Dakine.



In front of a large crowd at Manly Beach and in pristine three foot (1 metre) conditions, the Mambo Pro Junior saw Wright take down the hottest junior surfers in the country.



"I’m so stoked," Wright said. "This is the most important and biggest win of the year so far for me."



In what was a world-class final, pitting two of the hottest commodities on the global surfing landscape against each other, what transpired was electric.



Throwing down futuristic moves intertwined with aerial artistry and power surfing, the crowd was on the edge of their seats.



"That was probably the hardest final I’ve ever surfed," Wright admitted after accumulating a total heat score of 17.40 (out of a possible 20).



"Tamaroa surfed amazing and I knew I had to be on my game to win - I couldn¹t relax for a second."



As well as claiming $5000 in cash, Wright also received a luxury boat trip on the MV Midas worth $4000 through the Mentawai Islands thanks to The Perfect Wave Travel Co.



"I’m almost more excited about winning the trip," Wright said. "It’s definitely an awesome prize - I can’t wait to use it."



Having won four ASP Australasian Pro Junior Series events in 2008, Wright now sits fifth in the ratings.



"This is my fourth win of the year and I’m sitting fifth - it just shows how high the standard is at the moment." Wright said. "It’s crazy."

Cory Arrambide (Ventura, CA), 19, claimed his second Oakley Pro Junior presented by Heritage Surf and Sport title today. Arrambide beat local surfer Rob Kelly (Ocean City, NJ), 18, Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA), 17, and Trevor Saunders (San Clemente, CA), 18, in improved two-to-three foot (1 metre) conditions this afternoon in Sea Isle City, New Jersey. The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) North America Pro Junior Grade-2 event marks the completion of the seventh of 10 contests in the series.



With only three events remaining, top ASP North America Pro Junior seeds are trying to buckle down and secure their spot in the Billabong World Junior Championships held in Narrabeen, Australia at the beginning of each year. The top five ASP North America Pro Junior seeds at year’s end will have the chance to showcase their talents against the globe’s finest junior competitors for a chance to claim the title of ASP World Junior Champion.



Arrambide, who won the event last year and was the ratings leader entering the contest, extended his ratings lead over the field with his win this afternoon. Today’s victory marks his third win of the season. Young was rated fourth on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series going into the event, and moved up to third on the ratings after his Finals berth today, while Kelly was the first local surfer to have made the Final in the event’s six year history.



Arrambide was in top form throughout the event, managing to defeat local favorite, Kelly to claim the win. The Californian opened up the lead over his fellow competitors in the latter half of the Final when he paddled away from the pack and issued several backhand blasts on a righthander to secure the win.



“The waves kind of deteriorated, but a couple times I saw Rob getting waves down the beach,” Arrambide said. “He surfs really fast.”



Arrambide was hungry for a second win in New Jersey and repeated last year’s pre-event routine in order to prepare him for this year’s contest.



“I stayed at the same place that I did last year,” Arrambide said. “I ate at the same place. I tried to keep the same routine and New Jersey has always been good to me.”



Kelly’s second place finish was his personal best ASP Pro Junior result, defeating top ASP Pro Junior surfers Travis Beckmann (Vero Beach, FL), Cody Thompson (Jacksonville Beach, FL) and Evan Thompson (Jacksonville Beach, FL) on the way to his Final berth.



“I’m just so stoked to be able to do this at home,” Kelly said. “I leave for California tomorrow to do a bunch of contests, but it’s so sweet to have a good result here.”



Young’s third place finish at this event improved his cause towards qualification for the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships. The Santa Cruz native was hoping for a win at the Oakley Pro Junior, but could not find the wave he needed to top Arrambide and Kelly.



“This morning was good at the higher tide,” Young said. “There were peaks up and down the beach - like stomach-to-waist high. But, it was hard to find a wave in the final. It was so bad, pretty much straight close outs on every wave. There weren’t that many waves ridden at all.”



Saunders earned his second Final appearance of the season, but was unable to find the wave he needed to claim his first win. The fourth place finish significantly helps his cause on the ASP North America Pro Junior ratings, moving him into the No. 16 position.



The ASP Pro Junior Series continues with the Grade-2 Billabong Pro Junior pres. by Sun Diego from September 3-6, 2008 and will be held at Ponto in Carlsbad, California.



Oakley Pro Junior pres. by Heritage Surf and Sports Results:

Final:

1- Cory Arrambide (USA)

2- Rob Kelly (USA)

3- Nat Young (USA)

4- Trevor Saunders (USA)



Semifinals: (1st and 2nd advance)

Heat 1: Cory Arrambide (USA) 1st, Trevor Saunders (USA) 2nd, Michael Dunphy (USA) 3rd, Bruno Rodrigues (USA) 4th

Heat 2: Rob Kelly (USA) 1st, Nat Young (USA) 2nd, Travis Beckmann (USA) 3rd, Matt Pagan (USA) 4th



Quarterfinals: (1st and 2nd advance)

Heat 1: Michael Dunphy (USA) 1st, Trevor Saunders (USA) 2nd, Blake Jones (USA) 3rd, Marshall Alberga (USA) 4th

Heat 2: Bruno Rodrigues (USA) 1st, Cory Arrambide (USA) 2nd, Dillon Perillo (USA) 3rd, Jason Harris (USA) 4th

Heat 3: Rob Kelly (USA) 1st, Travis Beckmann (USA) 2nd, Spencer Regan (USA) 3rd, Cody Thompson (USA) 4th

Heat 4: Nat Young (USA) 1st, Matt Pagan (USA) 2nd, Brent Reilly (USA) 3rd, Kolohe Andino (USA) 4th



Round of 32: (1st and 2nd advance)

Heat 1: Michael Dunphy (USA) 1st, Marshall Alberga (USA) 2nd, Evan Geiselman (USA) 3rd, Ian Bloch (USA) 4th

Heat 2: Blake Jones (USA) 1st, Trevor Saunders (USA) 2nd, Chase Wilson (USA) 3rd, Nick Suhadolnik (USA) 4th

Heat 3: Dillon Perillo (USA) 1st, Jason Harris (USA) 2nd, Austin Smith-Ford (USA) 3rd, Riley Metcalf (USA) 4th

Heat 4: Bruno Rodrigues (USA) 1st, Cory Arrambide (USA) 2nd, Ross Stevens (USA) 3rd, Chris Eaves (USA) 4th

Heat 5: Travis Beckmann (USA) 1st, Spencer Regan (USA) 2nd, Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 3rd, Jensen Callaway (USA) 4th

Heat 6: Rob Kelly (USA) 1st, Cody Thompson (USA) 2nd, Evan Thompson (USA) 3rd, Zach Humphreys (USA) 4th

Heat 7: Nat Young (USA) 1st, Kolohe Andino (USA) 2nd, Fisher Heverly (USA) 3rd, Ben Graeff (USA) 4th

Heat 8: Matt Pagan (USA) 1st, Brent Reilly (USA) 2nd, Phillip Goold (USA) 3rd, Keto Burns (USA) 4th



ASP North America Pro Junior Series Top 10:

1. Cory Arrambide (USA) 2783 points

2. Travis Beckmann (USA) 2436 points

3. Nat Young (USA) 2203 points

4. Blake Jones (USA) 2203 points

5. Andrew Doheny (USA) 2115 points

6. Evan Geiselman (USA) 1940 points

7. Julian Wilson (AUS) 1930 points

8. Brent Reilly (USA) 1860 points

9. Dillon Perillo (USA) 1840 points

10. Cody Thompson (USA) 1813