(Kuta-Bali, July 11,2008): Billabong Pro Junior big gun and defending Kuta Reef champion Madison Williams was the first shock exit of the event early in Round Three. With an improving swell and solid off shore conditions Williams struggled to find the scores needed in one of the most stacked heats of the competition to date. Blake Ainsworth (Kirra, Aus) and Made “Garut” Widiarta (Kuta, Bali) both turned out some of the best combination waves of the day, relegating Williams to third place and bumping the Coffs Harbor regular footer out altogether.
It was a shaky start to proceedings on the third day of the five-day competition window. Events officials made a tough call and ran Round Two through a shallow Kuta Reef low tide early in the morning. Their predictive intuition was rewarded as more water pushed across the reef and the waves started pumping with some solid 3 foot sets. Chris Bennetts (Main Beach, Aus) progressed through to Round Three often tempting fate on the almost dry inside section. “It was a bit tough early on all the boys, but I knew to get through I had to go for it”, Bennetts stated after the heat. “I’m just glad to have got through that one,” he added with a smile.
Ketut “Mega” Semadhi (Bukit, Bali) traded the lead several times in a pitch battle with Billy Kean (Coffs Harbour) in their 2nd round encounter, still making it through to the 3rd round. “I felt a bit stiff out there because of the cold, and I feel I should’ve won, but I’m still happy to go through,” Mega beamed after his heat.
Contest officials are looking at completing Round 3 today with the expectation that equally good conditions will allow a strong finish for the event tomorrow.
The Billabong Pro Junior Series is supported by Discovery Kartika Plaza, Hawaiian Tropic Suncare, Nixon, Kustom, and Von Zipper.
About The Billabong Pro Junior Series:
The Billabong Pro Junior Series is sanctioned by the Coca-Cola Indonesian Surfing Championships as part of the Pro Junior Championship Division. The series is the most lucrative on the Indonesian calendar, attracting surfers from Australia, Indonesia, USA, Hawaii, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Europe.
In line with the ISC’s goal of seeing talented young Indonesian surfers on the WQS and eventually on the WCT, Billabong is delighted to be an integral part of attaining this goal, as the Billabong Pro Junior Series is widely recognized as the premiere career booster for surfers aged 20 and under with world renown surfers such as Andy Irons and Joel Parkinson having launched their careers with wins at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships.
2008 Billabong Junior Series
June 18-22: Billabong Pro Junior Series Keramas
July 9-13: Billabong Pro Junior Series Kuta Reef
August 13-17: Billabong Pro Junior Series Canggu
August 13-17: Billabong Occy’s Grom Comp Canggu
Media Contacts:
Tim Hain (On Ground, BALI)
Indonesian Surfing Championship
+62 812 360 6674
[email protected]
Simon Barratt (In Australia)
[email protected]
Peter Thew
Billabong SE Asia
+62 812 380 8855
[email protected]
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