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MIGUEL PUPO WINS NIKE 6.0 LOWERS PRO, KEANU ASING TAKES OAKLEY PRO JUNIOR
Author: Tracks Magazine
In addition to the $40,000 prize check and 14-carat solid gold trophy worth $30,000, Pupo earned 6,500 valuable points towards his ASP World Ranking, which helps his campaign towards qualification for the elite ASP World Tour. Gudauskas’ runner-up finish earned him $20,000 and 5,200 points.
Pupo, who was trailing Gudauskas throughout the first half of the Final, got the best of a crucial exchange by taking the heat’s highest single-wave score of an 8.33 for a steep left that offered several turns which the talented Brazilian completed with an air-reverse on the inside. Pupo found a back up score of a 5.30 on his last wave to secure the Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro victory.
“I’m just so happy to win this event and I’m sorry that I took out the town’s local guy,” Pupo said. “I knew there was going to be a Brazilian in the Final. I was just trying to be that Brazilian and I can’t believe I won. I’m just so happy. I brought my father here and it’s the first time he’s gone to a contest with me and things just went my way.”
Miguel Pupo tasting the win...and the gold
The progressive Brazilian, who was sitting in 42 on the men’s ASP World Ranking, will catapult up the standings with the win and substantially increase his chances of achieving his dream of qualifying for the elite ASP World Tour.
“I was thinking just about the points when I first got here, and this is great to win this event going into the next PRIME in Brazil,” Pupo said. “It’s my dream to make the World Tour and these points will help.”
Gudauskas, who was in need of a 6.50 to overtake Pupo for the victory, caught a last-minute wave in the Final on a lefthander and earned a 6.07, to nearly overtake Pupo for the win in front of his hometown crowd.
Keanu Asing taking in his victory
“Miguel ripped and it makes it exciting when it’s a close Final,” Gudauskas said. “Congratulations to him, it’s been a fun week.”
Gudauskas, who had just returned to the water after six weeks from an ankle injury, entered the event with no expectations and surprised by the result.
“This week has just been classic,” Gudauskas said. “It has been a blur. I am just coming off of an ankle injury and wasn’t expecting anything and I just started making heats and then I was in the final.”
Keanu Asing struggled to find a rhythm in the action packed Oakley Pro Junior Final against defending ASP World Junior Champion Jack Freestone (AUS), 19, current ASP North America Pro Junior Series leader Kolohe Andino (San Clemente, CA), 17, and 2009 ASP North America Pro Junior Series Champion Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA), 19. However, he locked into a left just before the buzzer, linking a series of critical backside turns for an 8-point ride which proved enough to take the Oakley Pro Junior victory, $5,000 paycheck and 2000 ASP points. The Oakley Pro Junior’s ASP 5-Star status offered the most points on offer towards surfers’ campaigns towards qualification for the prestigious ASP World Junior Tour.
“I don’t really know, I was so down in that Final and was just trying to put on a good performance because there are a lot of people on the beach,” Asing said. “I got that one set and got an 8. I needed a 4 and was hoping I would get a wave and as I was paddling I asked Nat (Young) which wave he was going to go and he said he wasn’t going. I’m just glad I got that little wave at a clutch time in the heat, Mother Nature and God gave that one to me.”
Asing, who now sits at No. 2 on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series rankings, was quick to admit that the prestigious Oakley Pro Junior marked a pinnacle moment in his budding career.
“This is huge, to win this big event. It’s a 5-Star, it’s one of the biggest wins of my career for sure,” Asing said. “I’m at a loss for words right now, I’m just so excited and so happy.”
Caio Ibelli earned $1,000 for winning Most Valuable Performance for a maneuver he executed earlier in the competition. Each day, three surfers were nominated and voted on online. Ibilli secured the final win over Dane Reynolds, Kolohe Andino and Miguel Pupo.
For Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro highlights, visit nike6lowerspro.com and for Oakley Pro Junior, visit oakleyprojunior.com.