| Dylan Goodale wins the 2010 Vans Pier Classic |
| Monday, 29 March 2010 09:21 |
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Dylan Goodale (Kauai, HI), 19, won the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 2-Star Vans Pier Classic presented by Jack’s Surfboards in a come-from-behind victory over former event champion Micah Byrne (Huntington Beach, CA), 28, big-wave specialist Peter Mel (Santa Cruz, CA), 40, and Santa Cruz aerialist Jason Collins (Santa Cruz, CA), 35, to take out his first career ASP WQS victory while ringing in his 19th birthday. Kolohe Andino (San Clemente, CA), 16, clinched his inaugural ASP Pro Junior win by clinching the ASP Grade-2 Ezekiel Pro Junior, also presented by Jack’s Surfboards. Surfers competing on the ASP WQS are out to capitalize on the valuable ratings points on offer to qualify for the ASP World Tour. Goodale, who has just begun to establish himself on the ASP WQS, significantly surpassed any of his previous results to take out the Vans Pier Classic win today. The young Hawaiian was following in a close second behind Byrne, but passed the former event champion when he locked into a solid righthander, carving two clean turns before finishing the wave with a clean air-reverse. “I’m baffled,” Goodale said. “This is my first ‘QS win, I’ve never even made it past the Round of 64 before. It was just a gentlemen’s heat out there. There was no hassling, we were all just talking and asking each other who was going to go. I’m so happy with this win, I don’t even know what to say right now.” In addition to his first ASP WQS win, today’s victory is especially memorable for the progressive regular-footer, who clinched the title on his birthday. “I just can’t believe it,” Goodale said. “Today is my birthday too, so I couldn’t really ask for more than this.” Byrne, who won the Vans Pier Classic in 2007, was a serious title threat at this year’s event and the local favorite catapulted out to an early lead in the final match-up, but was unable to find the scores need in the dying minutes of the heat to surpass Goodale. “I knew for sure that I didn’t have it (the win), because Dylan (Goodale) was surfing so amazing,” Byrne said. “There was so much time left when I was in the lead. Dylan was definitely the deserving winner, congratulations to him.” Although the repeat event victory slipped away from the Byrne, he was still satisfied with his standout performance at his home break. “It’s always great to make it through the rounds in front of the home crowd and friends and family,” Byrne said. “The waves were amazing and the weather is amazing, it was a great day.” The ASP North America Pro Junior surfers put on an absolutely phenomenal display of progressive surfing in what many are calling the heat of the entire event, with each surfer punting massive air-reverses and unleashing crucial fins-free turns while Kolohe Andino (San Clemente, CA), 16, who took out his inaugural ASP Pro Junior victory, battled close friend Luke Davis (Capistrano Beach, CA), 17, in blow-for-blow exchanges for this year’s Ezekiel Pro Junior title. Fellow Orange County surfer Andrew Doheny (Newport Beach, CA), 17, followed closely behind the pair and finished third overall while Tyler Newton (Kauai, HI), 19, got off to a slow start in the impressive bout, but was unable to battle back in the back half of the final and finished a solid fourth place overall. Surfers competing in the ASP North America Pro Junior Series are out to finish within the top 4 on the regional ratings to earn a berth on to this year’s inaugural ASP World Junior Tour, where each region’s top performers will battle for the title of ASP World Junior Champion. Andino, who started off his Final campaign in top form, ended up in a seesaw battle for the Ezekiel Pro Junior crown with Davis, but found the massive score needed in the final minutes of the ASP Pro Junior match-up to eventually post the highest heat total of the entire event, a near-perfect 17.95 out of 20, by launching two huge air-reverses in a last ditch effort to take out his first ASP Pro Junior event victory in his first ASP Final appearance. “Everyone was ripping and I had to surf my very, very best to win that event,” Andino said. “It was just going back and forth and I knew I needed another score and then I got that wave at the end, I was so stoked, I even claimed it. I almost can’t believe it. I’ve always had such a hard time in the Pro Junior events, I’m just so stoked.” Andino is hoping to build upon his victory today to help the young Californian qualify for this year’s ASP World Junior Championships. “I kind of had a shocker in my first event of the year in Florida,” Andino said. “The Pro Juniors are my focus now and I want to finish on top of the ratings to qualify for Worlds. This win is really going to help.” Davis, who had secured a mind-blowing 16.90 heat total in the Final, seemed to have clinched his first ASP Pro Junior event win, but despite the impressive effort, could not find another near-perfect score to top Andino and finished runner-up. “That was by far the gnarliest heat of my life,” Davis said. “I’m happy with how I surfed and if I had to lose to anyone, I’d want it to be my good friend.” Davis, who represented North America at the 2009 ASP World Junior Championships, is looking at his second place finish at the Ezekiel Pro Junior as another critical result in his quest to find his way back on to the ASP World Junior stage. “I started the year off with a fifth at Sebastian, so this is another good result for me,” Davis said. “It’s one place better than I did last year and I’m feeling more comfortable after each year of doing the Pro Junior events.” For event highlights log on to http://www.vans.com/pierclassic/ For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com or www.aspnorthamerica.org Vans Pier Classic Final Results: Vans Pier Classic Semifinals Results: Vans Pier Classic Quarterfinals Results: Ezekiel Pro Junior Final Results: Ezekiel Pro Junior Semifinals Results: Ezekiel Pro Junior Quarterfinals Results:
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