BURLEIGH HEADS, Australia — Billabong is taking junior surfing back to Bali in 2009, with the announcement of a fully sanctioned, ASP Grade-5 Pro Junior men’s event to be held in July. After working with the ASP (Association Of Surfing
BURLEIGH HEADS, Australia — Billabong is taking junior surfing back to Bali in 2009, with the announcement of a fully sanctioned, ASP Grade-5 Pro Junior men’s event to be held in July.
After working with the ASP (Association Of Surfing Professionals) to make the competition part of the overall ASP Australasian Pro Junior Series, the $30,000 Billabong Pro Junior Series Bali will be held at Keramas from July 21-27.
The ASP Pro Junior Series Bali is the third Billabong event on the eight-stop ASP Australasian Pro Junior Series, joining the Grade-3 rated event in Coffs Harbour (Feb. 11 to 15) and the Grade-5 season finishing event at Bells Beach (Sep. 29 to Oct. 3).
Pledging over $85,000 in prize money across the three events, Billabong remains the biggest supporter of ASP Pro Junior surfing in Australia.
“We have been running the event in Bali for the past two years without ASP sanctioning and it has attracted a huge number of surfers who were competing on the Australasian series, even though they weren’t getting any ratings points,” said Billabong South East Asia Marketing Manager Peter Thew. “We have been working with the ASP since the end of 2008 to get this event sanctioned and to offer a Grade-5 Pro Junior at one of the world’s best right hand breaks is something really unique.”
A host of Indonesia’s best young surfers have made their way through the Australasian series in the past five years, with the nation boasting a huge talent pool of future surf stars.
For an ASP-sanctioned junior event to be held in their home territory is a huge coup for the local surfers and will give them the chance to face stronger international talent without having to leave Indonesia. For many surfers in the region, the ability to travel outside of the country is virtually impossible without the assistance of corporate sponsors.
“One of our biggest goals on the ISC (Indonesian Surfing Championship) tour, is to bring international events back to Indonesia,” said ISC President Tipi Jabrik. “The ISC is really grateful for Billabong’s commitment to bring the Pro Junior Series to Bali,”
“This will open more opportunities for our surfers to experience the international level of competition and expose them to the surfing world through the media,” he said.
Keramas, located on Bali’s east coast is an ultra perfect right hand tube, which on the right swell and wind conditions is a perfect setting for high performance surfing.
Bali has been a Mecca for surfers since the mid 70’s, offering warm water, friendly locals, rich culture and perfect waves.
