Kaua‘i’s Jaquias takes second at Quiksilver Jr. event

HONOLULU — Honolulu’s Kewalo Basin was the setting on Monday for the Quiksilver Pro Junior Men’s surf competition presented by ASP Hawai‘i. The water was in typical form, with consistent three- to six-foot surf throughout the event.

The conditions made for a special event that entertained those in attendance and challenged the competitors to top each other’s performances. In the end, Kaua‘i’s Kaimana Jaquias came up just short of the top prize with a second-place finish. He went up against, and ultimately lost to Maui’s Albee Layer in the final heat.

“The strategy was to keep him from getting the good ones but he found the great one”, said Jaquias. “The current was strong and it was tiring. The man on man format was new to me but this is the closest you get to the pros. This was important.”

The runner-up finish netted Jaquias, who is the son of former Hawaiian surf legend Kaipo Jaquias, a prize of $900, while Layer took home $2,000 for the win.

Layer is hoping to get himself on the ASP World Junior Championship list and noted that the points and cash from this victory will certainly help his cause.

“The final was nice because I don’t get to surf heats that long a lot,” he said. “It got a little less consistent but I got lucky and got a couple of good ones in the beginning and calmed down. The money helps to stay on a roll.”