The Oakley World Pro Junior Bali returned to Keramas river mouth for Day 4 of competition. The surf was crisp, clean and 3 – 4 foot (1.5 – 2 meter), an ideal canvass for the world’s best junior surfers.
Garrett Parkes (AUS) won an early morning all Australian battle against Matt Banting (AUS) thanks to a couple of clean tube rides and fin throws. Banting put up a fight, but Parkes used his experience to put himself on the best waves of the heat, easily winning through to the next round.
“It doesn’t feel like an international competition yet, I’ve only surfed against Aussies,” Parkes said. “ We just tried to go out there and have a good heat. He only needed a 7 (out of a possible 10) when a wave came through and he didn’t catch it, which was lucky because he could have taken the score on that for sure.”
Ian Gouveia (BRA) also had to battle one of his fellow countrymen, Brazilian Gustavo Machado (BRA). Both surfers struggled to find the best spot to take off, often missing sets or taking off too deep. Gouveia claimed the heat after scoring a deep barrel, managing to muscle out of the doggy-door after the wave closed out.
“The waves were pretty slow and it was hard to find a good one,” Gouveia said. “The sets were fun though, this is my first time to Bali and I’m loving it.”
Medi Veminardi (REU) from Reunion Island bounced back from his Round 1 loss yesterday where he suffered the biggest wipeout of the day, going over the falls on a solid 6 foot wave. Veminardi scored a nice tube ride to advance to Round 3, sending South African Slade Prestwich (ZAF) home with an equal 33rd place finish.
“It’s very difficult on your backhand out there,” Veminardi said. “Normally I surf well on my backhand, but not here. A lot of the goofy footers are struggling out here. ”
Tanner Hendrickson (HAW) is quickly establishing himself as a darkhorse at this year’s The Oakley World Pro Junior Bali. A few minutes into his Round 2 heat, Hendrickson threw himself at a huge ramp, launching into a big air-reverse, landing where the lip detonated, rode out clean and was awarded a 7.67.
“I knew it was a good wave so I just went for it,” Hendrickson said. “I saw that section and it was steep and perfect for an air, I’m stoked I made it. I was just having fun and free-surfing by the end of the heat, but I went for an air on a stupid section right at the end and I think I might have broken my toe; it hurts so bad.”
Vasco Riberio (PRT) snuck through a slow heat against Japanese surfer Hiroto Arai (JPN). Riberio changed tactics mid-way through the heat, deciding not to wait for the sets but rather catch the insiders.
“I knew there was not many waves coming through,” Riberio said. “So I just tried to catch some little ones and get some 4s or 5s. I knew Hiroto (Arai) could surf well if he got a set wave, so I was taking a risk, but I guess it paid off.”
Thomas Woods (AUS) showed his competitive nerves of steele after his heat was tied at 11.60 each with Keala Naihe (HAW) with a minute and a half to go. Had the heat finished in a tie Naihe would have taken the win as he had a higher single wave score in his tally. But Woods didn’t let it come down to that, he took off in the last minute, attacked the lip, pulled into a little tube and finished with a closeout re-entry to rocket himself to 1st place.
“I was so nervous when he got that 7.5 he needed,” Woods said. “I was like this can’t be happening. Then there was 30 seconds to go and I had priority and I saw a little runner and I did my best and even put out a claim. ”
Kaishu Tanaka (JPN) was the standout performer of the day, unleashing power turns right in the steep pocket of the wave. Tanaka scored two excellent rides an 8.00 and a 7.67 in the opening minutes of the heat, leaving Brazilian Joao Abreu (BRA) chasing scores that never eventuated.
The Oakley World Pro Junior Bali will run from October 3 – 14.
OAKLEY WORLD PRO JUNIOR MEN’S ROUND 2 RESULTS:
HEAT 5: Marco Fernandez (BRA) 14.16 def. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 6.10
HEAT 6: Garrett Parkes (AUS) 12.50 def. Matt Banting (AUS) 8.50
HEAT 7: Ian Gouveia (BRA) 8.60 def. Gustavo Machado (BRA) 7.64
HEAT 8: Beyrick De Vries (ZAF) 13.20 def. William Aliotti (FRA) 8.73
HEAT 9: Medi Veminardi (REU) 13.83 def. Slade Prestwich (ZAF) 8.23
HEAT 10: Ryan Callinan (AUS) 14.84 def. Noa Deane (AUS) 7.66
HEAT 11: Jake Halstead (USA) 16.60 def. Frederico Morais (PRT) 14.67
HEAT 12: Tanner Hendrickson (HAW) 13.60 def. Kan Watanabe (JPN) 6.27
HEAT 13: Vasco Riberio (PRT) 8.83 def. Hiroto Arai (JPN) 5.90
HEAT 14: Thomas Woods (AUS) 12.17 def. Keala Naihe (HAW) 11.60
HEAT 15: Kaishu Tanaka (JPN) 15.67 def. Joao Abreu (BRA) 7.50
HEAT 16: Arashi Kato (JPN) 11.50 def. Chase Wilson (USA) 5.07
OAKLEY WORLD PRO JUNIOR MEN’S ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
HEAT 1: Davey Cathels (AUS) vs. Michael February (ZAF)
HEAT 2: Beyrick De Vries (ZAF) vs. Thomas Woods (AUS)
HEAT 3: Medi Veminardi (REU) vs. Vasco Ribeiro (PRT)
HEAT 4: Shaun Joubert (ZAF) vs. Filipe Toledo (BRA)
HEAT 5: Marco Fernandez (BRA) vs. Arashi Kato (JPN)
HEAT 6: Garrett Parkes (AUS) vs. Evan Thompson (USA)
HEAT 7: Keanu Asing (HAW) Eziekel Lau (HAW)
HEAT 8: Jack Freestone (AUS) vs. Darmaputra Tonjo (IND)
HEAT 9: Dale Staples (ZAF) vs. Jake Halstead (USA)
HEAT 10: Conner Coffin (USA) vs. Tanner Hendrickson (HAW)
HEAT 11: Kiron Jabour (HAW) vs. Kaishu Tanaka (JPN)
HEAT 12: Peterson Crisanto (BRA) vs. Dean Bowen (AUS)
HEAT 13: Caio Ibelli (BRA) vs. Dylan Lightfoot (ZAF)
HEAT 14: Ryan Callinan (AUS) vs. Dylan Goodale (HAW)
HEAT 15: Maxime Huscenot (FRA) vs. Andrew Doheny (USA)
HEAT 16: Ian Gouveia (BRA) vs. Kaito Ohashi (JPN)
OAKLEY WORLD PRO JUNIOR WOMEN’S ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
HEAT 1: Sarah Mason (NZL) vs. Gabriela Leite (BRA)
HEAT 2: Dimity Stoyle (AUS) vs. Leila Hurst (HAW)
HEAT 3: Faye Zoetmulder (ZAF) vs. Nao Omura (JPN)
HEAT 4: Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) vs. Alessa Quizon (HAW)
HEAT 5: Felicity Palmateer (AUS) vs. Lani Doherty (HAW)
HEAT 6: Joanne Defay (FRA) vs. Maude Le Car (FRA)
HEAT 7: Philippa Anderson (AUS) vs. Quincy Davis (USA)
HEAT 8: Coco Ho (HAW) vs. Ren Hashimoto (JPN)
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