Kuta-Bali -- Indonesia’s hottest junior surfers will be joined by a truly international field of the world’s best junior’s to put on a display of hi-fi surfing from June 18-22 at Bali’s most popular lava bottomed black sand right-hander of Keramas Beach, as the opening event of the Billabong Pro Junior Series Indonesia blasts off.
The waves at Keramas Beach consistently offer up hollow sections, steep walls, and perfect ramps, providing the amping juniors just the right forum in which to show off their complete repertoire of high scoring manoeuvres. All this talent, together with the promise of a new swell on the horizon, promises to bring an overload of high-grade action for the lucky spectators on the beach.
The three event $16,000USD Billabong Pro Junior Series Indonesia will begin its second year with the Keramas Beach event. The following event will take place from July 9-13 at the offshore setting of Kuta Reef, a barrelling left-hander just a few hundred meters off the famed Kuta Beach, and the series will culminate at Bali’s West Coast surfing playground of Canggu from August 13-17 in conjunction with the Billabong Occy Grom Comp.
Last year’s Keramas event saw some of the best young talent in Australia coming to Bali to surf what they called “the best waves ever in a comp." Aerial phenom Julian Wilson took home first place last year, surfing against a field of other Under 21 pro juniors including Heath Joske, Madison Williams, Nick Vasicek, and Kalen Schloss. This year they will be back in force to enjoy surfing Bali’s best waves and competing for prestige and prize money.
Local pro junior Mustafa Jeksen was the highest placing Indonesian surfer in last year’s series, earning himself a wildcard entry into the Von Zipper Trials at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships in Australia last January.
This year he’ll be up against not only the Aussies but against the likes of Made “Garut” Widiarta, Ketut “Mega” Yoga Semadhi, Raditya Rondi and a host of other hot young Indonesian surfers to see if he can get back to Australia again next year.
To date over 60 pro juniors have signed up, including last year’s series winner Heath Joske (Nambucca Heads), Nick Vasicek (Coolangatta), Madison Williams (Coffs Harbour), and Adam Bennetts (Main Beach), from South Africa Donovon Zoetmuler and Brenden Gibbens, and for the first time an entry from Malaysia, Mamat.
The Billabong Pro Junior Series is supported by Discovery Kartika Plaza, Hawaiian Tropic Suncare, Nixon, Kustom, and Von Zipper.
About The Billabong Pro Junior Series
The Billabong Pro Junior Series is sanctioned by the Coca-Cola Indonesian Surfing Championships as part of the Pro Junior Championship Division. The series is the most lucrative on the Indonesian calendar, attracting surfers from Australia, Indonesia, USA, Hawaii, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Europe.
In line with the ISC’s goal of seeing talented young Indonesian surfers on the WQS and eventually on the WCT, Billabong is delighted to be an integral part of attaining this goal, as the Billabong Pro Junior Series is widely recognized as the premiere career booster for surfers aged 20 and under with world renown surfers such as Andy Irons and Joel Parkinson having launched their careers with wins at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships.
2008 Billabong Junior Series
June 18-22: Billabong Pro Junior Series Keramas
July 9-13: Billabong Pro Junior Series Kuta Reef
August 13-17: Billabong Pro Junior Series Canggu
August 13-17: Billabong Occy's Grom Comp Canggu