Congratulations to Casey Brown for winning 1st Place in the WQS Vans El Ponto Loco 2*! Brent Reilly ripped it as well finishing 3rd in the Billabong Pro Jr!
The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 2-Star event marks the completion of six of nine events held in North America, with all ASP WQS events offering points towards qualification for the 2009 ASP World Tour.
Brown jumped out to an early lead over the field but the experience and patience of Collins seemed to be paying off. Collins caught a wave that offered an inside air section that was enough to bump him into the lead over the goofy-footer, but Brown answered back to Collins’ score with one of his own. Brown’s second score proved to be enough for the win.
“I haven’t won an event in such a long time,” Brown said. “It’s a good confidence booster because I can’t remember the last time I won an event.” Brown was a standout throughout the event’s entirety. The young Hawaiian earned his Final berth in a wave-starved Semifinal heat by posting a 7.00 score out of a possible 10 in the closing minutes of competition, advancing him into the Final.
“I’ve never made a final before, so I’m stoked,” Brown said. “Even though this event is only a 2-Star it feels good. This event has been really good practice for me because I’m leaving for a contest tomorrow in Spain. It feels good to come over here and do well.”
Vans El Pono Loco presented by Sun Diego Results:
FINAL:
1- Casey Brown (HAW)
2- Dillon Perillo (USA)
3- Jason Collins (USA)
4- Brad Ettinger (USA)
Brent Reilly earned his first ASP North America Pro Junior Final berth and was a standout in the ASP WQS event. The talented goofy-footer jumped from No. 8 to No. 6 on the ASP North America Pro Junior series with his 3rd place finish in front of his home crowd. “This is my first Pro Junior Final, so I’m stoked,” “It feels good to do well at home.”
Reilly earned the event’s only perfect 10 in his Quarterfinals victory with massive frontside turns and a carving 360 on a long Ponto left, showing the competition that he was the local force to be dealt with. “I just saw the wave was going to be good and I just wanted to make sure I didn’t fall,” Reilly said. “In the men’s I blew it on a really good wave, so I wanted to make sure I didn’t do that in the junior’s so I just tried to stay super focused.
Billabong Pro Junior presented by Sun Diego Results:
FINAL:
1- Nat Young (USA) 13.83
2- Blake Jones (USA) 12.30
3- Brent Reilly (USA) 9.33
4- Andrew Doheny (USA) 8.67