The Oakley Pro Junior is a two-event undertaking that will be held in conjunction with The Body Glove Surfbout and the O’Neill Cold Water Classic. An elite field of international Junior competitors will face off in these events, and by limiting the field to 32 entrants, the inaugural Oakley Pro Junior draws its ranks from only the very best young surfers in the professional arena. Offering an opportunity to earn maximum points toward the 2007 Billabong World Junior Championships, these events have been staged along with high-profile WQS contests in order to provide a premier venue for the continued development of American professional surfing.

The draw pits 10 top-rated Junior competitors from around the world against the top 20 highest rated North Americans. Qualifying through their results at the 2006 Billabong World Juniors, the two highest rated surfers from Australia, Japan, Africa, Europe, South America and Hawaii will receive seeds into the event to compete against a field of 20 North Americans. The American surfers have been seeded into the events based on their ASP North America Junior Grade results from last year. Additionally, two wildcards will be chosen by Oakley.

After Trestles, the second stop of the Oakley Pro Junior will be held during the 2006 O’Neill Cold Water Classic at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz, where the Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series will also come to its conclusion. The Oakley Pro Junior is a Grade-2 ASP event that offers a $10,000 prize purse to competitors who were 19 years of age or under as of January 1, 2006.

The ASP Junior Grade Series is a global tour that offers an important competitive arena for emerging professional surfers interested in developing their competitive skills. The Junior Tour culminates each year with the Billabong World Junior Championships, where the top five surfers from each ASP region compete for the World Junior Title. Past winners include Andy Irons, Joel Parkinson and Adriano de Souza. This year, there are 10 scheduled North American events for domestic competitors to accumulate qualification points. And while this increase from last year’s schedule presents the surfers with greater opportunities to accumulate those points, the extremely small fields at each event, combined with an intense competitive draw, makes it crucial for them to perform at their peak in every heat. This is because three-quarters of their results will count toward their overall year-end standing, with the top five surfers receiving a seed into the Billabong World Junior Championships. The Oakley Pro Junior events will provide opportunities for North American surfers to earn these coveted qualifying points.

Oakley Pro Junior Surfers 2 Watch:

Eric Geiselman
From: New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Date of Birth: 3/9/1988
Eric was the highest rated Junior surfer in North America in 2005 and looks likely to continue to dominate the field again this year. Expect him to make a run at the finals in the Oakley Pro Junior

Photo Courtesy of Surfingthemag.com

Alex Gray
Hometown: Palos Verdes, California
Date of Birth: 6/18/1986
Alex was just behind Geiselman on the North America boards, and with this being his last year as a Junior, he’ll be looking to make a big statement both at home and abroad.

Photo Courtesy of Surfermag.com and the NSL

Jordy Smith
From: Durban, South Africa
Date of Birth: 2/11/1988
The ever-smooth Smith will bring his polished and devastating approach to the Oakley Pro Junior. Watch for him to do well at both venues as he’s intimately familiar with nicely shaped points.

Photo Courtesy of ASP International

Pablo Paulino
From: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Date of Birth: 4/5/1986
Pablo was the 2005 World Juniors Champ, and unlike his 2006 counterpart Kekoa Bacalso, he’s still eligible to get into the underage mix. Like Gray, Paulino will look to make the most of his last year as a Junior, and will surely bring his “A” game to California.

Photo Courtesy of ASP International

Hank Gaskell
From: Hana, Hawaii
Date of Birth: 4/17/1986
Hank spent a good portion of last year surfing ’QS events, and as the highest rated eligible Hawaiian coming out of the ’06 World Juniors, he should pose a threat in California, bringing experience and talent to the table.

Photo Courtesy of Billabong.com