ASP European Pro Surf Tour Kicks Off In Style
E365> Surfing - Thursday May 15 2008
E365 -- From Peniche’s double overhead barrels to Scotland’s perfect cold water righthanders, including Romain Laulhe’s maiden World Qualifying Series victory and Antoine Delpero’s runner-up finish in France, European surfing shone again for the kick off of the 2008 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) European Pro Surf Tour this spring.
The Rip Curl Pro Junior, an ASP Europe 3-Star Pro Junior event, was blessed with perfect six foot (two meters) barrels in Peniche, Portugal, giving all the best under-21 surfers of the continent some of the best waves ever seen on tour in Europe. Marc Lacomare (FRA), 18, one of France’s most promissing surfers, tamed the perfect sandbanks of Supertubes and clinched the opening event of the year to take the ratings’ lead ahead of Medi Veminardi (REU) who was surfing his maiden Pro Junior final.
Meanwhile, the world’s best surfers were gathering at Thurso in Scotland for the ASP WQS 6-Star Prime O’Neill Highland Open by Swatch, for another exciting show in the freezing waters of Britain’s North coast. The third edition of the O’Neill Highland Open, which ended at the world famous righthander of Thurso East where it all started in 2006, saw the rise of Hugo Savalli (REU) who placed third for his best result ever on an ASP WQS event, getting by the way the best European finish of the event. Savalli now sits on top of the ASP European Pro Surf Tour ratings and will be a serious threat when the tour hits the Maldives in June
France witnessed some intense action as well in April with two main events held on its Atlantic coast, the ASP WQS 4-Star Vendee Pro and the prestigious Oxbow WLT pres. by Orange, stop No. 1 of 2 on the 2008 ASP World Longboard Tour.
Romain Laulhe, 22, (Anglet, FRA), who resisted to the solid Australian contingent led by Luke Campbell (AUS) in the Vendee Pro final, won his maiden World Qualifying Series (WQS) crown at La Sauzaie in good four foot (1.2 meter) waves. Laulhe, who was cheered by a hundreds of people, offered great levels of surfing to win the valuable 1500 ratings’ points and could soon rise as a potential ASP World Tour qualifier.
Antoine Delpero, 22, (Anglet, FRA) came very close to victory in the Oxbow WLT last weekend, going down to Harley Ingleby (Coffs Harbour, AUS) in the last heat of the event. The Oxbow WLT, which ran at the famed breaks of Les Cavaliers and Les Dunes in Anglet, witnessed some of the most exciting longboard action ever with the new generation taking over former ASP World Longboard Champions. Delpero, best European of the event, posted the result of his career and will be a serious World Title contender when the World Longboard Tour hits California for the showdown in November.
From top WQS battles to longboard surfing’s elite, including the new generation’s assaults in Portugal, the ASP European Pro Surf Tour was again a main attraction in April and May. In three weeks, the first edition of the Santa Surf ASP Europe 4-Star Pro Junior will take Europe’s young guns to the warm Canarian waters of Tenerife and should once again put pro surfing in the spotlights.
Upcoming Events:
* Santa Surf Pro, ASP Europe Men’s 4-Star Pro Junior, Tenerife - Canay Islands, 4-8 June 2008
* Buondi Pro, ASP Europe Men & Women’s 1-Star Pro Junior, Amado - Portugal, 7-9 July 2008
* Superbock Pro, ASP WQS 1-Star event, Amado - Portugal, 10-13 July 2008
* Roxy Jam, ASP Women’s World Longboard Championships, Biarritz - France, 11-16 July 2008
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