Aussies and Internationals Share Day One Honours at Oakley Pro Junior North Stradbroke Island
Mitch Parkinson (AUS), tearing through the opening round of the ASP 5-Star Oakley Pro Junior.
NORTH STRADBROKE ISLAND, Queensland/Australia (Wednesday, February 2, 2011) - Australian and international surfers have shared day-one honours at the 2011 5-Star, Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Oakley Pro Junior as competition got underway on North Stradbroke Island (Queensland, Australia) in a building 1-1.5m swell.
Held at the primary contest site of Main Beach, competitors were welcomed to North Stradbroke Island by local Indigenous elders who performed a “Welcome to Country” ceremony.
Locally, Mitch Parkinson (Snapper Rocks, Qld) top scored in the opening Round of 128, registering a combined two-wave heat total 13.75 (out of a possible 20).
“It’s great to be on Straddy, I’ve been here plenty of times before, but this is my first time surfing in a competition on the island,” said Parkinson.
“It was good to get the better of Peterson (Crisanto), he’s a really fierce competitor so hopefully I can keep some momentum into the next round,” he said.
Exchanging blows with last weeks Burleigh Heads event champion Peterson Crisanto (Brazil), Parkinson got the better of the in from South American by less than a point, with Crisanto advancing to the next round in second place with a combined two-wave heat total of 13.00 (out of a possible 20).
South Africa’s Dylan Lightfoot lived up to his name, with the fleet-footed competitor also impressing in the opening round heats, scoring a combined two-wave heat total of 8.85 (out of a possible 20), defeating Jake Cumberland (Kirra, Qld – 7.75) and Hamish Whillans (Burleigh Head, Qld – 5.65).
Running from February 2-6 and held in the varying breaks surrounding North Stradbroke Island, the Oakley Pro Junior is the third stop on the prestigious ASP Australasia Pro Junior Men’s tour.
Closer to finals day a JS Surfboards expressions session -the Tractor Big Boost will see 12 hand picked competitors (four locals, four Australians and four international competitors) compete for three brand new custom JS surfboards with the best placed local surfer also winning one brand new JS surfboard.
The Oakley Pro Junior is proudly supported by Oakley, ASP Australasia, Surfing Queensland, Red Bull, Vertra, Stradbroke Ferries, Stradbroke Island Holidays and Redland City Council.
Visit
www.oakleyprojunior.com for news, photos and updates relating to the 2011 Oakley Pro Junior.
The Oakley Pro Junior will commence February 2 and conclude February 6.
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