World’s Best Junior Surfers Prepare for Ericeira WSL Junior Championships

Courtesy of WSL – World Surf League

Caption: Santa Barbara’s Parker Coffin (USA) will be one to watch at the upcoming Ericeira WSL Junior Championships in Portugal. Image: WSL / Kirstin Poullenot Location:    Ericeira, Portugal Event window: January 4 – 13, 2016 Today’s call: Upcoming Conditions: Upcoming ERICEIRA, Portugal (Wednesday, December 30, 2015) – The world’s best junior surfers are converging on the world-class waves of Portugal’s Ericeira region for the Ericeira WSL Junior Champions, which will run from January 4 – 13, 2016, determining the undisputed men’s and women’s world junior champions. The Ericeira WSL Junior Championships will host surfers from the seven WSL regions of North America, South America, Japan, Europe, Africa, Australasia and Hawaii. The 48-man and 18-woman field will contest for the highly-coveted WSL Junior Title amongst the high-performance righthand points of Ericeira. Universally-regarded as the ultimate benchmark in junior surfing, past WSL Junior Champions have gone on to make major impacts on the surfing world, including Andy Irons (HAW), Joel Parkinson (AUS), Adriano de Souza (BRA), Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), Jordy Smith (ZAF), Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) and Gabriel Medina (BRA). Past WSL Junior Champions: 2014: Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) / Mahina Maeda (HAW) 2013: Gabriel Medina (BRA) / Ella Williams (NZL) 2012: Jack Freestone (AUS) / Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 2011: Caio Ibelli (BRA) / Leila Hurst (HAW) 2010: Jack Freestone (AUS) / Alizee Arnaud (FRA) 2009: Maxime Huscenot (REU) / Laura Enever (AUS) 2008: Kai Barger (HAW) / Pauline Ado (FRA) 2007: Pablo Paulino (BRA) / Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 2006: Jordy Smith (ZAF) / Nicola Atherton (AUS) 2005: Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) / Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 2004: Pablo Paulino (BRA) 2003: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 2002: N/A 2001: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 2000: Pedro Henrique (BRA) 1999: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 1998: Andy Irons (HAW) The Ericeira WSL Junior Championships will be webcast LIVE at WorldSurfLeague.com Ericeira WSL Junior Championships Round 1 Match-Ups: Heat 1: Joshua Moniz (HAW), Gatien Delahaye (GLP), Charly Quivront (FRA) Heat 2: Timothee Bisso (GLP), Reo Inaba (JPN), Harry Bryant (AUS) Heat 3: Nomme Mignot (FRA), Nelson Cloarec (FRA), Natxo Gonzalez (EUK) Heat 4: Mateia Hiquily (PYF), Benji Brand (HAW), Momoto Tsuzuki (JPN) Heat 5: Noe Mar McGonagle (CRI), Dylan Lightfoot (ZAF), Jordan Maree (ZAF) Heat 6: Hiroto Ohhara (JPN), Parker Coffin (USA), Shane Sykes (ZAF) Heat 7: Soli Bailey (AUS), Griffin Colapinto (USA), Adin Masencamp (ZAF) Heat 8: Deivid Silva (BRA), Leonardo Fioravanti (ITL), Yuji Mori (JPN) Heat 9: Tomas Fernandes (PRT), Takumi Yasui (JPN), John Urcia (PER) Heat 10: Kanoa Igarashi (USA), Mihimana Braye (PYF), Bevan Willis (ZAF) Heat 11: Lucas Silveira (BRA), Kan Watanabe (JPN), Jacob Willcox (AUS) Heat 12: Hiroto Arai (JPN), Luan Wood (BRA), Alonso Correa (PER) Heat 13: Victor Bernardo (BRA), Imaikalani Devault (HAW), Matthew McGillivray (ZAF) Heat 14: Noah Schweizer (USA), Elijah Gates (HAW), Cam Richards (USA) Heat 15: Kalani David (HAW), Kai Hing (AUS), O’Neill Massin (PYF) Heat 16: Seth Moniz (HAW), Alcides Lopes (BRA), Daniel Glenn (USA) Ericeira WSL Women’s Junior Championships Round 1 Match-Ups: Heat 1: Brisa Hennessy (USA), Dax McGill (HAW), Minori Kawai (JPN) Heat 2: Tia Blanco (USA), Teresa Bonvalot (PRT), Gina Smith (ZAF) Heat 3: Mahina Maeda (HAW), Melanie Giunta (PER), Miluska Tello (PER) Heat 4: Chelsea Tuach (BRB), Carol Henrique (PRT), Juliette Brice (FRA) Heat 5: Isabella Nichols (AUS), Camilla Kemp (PRT), Nicole Pallet (ZAF) Heat 6: Holly Wawn (AUS), Natsuki Suda (JPN), Ariane Ochoa (EUK) About the World Surf League The mission of the WSL is simple: to inspire positive change for surfing, our fans and the environment. Formerly the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), the WSL has been championing the world’s best surfing since 1976, running global products across the Samsung Galaxy men’s and women’s Championship Tours, Big Wave Tour, Qualifying Series, Junior and Longboard Championships, as well as the WSL Big Wave Awards. The League possesses a deep appreciation for the sport’s rich heritage while promoting progression, innovation and performance at the highest levels; it strives to put the world’s best surfers on the world’s best waves. Showcasing the world’s best surfing on its digital platform at WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL has energized an already-passionate global fan base with millions around the world tuning in to see the likes of Kelly Slater, Filipe Toledo, Gabriel Medina, Makua Rothman, Grant “Twiggy” Baker, Greg Long, Stephanie Gilmore, John John Florence, Carissa Moore and others do battle in the most dynamic field of play in all of sports. For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.