The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) completed an action packed week of competition yesterday with the culmination of the ASP 6-Star PRIME Quiksilver Pro Durban in South Africa and the ASP 6-Star Estoril Quiksilver Pro in Portugal. Americans Brett Simpson (Huntington Beach, CA), 24, and prodigious talent Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA), 17, led the nation in each respective event.
The ASP WQS acts as a qualifier for the prestigious ASP World Tour, with the series’ top 15 finishers earning a berth on to the prestigious ASP Dream Tour the following year where they earn the chance to take the title of ASP World Champion.
Simpson continued to lead mainland American competitors on The Grind once again this week when he finished in ninth place overall at the ASP 6-Star PRIME Quiksilver Pro Durban. Simpson tackled some of the finest up-and-coming talent including Australian standout Adam Melling (Lennox Head, AUS), 24, in the premier event to claim the valuable ratings points towards his qualification campaign for the ASP Dream Tour
The talented Californian is now rated fourth overall on the ASP WQS and is a top seed entering next week’s ASP 6-Star PRIME 6.0 Lowers Pro.
Young, who finished second last year on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series, finished in a respectable 17th place finish in the ASP 6-Star Estoril Quiksilver Pro. The Santa Cruz local’s impressive performance saw the goofy-footer top some of Europe’s finest surfers including ASP World Tour campaigner Aritz Aranburu (Zarautz, ESP), 23.
“The wave has been really fun,” Young said. “We had to move to the backup location because there wasn’t enough swell to hold it at the regular break. It was like Newport. It was kind of hollow and there were fun peaks that were mostly lefts.”
Young is now traveling back his home state to compete at the upcoming 6.0 Lowers Pro and knows that he has his work cut out for him.
“I received a wildcard from Nike into the Round of 96, so I’ll be competing against some of the best surfers in the event,” Young said. “I want to make it, but I don’t feel that much pressure because I’m going against the world’s best.”
Young will also carry the confidence earned from his success in Europe over to the ASP Grade-2 Oakley Pro Junior, which will run in conjunction with the 6.0 Lowers Pro. The regional standout will be kicking off his ASP Pro Junior campaign at the Oakley Pro Junior and is looking to start the year off strong.
“I’ll be bringing some confidence from Europe over to Trestles,” Young said. “I also know that all of the junior surfers are really good though and I don’t approach those heats any differently than a ‘QS heat. The Junior surfers are capable of doing well on the ASP WQS.”
ASP WQS action will continue to pump next week with two ASP 6-Star PRIME events, the 6.0 Lowers Pro, which will run from April 28-May 2, and the O’Neill Highland Open from April 27-May 2.
Watch the 6.0 Lowers Pro LIVE via www.nike6lowerspro.com
For additional ASP information check out www.aspworldtour.com or www.aspnorthamerica.org