Nat Young takes 5th at ASP Junior Worlds

Americans Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA), 18, and Courtney Conlogue (Santa Ana, CA), 17, were the top performers for mainland America amongst the world’s top ASP Pro Junior talents, each securing ASP Pro Junior World No. 5 positions respectively at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships this past week.

All surfers on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series look to compile their top results throughout the regional season in order to earn a berth into the ASP World Junior Championships. Once qualified, surfers compete to earn the title of ASP World Junior Champion.

Young, who is the reigning ASP North America Pro Junior Series Champion, was is top form throughout the elite event’s opening rounds, topping an international field of up-and-coming talent including Chris Friend (AUS), Keanu Asing (HAW), 16, and Takumi Nakamura (JPN), but was eliminated by eventual 2009 ASP World Junior Champion Maxime Huscenot (REU), 17, in a tough Quarterfinals matchup.

“The surf was small the whole time, but it was fun in my Round 2 heat,” Young said. “I surfed a bunch with the guys that I was staying with and worked on figuring out my boards. The rights were pretty fun, so I was looking to surf on my backhand, but it’s kind of hard to surf with all of the bumps. I don’t really know where to sit to catch those rights, but I was just trying to wait for the good ones.”

Conlouge, who is consistently a top performer amongst the world’s best female surfers, started her Billabong ASP World Junior Championships campaign strong, topping Alizee Arnaud (FRA), Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) and Felicity Palmateer (AUS), but fell to 2008 ASP Women’s World Junior Champion Pauline Ado (FRA), in a tough, last-second loss to the young French standout in their Quarterfinals matchup.

“I was just going out there and trying to get through the heat,” Conlouge said. “There’s always room for improvement and always things that I could work on. The conditions were really similar to Huntington, it was really mushy and fat, but it works. You’ve just got to use it to your advantage and make the best of it.”

Both Young and Conlogue will be back in 2010 on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series and are eligible for rebirths at the ASP World Junior Championships for a shot at the 2010 title.

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com or www.aspnorthamerica.com

American Results at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships: (Men’s)
Nat Young = 5th
Cory Arrambide = 9th
Dillon Perillo = 17th
Luke Davis = 33rd
Brent Reilly = 33rd
Cody Thompson = 33rd

American Results at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships: (Women’s)
Courtney Conlogue = 5th
Sage Erickson = 9th