Recently in Athletes Category

The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) North America Pro Junior Series season opener saw local Floridian Evan Geiselman (New Smyrna Beach, FL), 16, clinch the ASP Grade-3 Ron Jon SI Pro presented by Skullcandy while young Hawaiian talent Malia Manuel (Wailua, HI), 16, won the ASP Grade-2 Skullcandy Junior Pro in one-to-three foot (1 metre) surf at Florida's iconic break of Sebastian Inlet.



With qualification for the inaugural ASP World Junior Tour (WJT) on the line via this year's regional series, the early season ratings' lead picked up by Geiselman and Manuel could prove vital in their chance to battle the globe's best for the title of ASP World Junior Champion.

Geiselman, who was a runner up at the ASP Grade-2 Billabong Pro Junior at Sebastian Inlet in 2008, proved to be untouchable at this year's Ron Jon SI Pro event, marching to victory after getting a slow start in the final to best Hawaiian standout Keanu Asing (Ewa Beach, HI), 16, and Californians Gabe Garcia (Carlsbad, CA), 19, and Chase Wilson (Newport Beach, CA), 18.



"The final started off slow for me and I hadn't caught a wave after the first five minutes," Geiselman said. "Then I caught two quick waves and had to play the dirty work and sit on second in the last five minutes."

There is no shortage of surf talent at Red Bull's Project Air and there is no shortage of surf coaches on the job, getting the most from their squad. Dan Ross is an ASP World Tour competitor and the 2009 ASP World Qualifying Series champion. Richard "Dog" Marsh is a former top 10 rated professional who divides his time between France and his beloved Australia. Together today the pair barked orders and trained up Red Bull's junior squad in an hour-long intensive that replicated the "Hell Session" of last week.

The regime included muscle-burning sprints into the surf and run/swim combos that had even the best young surfers, like Kolohe Andino and Conner Coffin dragging their heavy legs up the sand. For guys like 20 year-old Wiggolly Dantas, the lean, Brazilian fighting machine who currently sits in the top three on the Qualifying Series, the workout was second nature.

"It was fine, no problem," remarked Wiggolly after it was all said and done.

The friendly rivalry that exists between Evan Geiselman and Kolohe Andino reached fever pitch today.

Both surfers found themselves in the final against each other in this morning's mock heats, going wave for wave and air for air.

An unlikely snaking interference (Kolohe on Evan) led to all-out debate on the shore as the coaches and team riders disputed the correct call.

Evan rode the wave in front of Kolohe and pulled an air-360 in his face, but with the final verdict still pending, it has been decided to call in the third umpire for adjudication - the vision captured on Sean Hayes' handycam.

It's certain to make for some wild calls and heckling when the judgment is passed after dinner!

If there's one constant in life, it's change. So you can bet when Red Bull's juniors are pulling on colored jerseys on the ASP World Tour a few years from now, the way to win will be different to the way it is today.

Andy King is a former professional surfer who knows what it takes to win. King has overcome adversity, tasted competitive success and experienced the exhilaration of a 10-foot Pipeline tube spitting him safely to the channel.

With his coaching hat fitted snugly to his melon, King today espoused the overall message of Red Bull's Project Air as his young, eager charges listened intently.

"At the end of last year, the ASP introduced changes to the judging criteria and I guarantee you that by the time you reach the elite level, they will have changed again," said King. "The future of the sport will revolve around maneuver done in the air ... "
And while the waves of Tallow's Beach in the lee of Cape Byron and its iconic lighthouse did not throw up much in the way of perfect air-ramps today, Red Bull's junior surfers still managed to land a few with aplomb.


The sun is shining brighter, the participants are much younger and the airs into the foam pit are getting higher!


Conner Coffin, 16, from Santa Barbara, California is among half-a-dozen grom's from Red Bull's Rising Team to arrive at camp following the departure of the open elite team two days ago, and the energy shift is palpable.


"I'm not going to say the older guys weren't excited, but these young guys just dove straight into it," said High Performance Manager, Andy Walshe. 


"For them it's less about narrowing their mental focus and preparing for any upcoming event, it's really about throwing the doors wide open and having fun."
Nursing damaged tendons in his right foot incurred during a month of all-time waves at his beloved homebreak, Rincon, Coffin was exploiting the luxury of soft landings into the foam pit.

At the heart of Red Bull's Project Air is a single objective - exposing the elite surf team to new and innovative ways of progressing the most exciting move in surfing today, the aerial.

And for each athlete, behind this objective lies a deeper, personal motive for taking part - competitive success.

Today, at an isolated stretch of beach, the elite team competed against one another in simulated heats, bringing structure to their performances for the first time in 2010 after an extended hiatus.

In two weeks, the race for the men's and women's ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) World Titles will begin in earnest, so with Red Bull's resources - coaches, cameras and jet-ski assist - the gang got down to business!


During a strong south swell, Snapper Rocks on Queensland's Gold Coast has two levellers, the current pulling hard around 'the rock' and the crowd desperately trying to survive it. Everyone is out there, hoping for the 'one' - a frothing, spitting barrel on takeoff, that then doubles up through the inside and runs on down past Little Marley.
Today, Red Bull's elite surf team got their first real taste of Snapper in 2010. Within two weeks, thousands of adoring fans will fill Snapper's beach, as they cheer on the world's highest ranked professional surfers in the Quiksilver Pro, and six from seven of Red Bull's Project Air participants are guaranteed to be in that spotlight.


Fanning, the hometown hero and two-time winner of the event, sits at the top of the heap and his appearance today at Snapper was like watching Moses part the Red Sea. 
As he made his way from the carpark to the lineup, friends greeted him warmly while strangers ogled his every move. Once in position at the spot he knows best, he deftly tore apart every wave he could get his board into.

Jordy showed up on the North Shore this winter with a 22-board quiver of provocative sleds. Some are jealous of the art, others (namely his ex-girlfriends) think it's gross, Jordy thinks it's funny. "Kelly had those boards with the girls on them back in the day," says Jordy. "I thought it was classic, and that's kind of what gave me this idea."