McGonagle Atop Junior Field on Day 3 in Ericeira

Caption: McGonagle navigates a clean inside barrel on his way to the day’s top score.
Image: ASP/Poullenot

Allianz ASP World Junior Championships

PLAYA DE RIBEIRA D’ILHAS, Ericeira / Portugal (Monday, October 27, 2014) – Another mammoth day of competition at the Allianz ASP World Junior Championships completed the second round in clean 3-to-5-foot surf at Ribeira D’Ilhas.

Facing elimination, surfers stepped up to the plate and brought their A-game to keep their Portuguese campaign alive towards the ultimate junior crown.

Noe Mar McGonagle (CRI) 18, talented regular-footer hailing from the iconic Pavones in Costa Rica, nailed the highest score of the event so far, a near-perfect 9.57 for a succession of big arching turns on the outside section of the wave, before pulling in a little inside barrel on his way in.

“It was just an incredible wave,” Mcgonagle said. “The outside was really fun and had a couple carves and snaps, and on the inside I got a little barrel.. This place is incredible, especially at low tide, and I’m super happy to advance and get a good heat under my belt !”

Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 17, refocused overnight and came alive in his round 2 matchup against Matthew McGillivray (ZAF) to post a solid 16.10 heat total and advance into the third round. The Californian phenom displayed multiple variations of his top turns game and freed his fins on occasion to please the judges panel.

“This wave is so hard, a lot of good guys lost yesterday,” Igarashi said. “But I’m just stoked to get another 30 minutes out here alone, every wave I catch I get more experience. When at look at Vasco (Ribeiro) for example, he’s got so much experience here and he surfs the wave so well. I think this was a great way to get to know the wave a little better.”

Italo Ferreira (BRA) 19, current World No.8 on the QS ranks and on the verge of qualifying for the prestigious Samsung Galaxy ASP World Championship Tour, came back from a surprise round 2 relegation yesterday and put on a solid performance in the opening heat. With a pronounced taste for big maneuvers and powersurfing, Ferreira felt right at home on the long righthanders and showcased his signature backhand hooks under the lip for an excellent 8.43.

“I’m super stoked to make it out of Round 2,” Ferreira commented. “I am feeling a little bit more confident now and the waves were absolutely perfect today. We have a similar point at home in Bahia Formosa and I feel good surfing here. Gabriel (Medina) winning last year’s Junior title is a great example to follow and I hope I can walk in his footsteps and then qualify for the WCT.”

In the all Portuguese matchup of Heat 11, Miguel Blanco (PRT) 18, topped compatriot Joao Kopke (PRT) in a series of exciting changes. The regular vs. goofyfoot battle didn’t disappoint with each surfer selecting great waves, but eventually it was Kopke’s fronthand attack that was rewarded with the heat win.

“Fortunately I found my rhythm right at the beginning there, and caught a couple of fun waves that got me confident,” Blanco reflected. “It’s a shame I had one of my good friend in the heat, cause this event is really important for us Portuguese and losing one of the team isn’t fun.”

Event official have convened the surfers to a 6:30am call (local time) on Tuesday, for a probable re-start of the men’s competition at Ribeira d’Ilhas.

The Allianz ASP World Junior Championships is scheduled from October 25 – November 2, 2014 in playa de Ribeira d’Ilhas, Ericeira / PORTUGAL. For all results, photos, video highlights and press releases, log on to aspworldtour.com. 

The Allianz ASP World Junior Championships is supported by Allianz, Portuguese Waves, Moche, Ericeira Surfshop, Mafra, City of Ericeira, Sagres and Villa Gale Hotel among others.

UPCOMING Allianz ASP World Junior Championships Men’s Rd 3 MATCHUPS:

Heat 1: Cooper Chapman (AUS) vs. Soli Bailey (AUS)  

Heat 2: Shun Murakami (JPN) vs. Kaito Kino (HAW) 

Heat 3: Miguel Tudela (PER) vs. Tomas Fernandes (PRT) 

Heat 4: Hiroto Ohhara (JPN) vs. Luan Wood (BRA) 

Heat 5: Hiroto Arai (JPN) vs. Seth Moniz (HAW) 

Heat 6: Noe Mar McGonagle (CRI) vs. Miguel Blanco (PRT) 

Heat 7: Dylan Lightfoot (ZAF) vs. Parker Coffin (USA) 

Heat 8: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Luke Dillon (GBR) 

Heat 9: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) vs. Benji Brand (ZAF) 

Heat 10: Mateia Hiquily (PYF) vs. Kai Hing (AUS) 

Heat 11: Lucas Silveira (BRA) vs. Tom Cloarec (FRA) 

Heat 12: Deivid Silva (BRA) vs. Timothee Bisso (GLP) 

Heat 13: Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) vs. Jake Marshall (USA) 

Heat 14: Joshua Moniz (HAW) vs. Slade Prestwich (ZAF) 

Heat 15: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) vs. Cam Richards (USA) 

Heat 16: Takumi Nakamura (JPN) vs. Takumi Yasui (JPN) 

UPCOMING Allianz ASP World Junior Championships Women’s SEMIFINALISTS MATCHUPS:

SF 1: Chelsea Tuach (BRB) vs. Tessa Thyssen (GLP)

SF 2: Bronte Macaulay (AUS) vs. Mahina Maeda (HAW)

Allianz ASP World Junior Championships Men’s Rd 2 RESULTS:

Heat 1: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 15.93 def. Jordan Maree (ZAF) 9.43

Heat 2: Hiroto Ohhara (JPN) 13.44 def. Kaulana Apo (HAW) 9.20

Heat 3: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 16.10 def. Matthew McGillivray (ZAF) 10.00

Heat 4: Noe Mar McGonagle (CRI) 17.74 def. Barron Mamiya (HAW) 10.17

Heat 5: Luke Dillon (GBR) 13.10 def. Matheus Navarro (BRA) 11.90

Heat 6: Miguel Tudela (PER) 14.67 def. Diran Zakarian (ZAF) 11.67

Heat 7: Kai Hing (AUS) 12.50 def. Joshe Faulkner (ZAF) 4.00

Heat 8: Slade Prestwich (ZAF) 11.60 def. Juninho Urcia (PER) 8.06

Heat 9: Kaito Kino (HAW) 12.97 def. O’Neill Massin (PYF) 12.93

Heat 10: Timothee Bisso (GLP) 13.67 def. Natxo Gonzalez (EUK) 9.50

Heat 11: Miguel Blanco (PRT) 15.00 def. Joao Kopke (PRT) 7.17

Heat 12: Seth Moniz (HAW) 9.66 def. Kalani Ball (AUS) 9.17

Heat 13: Tom Cloarec (FRA) 11.50 def. Kelly Norris (AUS) 9.94

Heat 14: Cam Richards (USA) 10.00 def. Jacob Willcox (AUS) 9.33

Heat 15: Jake Marshall (USA) 10.17 def. Joshua Burke (BRB) 7.60

Heat 16: Luan Wood (BRA) 7.43 def. Yuta Tsukamoto (JPN) 6.93

REMAINING Allianz ASP World Junior Championships Men’s Rd 1 RESULTS:

Heat 13: Benji Brand (HAW) 14.57, Seth Moniz (HAW) 12.57, Noe Mar McGonagle (CRI) 9.50

Heat 14: Deivid Silva (BRA) 15.23, Tom Cloarec (FRA) 12.06, Juninho Urcia (PER) 5.94

Heat 15: Mateia Hiquily (PYF) 13.67, Luan Wood (BRA) 11.37, Kelly Norris (AUS) 10.80

Heat 16: Dylan Lightfoot (ZAF) 15.93, Jake Marshall (USA) 12.33, Jacob Willcox (AUS) 8.34