Quiksilver Team rider Maxime Huscenot (REU), 17, and Roxy Team rider Laura Enever (AUS), 18, have claimed their respective ASP World Junior Titles, dominating the punchy two-to-three foot (1 metre) waves on offer at North Narrabeen for the final day of the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships fueled by Monster Energy.
Huscenot, who received entry into the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships as an ASP International wildcard, wowed spectators and surfers alike today, besting an in-form Jadson Andre (BRA), 19, in the hard-fought Final to claim the ASP World Junior Title.
“This is the biggest day of my life and it’s absolutely unbelievable,” Huscenot said. “It feels like I just won a heat, not the ASP World Title – it’s incredible. Jadson (Andre) is an amazing surfer and the whole Brazilian team rips so hard. I cannot believe it is my day. I am at a loss for words.”
A relative unknown at the international level prior to this year’s showdown at North Narrabeen, Huscenot bested a bevy of the world’s hottest up-and-coming surfers to take the prestigious title and emphatically announce himself as a force on the world surfing stage.
“I knew I was not a big name coming here,” Huscenot said. “Jadson was the best surfer, doing massive air reverses that I cannot even dream of doing. But I just surfed the best I could and I guess the judges appreciated it. I never dreamed I would be here. I was injured in October and couldn’t surf for a month. But I trained hard and got the wildcard here and once I made it past the fourth round, I knew it was going to be a good event for me. It feels amazing to be the first Frenchman to claim the ASP World Junior Title.”
Enever’s hometown victory came as no surprise to those who witnessed her progression through the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships. The explosive natural-footer consistently posted the highest scores each round, and with the help of some massive scores courtesy of a blistering forehand attack, Enever posted an insurmountable lead in the Final against Alessa Quizon (HAW), 16.
“I just wanted to go out and have fun and that’s what I did,” Enever said. “This is my home and I’m so stoked to be here with all my friends and family giving me so much support. This is the best day of my life. It’s been my dream forever to win here at home and now that I’ve done it, I’m at a loss for words.”
Joining such renowned past ASP World Junior Champions like Pauline Ado (FRA), Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Nicola Atherton (AUS) and Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), Enever now boasts the most prestigious accolade in junior surfing, and will hope to follow in their footsteps en route to the elite ASP Women’s World Tour.
“It’s been my goal to win the World Juniors since I can remember and now that I have I just want to enjoy it,” Enever said. “I just want to have fun this season. I’ll be doing the ASP Australasia Pro Junior Series and start getting into the WQS events. The goal to qualify for the Dream Tour, but I just want to have fun this year.”
Roxy Team rider Joanne Defay (REU), 15, relative unknown on the international stage before the event, was a surprise dark horse in North Narrabeen, taking several high-profile scalps en route to and Equal 3rd place finish.
