Photo: Yassine Ramdaini (MAR), only Moroccan surfer and Oakley team rider will be among those attending the Oakley Pro Junior event

CAPBRETON, France (Wednesday, August 6, 2008)- The Oakley Pro Junior, an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Grade-1 Men's and Women's Pro Junior event will start tomorrow at the Central Beach of Lacanau, France, home of the oldest professional surfing event in Europe. Oakley Pro official forecasters Ocean Surf Report have predicted consistent four to five foot (1.2 to 2 meter) waves for the kick off of the fourth event of the summer that will be decisive towards the end-of-the year regional ratings.

A 115-surfer field will attend the 15^th edition of the ASP Grade-1 Pro Junior event during five days of stunning action in the South West coast of France, actual sand banks looking in place to deliver some exciting waves.

Medi Veminardi (REU), 18, current ASP European Junior No. 3 who won the last event in Sopelana in the Basque Country, will be a favorite for a second consecutive victory that could take him further up in the ratings. With less than four hundred points between Veminardi and current ratings’ leader Maxime Huscenot (REU), pressure will be upon those competing for both regional crown and ASP World Junior Championships (WJC) qualification. 

Maxime Huscenot (REU), 16, who has been the most consistent surfer on tour this season with two semifinals and a win thus far, remains confident.

"I have had a good run so far and I still have four years as a junior so I don’t have any pressure", Huscenot said. "I know the guys are close but I still focus on enjoying my time and off course get some results if possible."

The 2008 Oakley Pro Junior winner will get a precious wildcard into the top seeded surfers’ round of the ASP WQS 6-Star Sooruz Lacanau Pro taking place from August 12 to 17, to try and create some upsets against some the ASP’s World Qualifying Series (WQS) top campaigners.

The ASP Grade-1 Women’s Oakley Pro Junior will run on Monday, August 11 and features current top under-21 female surfers from Europe including local rising competitor 16-year-old Justine Dupont (FRA). Fourty athletes are entered to try and conquer the crown and recent Sopelana event winner Alizée Arnaud (Capbreton, FRA) will be a favorite.

Arnaud, Oakley Pro Junior defending champion, will meet reigning ASP European Women’s Junior champion Pauline Ado (FRA), ratings’ leader Johanne Defay (FRA) and local outsider Fanny Brice (FRA) who made her first final ever last weekend in a much anticipated fourth event of the year.