The 2009 season will now host a slightly different format in qualifying for the coveted event. Since the North American team finished fifth overall at last year’s ASP World Junior Championships, the region is allotted five spaces to represent the nation. In previous years, ASP North America would send their top four surfers from the ASP North America Pro Junior series, plus the top seed on the ASP WQS.

Adam Melling takes the second event of O'Neill's CWC Series and the WQS ratings lead. Now a Scottish Lord, Adam's got the blade to prove it. Check out the video highlights and photos from chilly, green Scotland.

Hawaiian domination ensued at Lowers on Saturday with Fred Patacchia and Kai Barger taking the 6.0 Lowers Pro and the Oakley Pro Jr., respectively. Check out the photos and full round-up.

Instead of opting for the cushy, sun and babe drenched beaches of Lower Trestles (for the Nike 6.0 6* Prime), these guys chose the frigid waters of Scotland for a chance to compete in one of the most bad ass contests in the surfing world.

San Clemente, California native Patrick Gudauskas, 23, missed qualifying for the 2009 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour by only two places and now the standout competitor has shaken off the disappointment of being just shy of achieving his lifelong goal and is setting his sights on qualification for the 2010 ASP Dream Tour.

The 2008 World Qualifiying Series season came to a close yesterday with the conclusion of The O'Neill World Cup of Surfing 6-star prime event, and CJ Hobgood taking the victory. The 2008 ratings are now complete, nailbiting and speculation is over (excpt for Marlon Lipke).

In a final that saw Tom Whitaker, Jordy Smith, and Marcus Hickman, CJ Hobgood prevailed. CJ is the first goofyfooter to take Sunset since Michael Rommelse took the honor in 1997. CJ's task was no easy one either, seeing as how Sunset was churning out sets in the 15 foot+ range.

ASP Europe caught up with new European ASP World Tour recruit Michel Bourez (Tahiti, PYF), 22, during his profile photo shoot at Waimea Bay for a chat on his path to glory. From his beginnings to his new elite ASP Top 45 status, Bourez talks about his successes, weaknesses, people around him and his look back on a young but already great career.

Tahitian Michel Bourez, 22, scored a career-best win in Hawaii today, taking first place in the $135,000 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star Reef Hawaiian Pro and an early lead on the prestigious Vans Triple Crown of Surfing series ratings.

We have reached a critical junctore in both the Men’s & Women’s ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS). The Reef Hawaiian Pro is poised at the Round of 64 in the Men’s and the Quarterfinals of the Women’s, and with so many points on offer there are a multitude of possibilities.

Tim Boal (Anglet, FRA), 25, was crowned ASP European Men's Champion after his last title contender Marlon Lipke (DEU) was eliminated in the Quarterfinals of the ASP WQS 6-Star Estoril Coast Pro today. Boal, who clinches his maiden regional title, did not attend the event in Portugal due to a foot injury but adds another title to his stellar year after qualifying for next year’s ASP World Tour.

Local surfer Bud Freitas (Santa Cruz, CA), 24, earned the day’s highest heat total of 16.90 with explosive surfing in front of his home crowd, while Australia’s Jayke Sharp (Coffs Harbor, AUS), 20, posted the event’s highest single wave score in Round 2. Granger Larson (Lahaina, HI), 18, advanced through two heats today and won his Round 3 heat in convincing fashion.

After six hours of patience, officials and surfers agreed to call the event off for the second day of the waiting period. Some small but inconsistent waves eventually started breaking at Carcavelos but not enough to get top seeds to paddle out.

The first day of competition saw former two-time event finalist and Steamer Lane local, Josh Loya (Santa Cruz, CA), 39, and fellow Santa Cruz native Randy Bonds (Santa Cruz, CA), 31, post standout performances, while Roger Eales (San Diego, CA), 25, was one to watch as well.

The Estoril Coast Pro, an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star event, got underway at the back-up venue of Guincho today, with Round 1 being completed in wind-blown two to three foot (0.5 to 1 meter) waves.