Wilson finishes fourth in ASP Pier Pressure

HUNTINGTON BEACH — Chase Wilson, who recently graduated from Newport Harbor High, finished fourth at the Assn. of Surfing Professionals Nike 6.0 Pier Pressure at Huntington Beach Pier Monday.

Wilson earned $1,300 and 1,675 points in the largest world junior event in North America, a four-star event that featured surfers from around the world, but only four made it to the final. Surfing out of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, Keanu Asing took home $3,500 and 2,500 points toward his junior world ranking in his first win of the year. Second place went to Dillon Perillo from Malibu, earning $2,200 and 2,150 points. Third place went to Evan Thompson from Jacksonville, Fla., earning $1,800 and 1,825 points.

It was a cloudy Monday at the beach when the sun would only poke through on rare occasions. Good waves were hard to come by, it was anybody’s win out there. In the final heat of the day, Perillo got the first wave, but didn’t get much out of it scoring a 2.0. Thompson then got a quick one after Perillo with nice floater to get a 4.5, his second best wave score of the heat. Asing soon followed with a nice right-hander that he started off with a huge bottom turn to a big snap off the lip, followed by two smaller snaps to score a 5.5.

After a little dry spell, Perillo got a nice right with a huge hit off the lip. He then pumped his way into the inside, where the wave reforms, to get two more snaps and a huge off-the-top with a little air-drop that he landed scoring himself a 7.0 wave score, the best of the heat at that time.

Then it was Wilson’s turn to show these boys how the locals do it. The only goofy footer of the heat got a nice right-hander with huge backside snap creating tons of spray off the back. He then hopped like an eager rabbit to the inside for the reform that turned into a left-hander for quick snap that was followed by a huge off-the-lip to get his best score of the heat, a 6.5. However, it was all Hawaiian after that, Asing got a nice right-hander set wave with two huge tail throws off the top getting his fins out of the water on both moves and landing them perfect.

He got a wave score of 7.5 the largest of the day and secured the victory.

Wilson, the last local standing, stayed optimistic about his performance.

“I am not too bummed,” he said. “There wasn’t too many waves coming in out there. I am just stoked to represent Newport and if feels good to make a final out here.”

A very excited Keanu Asing was very happy about his win on the Mainland.

“It feels good,” he said. “It was really hard because all these guys know these waves [better than I] and I am just really happy. I came over a couple of weeks earlier to get some practice in smaller waves and colder water.”

After a day under the clouds and fighting for the few waves that showed up, a Hawaiian beat out two Cali boys and an East Coaster to win his first world junior event.

This was only the fourth stop on the ASP Would Junior Tour and up next will be the U.S. Open at the very same break. Look for all four to come back firing up against another local from San Clemente, last year’s winner Tanner Gudauskas.