EVENT: Rob Machado Seaside Pro Junior presented by Hurley/Reef/Whole Foods Market

Event Details:
Rating: 4-star
Event Dates: April 22-23, 2011
Closing Date: March 22, 2011
Surfers: 72-competitor (junior men) 24-competitor (junior women) Grom Expression Session
Prize Purse: $20,000 (men’s) $6,000 (women’s)
Location: Seaside Reef, Cardiff, CA
Sponsors: Hurley, Reef, Whole Foods Market, Dragon, Nixon, DaKine, Channel Islands, Sambazon, GoPro, Surfer, Surfline, Concordia, TDG, Pacific Station

The Lowdown: The Rob Machado Seaside Pro Junior Experience presented by Hurley, Reef and Whole Foods Market (originally entitled the Hansen/Machado Classic) will take place at Seaside Reef on April 22-23, 2011. The event will also include a charity golf tournament at The Crossing at Carlsbad on Monday, April 18, 2011. For the first time in the event’s history, it has been upgraded to a 4-star pro junior event making it the only ASP Pro Junior event in San Diego. The goal of the Seaside Pro Junior is to showcase the next generation of pros as well as to support Rob Machado’s local community. Seaside was the first pro contest that Machado ever surfed in and he jumped at the chance to bring one back to that break.

The Rob Machado event represents the third of eight events on the men’s ASP North America Pro Junior Series. The surfers competing on the regional series are looking to finish within the top five on the ratings to qualify for the ASP World Junior Tour. The defending 2010 ASP North America Pro Junior Series Champion is Evan Geiselman, (currently 17 from New Smyrna Beach, FL). Other standouts include Kolohe Andino (17 from San Clemente). Andino finished second overall on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series last year and just swept the 2011 Vans Pier Classic ASP men’s 4-star and Pro Junior 4-star events in Huntington Beach.

For the women, the Machado event is the first of three stops on the Women’s ASP North America Pro Junior Series. To qualify for the ASP Women’s World Junior Tour the surfer must win the regional series. The defending Women’s ASP North America Pro Junior Series Champion is Lakey Peterson (Santa Barbara, 16).

Proceeds from both the golf tournament and surf contest will go toward the Rob Machado Foundation and its benefactor Cardiff SEA. For Machado, the gold tournament and contest serve as one of the many opportunities to give back to his community.