Matson's long-awaited, well-deserved maiden hoist up the beach. - WSL / John Ferguson
Finals day. The climatic ending to an event that crowns an event winner. But when there are three events in one, the atmosphere of a finals day can be electric and Cocoa Beach, Florida, was not short on energy today to make up for its tough conditions on offer.
The small waves made no difference to Kade Matson as he charged through the Ron Jon Quiksilver Junior Pro that culminated into his first-ever WSL win.
Matson's forehand carried him through the event alongside a powerful backhand. - WSL / John Ferguson
The event featured all of this year's top-seeded competitors and Matson stole the show in a hefty Final affair to earn his maiden Pro Junior victory. The 16-year-old took on fellow San Clemente native Schilling, Pascuales, Mexico's, Alan Cleland and Vero Beach, Florida's own Tommy Coleman.
But, Matson nearly left them all in a combination situation right away after earning an 8.00 (out of a possible 10) and 6.07 within the first minutes as he showcased his powerful forehand attack in the small conditions. Strategy was key for the upcoming talent which culminated in his first WSL win.
"It feels so good after getting a few bittersweet runner-ups and getting this win is extra special," Matson said. "This is everything now. Starting off the year big to get it going and now hopefully I can just carry the momentum. It's good for my confidence knowing this isn't my strong suit and I'm stoked to get it here because I'm not known for surfing well in small waves. The last few heats I wanted to get the heat going right away since it was tough out here and anything can happen."
Cleland Inches Closer
The 16-year-old is learning each new event and pushing closer to his first win. - WSL
Like Matson, Cleland still has two more season ahead of him and is proving himself more each year -- earning his third Final appearance at the Ron Jon Quiksilver Junior Pro. The Pascuales charger is learning how to grind through tough conditions, garnering his best result to date with a runner-up after two equal thirds last season. While it's only one spot difference, that leap is imperative for the likes of this 16-year-old as he prepares for another full go after completing rehab on a bothersome knee over the winter.
"There's a lot of stoke for the year now after getting second, especially after grinding all week," Cleland said. "It'll take more training, having more fun and getting a few more waves I think (laughs). But, that's pretty much it. Just keep having fun and don't stress too much, you have to enjoy the process. This throws more gas on the flame and gets me psyched for the next one."
This result keeps Cleland in the Top 3 to start 2019 as he looks for his spot into WSL Junior Championships.
Take Note: Important Finishes For Pro Juniors
Jett Schilling capped off an incredible run with a third place finish. - WSL / John Ferguson
Notable finishes also include Schilling and Coleman finishing third and fourth, respectively, in the men's junior event to give them a shot toward WJC qualifying. Schilling was a standout on finals day, accruing the event's highest heat total in Semifinal Heat 2 with a near-perfect 9.00 and 17.90 (out of a possible 20) heat total.
This marks Coleman's second Final at Pro Junior in Cocoa Beach -- also earning a Semifinal in the QS last season -- but he kept his head high despite the blow. The 17-year-old now awaits the Vans US Open to give it another go after taking the support from home on the road to Huntington Beach this summer.
Coleman is still in line for a shot at getting into the Top 3 picture with his aggressive backhand. - WSL / John Ferguson
The next North America men and women's Pro Junior event will be the Vans US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, California, beginning July 28 - August 7.
Third Time's the Charm For Kade Matson
Andrew Nichols
Finals day. The climatic ending to an event that crowns an event winner. But when there are three events in one, the atmosphere of a finals day can be electric and Cocoa Beach, Florida, was not short on energy today to make up for its tough conditions on offer.
The small waves made no difference to Kade Matson as he charged through the Ron Jon Quiksilver Junior Pro that culminated into his first-ever WSL win.
The event featured all of this year's top-seeded competitors and Matson stole the show in a hefty Final affair to earn his maiden Pro Junior victory. The 16-year-old took on fellow San Clemente native Schilling, Pascuales, Mexico's, Alan Cleland and Vero Beach, Florida's own Tommy Coleman.
But, Matson nearly left them all in a combination situation right away after earning an 8.00 (out of a possible 10) and 6.07 within the first minutes as he showcased his powerful forehand attack in the small conditions. Strategy was key for the upcoming talent which culminated in his first WSL win.
"It feels so good after getting a few bittersweet runner-ups and getting this win is extra special," Matson said. "This is everything now. Starting off the year big to get it going and now hopefully I can just carry the momentum. It's good for my confidence knowing this isn't my strong suit and I'm stoked to get it here because I'm not known for surfing well in small waves. The last few heats I wanted to get the heat going right away since it was tough out here and anything can happen."
Cleland Inches Closer
Like Matson, Cleland still has two more season ahead of him and is proving himself more each year -- earning his third Final appearance at the Ron Jon Quiksilver Junior Pro. The Pascuales charger is learning how to grind through tough conditions, garnering his best result to date with a runner-up after two equal thirds last season. While it's only one spot difference, that leap is imperative for the likes of this 16-year-old as he prepares for another full go after completing rehab on a bothersome knee over the winter.
"There's a lot of stoke for the year now after getting second, especially after grinding all week," Cleland said. "It'll take more training, having more fun and getting a few more waves I think (laughs). But, that's pretty much it. Just keep having fun and don't stress too much, you have to enjoy the process. This throws more gas on the flame and gets me psyched for the next one."
This result keeps Cleland in the Top 3 to start 2019 as he looks for his spot into WSL Junior Championships.
Take Note: Important Finishes For Pro Juniors
Notable finishes also include Schilling and Coleman finishing third and fourth, respectively, in the men's junior event to give them a shot toward WJC qualifying. Schilling was a standout on finals day, accruing the event's highest heat total in Semifinal Heat 2 with a near-perfect 9.00 and 17.90 (out of a possible 20) heat total.
This marks Coleman's second Final at Pro Junior in Cocoa Beach -- also earning a Semifinal in the QS last season -- but he kept his head high despite the blow. The 17-year-old now awaits the Vans US Open to give it another go after taking the support from home on the road to Huntington Beach this summer.
The next North America men and women's Pro Junior event will be the Vans US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, California, beginning July 28 - August 7.
Jett Schilling
North America's QS contenders are back in action December 5 - 8 and some heavy hitters are keeping their momentum moving.
Jett Schilling Soars in Comeback Fashion to Claim QS 1000 Victory in Pumping Conditions
With Taro Watanabe pushing Jett Schilling to a 9.53 requirement, Schilling took to the air for a massive alley-oop and scored a 9.73 to
With the heat all but won, Jett Schilling wasn't done and launched his way to a 9.93 and 17.43 heat total in phenomenal form for his place
Aerial antics, power surfing, and everything in between set the stage for a massive finish in Cerritos Beach.
Ron Jon Quiksilver Junior Pro
Matheus Navarro, Kade Matson, and Caitlin Simmers took down big wins at Cocoa Beach on their respective fronts.
A quick, decisive day got the top North America junior regional talents back in the water to determine their finals day draw.
The Ron Jon Quiksilver Junior Pro got underway following the men's QS action and some possible threats linger heading into Round 2
The Ron Jon Quiksilver Junior Pro awaits to jumpstart North America's 2019 season, but it's also the start of a new rankings' update.
The Ron Jon Quiksilver Pro men's QS event gets an upgrade along with the 7th annual Pro Juniors March 14 - 17.