Manokwari Pro QS 1000 and Pro Junior Set to Kick Off in West Papua, Indonesia

The second annual Manokwari Pro World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS)1000 and Pro Junior events are set to kick off this week at Amban Beach, with a good swell forecast predicting waves in the two-to-three foot range and a strong field of Asia Region competitors ready for the start of the five-day event.

"WSL is excited to return to West Papua for the Manokwari Pro," said WSL APAC Tour Manager Ty Soarti. "This event will decide the WSL Asia region's World Junior Championship representatives as well as play a part in the 2025 Challenger Series race so there is a lot on the line this week. All of this, coupled with the incredible high-performance peaks of Amban Beach, will make for a super exciting event."

Last year's inaugural Manokwari Pro saw Kana Nakashio (JPN) take both the QS and Pro Junior wins on the women's side, with Roi Kanazawa (JPN) winning the QS and Westen Hirst (INA) winning the Pro Junior on the men's side.

With Nakashio and Kanazawa not entering the event, both the Manokwari QS Men's and Women's 2024 trophies will be in new hands this year; the only possible repeat winner is Indonesia's Westen Hirst in the Pro Juniors. He sustained an injury a few months ago in Bali, but in great form during the warmups so look for him to make a good showing in both the QS and Pro Junior here.

Currently, in the third spot in the Asia Region Men's Pro Junior rankings, Sentaro Saka (JPN) is looking to end his year with a win here in Manokwari.

"I didn't make the World Pro Juniors, which was my goal this year, as I really didn't get the results I wanted to, even though I'm in the 3rd position now," said Sakai. "I want to finish the year strong and with a good result to motivate me going into next year. I still have two more years in the Pro Junior, so I need to work hard. It's been really great free-surfing here, hanging with the locals, and the waves have been super fun. I'm really looking forward to getting started with the competition."

With the top-ranked Japanese Women's QS competitors not joining the event, the Manokwari Pro opens up a great opportunity for the Indonesian women's contingent to post a win, led by Jasmine Studer (INA), who is currently ranked 20th. Studer had an equal third finish in both the QS and Pro Junior last year, so is looking to better that result this time.

"Last year, getting 3rd places in both QS and Pro Junior here, I felt was a great result for me," said Studer. "It was my best result on the QS so far, but this year I want to win the Pro Junior and get at win or at least 2nd on the QS. The forecast is looking small, but during the practice sessions, both rights and lefts have been really fun, so it's just about picking the right one in the heat. We'll just have to wait and see on the day which will give me the best opportunities. I'm really loving it here, it's classic Indo…but we're staying at a nice hotel in town that has a mall with shops, a theatre, and an arcade, so in between surfs we're having lots of fun together here."

Camelia Aldilah SST, the Head of Tourism Industry Development and Marketing for West Papua, is happy to again be sponsoring this WSL event and welcoming back the competitors to Manokwari.

"We are proud and excited to welcome the WSL back to Manokwari for the second time. This highlights West Papua, especially Manokwari, as a world-class surfing destination," Aldilah said. "It's a great opportunity to showcase our local culture, natural beauty, and tourism potential. Since the first event, we've seen a rise in tourism, especially from international surfers, boosting the local economy in areas like hospitality, food, and transport. The community has also grown more aware of the importance of environmental conservation for sustainable tourism. We hope this event continues to benefit the local community and inspires the next generation to pursue their talents in surfing and sports."

With small to medium surf in the two-to-three foot range forecasted for the five-day event period and good tidal flows, the competitors should have plenty of opportunity to maximize the lefts and rights that this perfect peak offers.

The competition is scheduled to start today with the Men's QS Round of 32 on standby.

The 2024 Manokwari Pro QS 1000 and Pro Junior will run at Amban Beach in West Papua, Indonesia, from December 1-5.