Introducing: The Team

The ASP Pro Junior series is now wrapped up and our team has been decided for the ASP World Championship Junior Series. Making a claim for the title is Mitch Crews, Davey Cathels, Jack Freestone, Ty Watson and Chris Friend. The first comp of the two event series is only just around the corner and will be contested at Keramas, Bali. The second will be held at North Narrabeen. It’s been staggering ten years since an Aussie has won a World Junior title and our last surfer to come close was Shaun Cansdell who placed second back in 2003.

You don’t know any of the guys representing our country on the world stage? Don’t stress. Waves is here to break them down for you.

Mitch Crews

Age: 20
Lives: Currumbin, QLD
Sponsors: Hurley, Electric, DVS, Gorilla, FCS, Lee Stacey Surfboards, Aerial 7 Headphones
Strengths: Mitch’s strength lies in his consistency. He has the ability to win heats with a flurry of rapid manoeuvres and isn’t afraid to throw caution to the wind.
Weaknesses: Mitch is energetic to say the least. One thing that has let him down in the past is that he gets over-amped. This often leads to him to catch shit waves, which then leads him to a state of panic and which then leads to a loss. It doesn’t happen often though.
Chance of winning the World Juniors: If Mitch keeps his cool and concentrates on getting the job done, his competitive edge could lead him to victory.

Davey Cathels

Age: 19
Location: North Narrabeen, NSW
Sponsors: Rip Curl, Warner Surfboards, FCS, Gorilla.
Strengths: Growing up under the influence of Chris Davidson and Damian Hardman, Davey is a competitive mastermind. He took out the first event of the year in devastating form and tore through the year’s remaining events. Davey’s also equally as strong on his backhand as he is on his forehand.
Weaknesses: Davey rarely puts a foot wrong during a heat. When he does though, it’s partly because he hasn’t caught the best waves during the heat.
Chance of winning the World Juniors: Competent at both Keramas and North Narrabeen, Davey could be our greatest hope of bringing the title home.

Ty Watson

Age: 20
Location: Currarong, NSW
Sponsors: Electric, Mckill Shapes
Strengths: Ty’s a solid all-round surfer and has the ability to throw heat when the opportunity arises. He’s also a cunning competitor and can string a handful of heats together.
Weaknesses: Coming up against the big names in the surfing world may be the downfall of Ty. Although he’s got the ability to pull a score out of nowhere, if he’s on the ropes, his nerves can get the better of him.
Chances of winning the World Juniors: Ty’s results read like a bit of a rollercoaster. He’s either hot or he’s cold. For our sake, let’s hope he’s boiling.

Jack Freestone

Age: 18
Location: Coolangatta, QLD
Sponsors: Quiksilver, Dragon, Gorilla, FCS, JS Surfboards
Strengths: At nearly every event, Jack was a standout and you’d often see him at the business end of each comp. His consistency and ability to retain form led to his qualification for the World Juniors. Jack’s got all of the new-school flair in his repertoire and can link a series of turns, hacks and airs together to bring in the big scores.
Weaknesses: Jack is the youngest member of the Aussie team and lacks experience on the world stage. He likes to start the heat with a high score and set the tone of the heat early. If things don’t go his way, he can tend to lose his headspace and make poor decisions.
Chances of winning the World Juniors: Jack’s new-school flair will shine if the conditions are right at Narrabeen but he’s likely to succumb to nerves due to his lack of experience.

Chris Friend

Age: 20
Location: Alexandra Headland, QLD
Sponsors: Volcom, Globe, Arnette, Nixon, Chilli Surfboards, Famous.
Strengths: Friendy’s a calculated man with the goal to win on his mind. He wants to get the job done and will go about it any way he can. Friendy’s strength lies within his months of preparation beforehand and his belief in his own ability. He’s also got the experience after qualifying for the World Juniors over the last two years.
Weaknesses: The only thing that gets in the way of Friendy is small waves. Although he’s been working on this area, he sometimes struggles to get his tall frame moving.
Chances of winning the World Juniors: Friendy will approach the World Juniors in a tactical manner and his focus will purely be on improving his previous results. However, his small wave game may be the death of him come Narrabeen.

Tags: Chris Friend, Davey Cathels, Jack Freestone, Juniors, Mitch Crews, Ty Watson