Ron Jon SI Pro Hosts 2010 ASP North America Pro Junior Series Kickoff

SEBASTIAN, Florida (Wednesday, March 10, 2010) – The 2010 ASP North America Pro Junior Series is set to kickoff the first of eight events slated for the men’s calendar with the ASP Grade-3 Ron Jon SI Pro presented by Skullcandy and also marks the first of four women’s events with the ASP Grade-2 Skullcandy Junior Pro, with both events slated to hit the iconic break of Sebastian Inlet. The event holds a waiting period from March 11-14, 2010 and is currently expecting to run on the first two available days.

The Ron Jon SI Pro and Skullcandy Junior Pro both offer up crucial ratings points on offer towards qualification for this year’s inaugural ASP World Junior Tour, where surfers earn the right to battle the globe’s hottest up-and-coming talent for the title of ASP World Junior Champion.

Dillon Perillo (Malibu, CA), 19, who is fresh off of competing in Australia at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships and the nation’s additional ASP Pro Junior events, enters the Ron Jon SI Pro as the event’s top seed and is setting his sights on a strong start to his regional campaign in hopes to qualify for this year’s ASP World Junior Tour.

“Competing at the World Juniors definitely gives me a little more confidence entering this season,” Perillo said. “It’s the hardest junior contest in the world and after competing in that, it gave me insight on how I should surf all my heats from now on.”

Perillo spends most of his time surfing near his home of Malibu, California, but after scouting out the upcoming forecast which predicts small surf at Sebastian Inlet, Perillo has been hunting for small waves to prepare for Ron Jon SI Pro.

“I’ve been to the inlet a couple times and both of those times it’s been really small so I’ve been surfing as many small waves during these two weeks that I’ve been home,” Perillo said.

After holding the ASP Pro Junior Series ratings lead throughout the entire 2009 season, Perillo saw the title slip away in the last event of the year after suffering a severe ankle injury and is now hungrier than ever to clinch the top regional ASP Pro Junior title.

“That was probably the worst thing that’s ever happened to me,” Perillo said. “I’m still recovering. It takes forever. I almost had the title last year so I’ll try to do the same this year, sign up for all the events, and hopefully be healthy all year.”

Leading the women junior talent into the Skullcandy Junior Pro will be 2009 ASP North America Pro Junior Series Champion Malia Manuel (Wailua, HI), 16. Manuel will face California’s Kaleigh Gilchrist (Newport Beach, CA), 17, in her opening heat.

For daily updates on the Ron Jon SI Pro and Skullcandy Junior Pro log on to www.aspnorthamerica.org or www.aspworldtour.com