Photo: Hilleman
Dylan Goodale found the right waves to win the Vans
Pier Classic on his 19th birthday

Dylan Goodale, 19, won the ASP World Qualifying Series 2-Star Vans Pier Classic in a come-from-behind victory over former event champion Micah Byrne, big-wave specialist Peter Mel and Santa Cruz aerialist Jason Collins to take out his first career ASP WQS victory while ringing in his 19th birthday. Kolohe Andino clinched his inaugural ASP Pro Junior win by clinching the ASP Grade-2 Ezekiel Pro Junior.

Goodale, who has just begun to establish himself on the ASP WQS, significantly surpassed any of his previous results to take out the Vans Pier Classic win today. The young Hawaiian was following in a close second behind Byrne, but passed the former event champion when he locked into a solid righthander, carving two clean turns before finishing the wave with a clean air-reverse.
Photo: Hilleman
Macy Mullen was a regular standout throughout the
competition
"I'm baffled," Goodale said. "This is my first 'QS win, I've never even made it past the Round of 64 before. It was just a gentlemen's heat out there. There was no hassling, we were all just talking and asking each other who was going to go. I'm so happy with this win, I don't even know what to say right now."

In addition to his first ASP WQS win, today's victory is especially memorable for the progressive regular-footer, who clinched the title on his birthday. "I just can't believe it," Goodale said. "Today is my birthday too, so I couldn't really ask for more than this."

Byrne, who won the Vans Pier Classic in 2007, was a serious title threat at this year's event and the local favorite catapulted out to an early lead in the final match-up, but was unable to find the scores need in the dying minutes of the heat to surpass Goodale.

Photo: Hilleman
Cody Thompson from Florida lit up the lefts at
Huntington Pier
"It's always great to make it through the rounds in front of the home crowd and friends and family," Byrne said. "The waves were amazing and the weather is amazing, it was a great day."

The ASP Pro Junior surfers put on an absolutely phenomenal display of progressive surfing in what many are calling the heat of the entire event, with each surfer punting massive air-reverses and unleashing crucial fins-free turns while Kolohe Andino, who took out his inaugural ASP Pro Junior victory, battled close friend Luke Davis in blow-for-blow exchanges for this year's Ezekiel Pro Junior title. Fellow Orange County surfer Andrew Doheny followed closely behind the pair and finished third overall while Tyler Newton got off to a slow start in the impressive bout and finished a solid fourth place overall.

Photo: Hilleman
Kolohe Andino claimed his first ASP Pro Junior
Andino, who started off his Final campaign in top form, found the massive score needed in the final minutes of the ASP Pro Junior match-up to eventually post the highest heat total of the entire event, a near-perfect 17.95 out of 20, by launching two huge air-reverses in a last ditch effort to take out his first ASP Pro Junior event victory in his first ASP Final appearance.

"Everyone was ripping and I had to surf my very, very best to win that event," Andino said. "It was just going back and forth and I knew I needed another score and then I got that wave at the end, I was so stoked, I even claimed it. I almost can't believe it. I've always had such a hard time in the Pro Junior events, I'm just so stoked."

Davis, who had secured a mind-blowing 16.90 heat total in the Final, seemed to have clinched his first ASP Pro Junior event win, but despite the impressive effort, could not find another near-perfect score to top Andino and finished runner-up.

For event highlights log on to http://www.vans.com/pierclassic/

Vans Pier Classic Final Results:
1. Dylan Goodale (HAW) 16.30
2. Micah Byrne (USA) 15.65
3. Peter Mel (USA) 9.75
4. Jason Collins (USA) 6.95

Ezekiel Pro Junior Final Results:
1. Kolohe Andino (USA) 17.95
2. Luke Davis (USA) 16.90
3. Andrew Doheny (USA) 16.35
4. Tyler Newton (HAW) 13.00