ASP Prime Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro and Oakley Pro Junior

For the fourth year running, the 6.0 Lowers Pro will descend on Lower Trestles in San Clemente, Calif., from May 3-7 as an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) PRIME event. This year, however, the ante has been upped with a generously enhanced $250,000 prize purse including a $20,000 14-karat gold railroad spike trophy for the winner—an increase of more than $100,000 from last year. Running concurrently, the newly upgraded ASP five-star Oakley Pro Junior will see 32 men (20 years and younger) battling for crucial ASP regional ratings points and a $25,000 prize purse.

The 6.0 Lowers Pro is the first of only three PRIME events on the U.S. Mainland and nine internationally. Its location at one of North America’s most respected surf spots always ensures a who’s who of competitors, ranging from World Champions to top World Ranking standouts to the upper echelon of up-and-coming young talent. A narrow field of 96 men will contend for a piece of the $250,000 purse and the lucrative PRIME ratings points on offer.  With 3,500 points up for grabs for first place, this event offers the most ASP ratingspoints possible in a single qualifying event.

With more than 30 ASP World Tour competitors in attendance and a firing south swell, last year’s event pushed the performance barriers of competitive surfing. In the end, Gabe Kling (St. Augustine, FL) earned the title and the coveted gold railroad spike after defeating ASP World Tour surfer Chris Davidson (AUS) in the man-on-man final. With the continuing elevation of the event and the increased prize money available, this year’s gold railroad spike has been upgraded to solid 14-karat gold, sweetening the pot even further for this year’s title earner.

“It was a very special thing for Nike 6.0 to enable and witness the progression of the sport happen at last year's 6.0 Lowers Pro,” says Zach Boon, Nike 6.0 North American Brand Manager. “Now that the ASP's evolution has taken hold, the role that the Lowers Pro plays is more crucial than ever. The hungry competitorsbattling to make it to the World Tour, the top 32 fighting for points to stay on Tour, and a performance wave like Lowers are all ingredients that make this PRIME event an exciting time to be a surfer.”

Historically, the long-running Trestles event has seen an impressive list of previous champions, including 10-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (Cocoa Beach, FL), three-time ASP World Champion Andy Irons (Hanalei, HI), Rob Machado (Encinitas, CA), Shane Beschen (San Clemente, CA), C.J. Hobgood (Melbourne Beach, FL), and Tom Curren (Santa Barbara, CA), to name a few.

The Oakley Pro Junior event that will run concurrently has been upgraded to a five-star ranking on the ASP Junior Tour and serves as the highest-rated junior men’s qualifier in North America this year. The major points on offer will bring top juniors looking to qualify for the ASP World Junior Tour events, the first of which is the Oakley ASP World Junior in Bali.

“We are excited to be at Lowers for our fifth straight year,” says Ronny Nelson, Oakley Surf Marketing Manager.  “We have upgraded the event to a five-star knowing that Lower Trestles is the best wave in the U.S. for performance surfing and the Juniors these days will take to the sky to keep it exciting. The best surfers deserve the most points on their race to qualify for the Worlds and to become the North American ASP Junior Champion. Nike 6.0 has really stepped it up this year and we are proud to be affiliated with this event.”