Kalani David Sunset Beach, HI ~ Photo: courtesy RVCA
Don’t be surprised if you see a young Hawaiian lighting up the Belmar Skatepark at 16th Ave. and Railroad Avenue. It might be 15-year-old Kalani David, of the North Shore. David, who made the finals of the Fosters Belmar Pro last year, is one of the greatest modern surf/skate crossover athletes. He won the Belmar Am weekend Boys division in 2010, aced the 2012 NSSA Open Juniors and recently took the North Shore Surf Shop Pipeline Junior Pro.
Who can forget the skinny young kid dropping sick air reverses off the Eighteenth Ave. jetty last year in the finals? David likes to keep the surf and skate constants in his life. He’s also a pretty solid drummer. His goals are to make the ASP World Tour, but for now watch out for him in the Fosters Pro and the Fins Junior.
PJ Raia Monmouth Beach, NJ~ Photo by Mike Incitti
Among the most promising young locals in the Fins Junior Pro this year is PJ Raia. Raia is a junior at Laurel Springs Distance Based Learning – it’s online school, so he can pursue his surf career. He won 2010′s Junior Division at the ECSC’s and notched a 7th at the DNA Energy Drink Pro Junior. He also collected top honors at the USA Prime event in Montauk for the under 18 division and was the top New Jersey surfer in the ASP North America’s ranking. This summer, Raia traveled to a series of events including the 6-star ECSC where he beat some heavy names. This kid is New Jersey’s future.
Chris Tucker Satellite Beach, FL ~ Photo: Joe D. Foster
Young Chris Tucker, always looks forward to competing in the Belmar Pro. With the solid support of Ergo, Chris has been busy traveling and competing in ASP Events throughout El Salvador, Mexico, France and UK attempting to mature is surfing skills and focus on improving results. He has secured some solid points and placement in several Pro events this year and in 2011 Chris brought home to the East Coast an NSSA National Title in Explorer Mens and in 2010 captured the ESA Open Mens title. During the last year Chris has spent months in Hawaii and Nicaragua ripping airs, training and working on tightening up his game for the future.
Jake Saenz Huntington Beach, CA ~ Photo: DMP
If you follow the pro junior ranks, you’ve certainly heard of Christian Saenz. Well, brother Jake is coming up right behind him. An HB local and junior at Huntington Beach High School, the kid has already been to Fiji, Hawaii and Mexico several times. When he’s not out busting beachbreak airs, he can be found slinging boards and wetsuits at Huntington Surf and Sport. Last year, he finished third at the NSSA Western Championships. Saenz says he’s looking forward to some East Coast food and simply seeing what’s so different about the New Jersey from California. He’s also down with taking a little time away from school and just hanging with all the boys. He will be competing in both the Fins Pro Junior and the Fosters Belmar Pro Mens.
Keto Burns St. Augustine, Florida ~ Photo: Jessie Wicker
Keto Burns is only 19 but already has a few Belmar Pros under his belt. From St. Augustine Florida, he took first in Open Mens at the NSSA East coast Championships, first in Juniors ESA Easterns, and was the under-18 Surfing American Prime East Coast champ all in 2011. He has been busy traveling through Central America building up points in have also been traveling through central America and over in Europe building points toward the ASP’s World Ranking. He recently graduated from high school and is taking online college classes while traveling and competing. He especially looks forward to Belmar because the surf is always solid.
Colin Moran Newport Beach, CA ~ Photo:Robertson/ASP
Nothing better than hungry West Coast talent coming out to New Jersey to throw down. This year, Belmar will welcome five-year USA Surfing America Team member, Colin Moran, 17, of Newport Beach. Moran was an NSSA West Coast Champ, West Coast Rip Curl Grom Search Champ and VQS National Champ. He’s a hardworking kid with a tight focus on competition. Last year he took third place in the 18-and-under division at the Quiksilver USA Championships. Last year, he also joined the Ocean & Earth team. He will be competing in the Fins Jr. Pro and also the Fosters Belmar Pro.
Eduar Santana Cabarete, Dominican Republic ~ Photo Pasasurf.org
Eduar Santana, 18, affectionately known as “Papito”, is from Cabarete,Dominican Republic. He began surfing at the age of nine, immediately emerging as a top athlete with talent. In 2010 he was awarded “Athlete of the Year” by the Dominican Olympic Committee, nominated by Dominican Surfing Federation for his outstanding performance in the National Surf Circuit 2010 season, where he was ranked first place in both the Open Surf and Junior categories, as well as fourth in the Longboard division. In 2011, Eduar again achieved the status of National Champion, ranking first in both the Open Surf and Junior Surf division. As part of the Dominican Surf Team, Eduar has competed internationally in many events, including the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games 2010 in Peru, the VIII Pan American Surfing Games 2007 in Chile, the X Pan American Surfing Games 2011 in Guadeloupe, and the Reef Classic Latin Pro 2011 in Panama. This will be the first time Eduar will compete at the Fins Jr. Pro in Belmar, his first ASP event.
Mikey Ciaramella Stone Harbor, NJ Photo: Joe Ciaramella
New Jersey’s next likely competitive threat may come from a very unlikely place – Stone Harbor. And that kid may be the 2010 Belmar Amateur Weekend Jr. champ, Mikey Ciaramella. With competitive smarts of a surfer much more experienced, Ciaramella has completely owned the amateur ranks in South Jersey for years and has carried the Middle Township High School Surf Team since he was a freshman. He also took third in Explorer Mens at the NSSA Easterns. Last year, he event posted a very impressive equal third place at the very competitive Garden State Grudge Match, before heading off to shoot in Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
