Elite Jr. Surfing Prime Series Marks 10-years of Preparing Top Young Talent for the Big Leagues of Surfing

San Clemente, California (August 13, 2018)–USA Surfing marked the 10-year anniversary of the “Prime Series” – an elite junior surfing competition sponsored by Got Milk?. The series kicked off this weekend at Camp Pendleton’s Del Mar Jetty in conditions that challenged surfers to prioritize heat strategy skills and aggressive first turns. 
 
USA Surfing’s Prime Series is a 9-stop, cross-country tour created to bridge the gap young surfers experienced when trying to make the leap from pro junior competition to next-level competition opportunities, including a position on the USA Surfing national teams, the WSL Qualifying Series and potentially the Olympics and WSL Championship Tour. The East and West coast Prime Series contests provide a competitive experience on par with WSL events, including four-person heats with priority, computer scoring, professional WSL/ISA judges and announcers, and some of the country’s best locations. 
 
Several current WSL surfers honed their competitive skills through USA Surfing’s Prime Series, including 2018 US Open champions Courtney Conlogue and Kanoa Igarashi, 2nd-ranked Lakey Peterson, 15th-ranked Kolohe Andino, 10th-ranked Griffin Colapinto and 11th-ranked Conner Coffin. Number six in the world, 16-year old Caroline Marks qualified for the WSL Championship Tour while still competing in the Prime Series.  Watch a video from the first event here.
 
“The Prime Series is universally regarded as the highest level of junior surfing in the USA and has been instrumental in transitioning talented kids to become standouts on the USA Surfing ISA World Junior Championship training team, the WSL Qualifying Series, Championship Tour and potentially the Olympics,” USA Surfing President and Prime Series co-founder Andrea Swayne said.
 
“There is no question USA Surfing has developed a strong pipeline of talent that is becoming the envy of the world,” said USA Surfing CEO and Prime Series co-founder Greg Cruse. “These are the athletes that show great promise not just for the 2020 Olympic Games, but 2024 in Paris and 2028 in Los Angeles.”
 
Cruse said he is grateful for the decade of support from California Milk Processors Board (Got Milk?). “These important events for developing youth talent cost more to run than they bring in from entry revenue. Got Milk? stepped in from day one to bridge the gap with their generous sponsorship of the series and continued that  support over the last decade.”
 
Following are the results from the first 2018/2019 season Prime Series event held August 11-12: 
Girls U18

1. Alyssa Spencer, Carlsbad, CA
2. Caitlin Simmers, Oceanside, CA
3. Makena Burke, Ventura, CA
4. Samantha Sibley, San Clemente, CA

Girls U16

1. Caitlin Simmers, Oceanside, CA
2. Alyssa Spencer, Carlsbad, CA
3. Sawyer Lindblad, San Clemente, CA
4. Makena Burke, Ventura, CA

Boys U18

1. Jett Schilling, San Clemente, CA
2. Levi Slawson, Encinitas, CA
3. Jabe Swierkocki, Ventura, CA
4. Taj Lindblad, San Clemente, CA

Boys U16

1. Jett Schilling, San Clemente, CA
2. Taj Lindblad, San Clemente, CA
3. Levi Slawson, Encinitas, CA
4. Patrick O’connor, San Juan Capistrano, CA

Boys U14

1. Dane Matson, San Clemente, CA
2. Lucas Owston, Oceanside, CA
3. Luke Butterfield, Encinitas, CA
4. Jak Ziets, Santa Rosa, CA

 
The Got Milk? Prime Series continues in venues across the country including: 

• ​​​August 11 – 12, 2018 – USA Surfing Prime Junior Event, Del Mar Jetty, Camp Pendleton, CA
• October 13 – 14, 2018 – USA Surfing Prime Junior Event – Atlantic City, New Jersey
• October 20 - 21, 2018 – USA Surfing Prime Junior Event – Ocean Beach, San Francisco, CA
• November 17 – 18, 2018 – USA Surfing Prime Junior Event and East Coast Junior Team Training – Nags Head, North Carolina
• December 8 – 9, 2018 – USA Surfing Prime Junior Event, Salt Creek, Dana Point, CA
• January 13 – 14, 2019 – USA Surfing Prime Junior Event – Steamer Lane, Santa Cruz, CA
• February 9 – 10, 2019 – USA Surfing Prime Junior Event – Huntington Beach Pier, CA
• March 2 – 3, 2019 – USA Surfing Prime Junior Event and East Coast Junior Team Training – New Smyrna Beach, FL
• March 9 – 10, 2019 – USA Surfing Prime Junior Event – Oceanside Harbor, CA

 
The series culminates with USA Surfing Championshipsin June – the pinnacle competition with 250 of the nation’s top surfers competing for national titles at one of the world’s best surf breaks – Lower Trestles. 
 
Contact: Becky Fleischauer - becky (at) usasurfing (dot) org  

​USA Surfing is the National Governing Body for surfing in the United States, recognized by the International Surfing Association (ISA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USA Surfing’s mission is to promote and grow the sport of surfing and support United States athletes of all backgrounds to achieve sustained competitive excellence in Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American and Parapan American competition. USA Surfing will oversee and support America’s Olympic team as surfing makes its debut in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and surfing and stand-up paddleboarding athletes compete in the 2019 Pan American Games.
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