KEANU ASING
HAWAII´S RISING STAR

Recently crowned as the new ISA World Junior Surfing Champion in the Under 16 division, we can say that Hawaiian Keanu Asing, 15, has definitely started his career in the surfing competitive world on the right foot.
He was born in the surfing mecca of Oahu, Hawaii, on May 30 1993, and started surfing as a little kid. Just a few years later, when he was 12, he was already signing a sponsor contract, winning contests and ripping all the time.

According to a press release sent by one of his long time sponsors, Vertra, “(We) first sponsored Keanu at the tender age of 12.

He may not have been the best surfer at the time, but what he lacked in ability, he made up for by possessing the key qualities that every sponsor looks and dreams of in an athlete: desire, focus and stability. In the three short years since he joined our team, Keanu has quickly ascended to the top ranks of international amateur surfing.”

At only 15, and before becoming a World Champion, only in one year, he already had won all this:

• NSSA National Championships, July 2008, Lower Trestles CA, Explorer Boys National Champion
• Billabong Pro Junior, August 2008, Canguu, Bali, Event Champion
• USA Championships, August 2008, Huntington Beach, CA, Boys Under 16 Champion
• USA Championships, August 2008, Huntington Beach, CA, Boys Under 18 Champion
• Haleiwa International Open, January 2009, Winner and 3x Defending Champion
• NSSA Hawaii Contest, March 2009, Haleiwa, HI, Triple Victory: 1st Place in Open Men´s, Open Juniors, and Explorer Juniors
• NSSA Hawaii Regional Championships, March 2009, Kewalo Basin, HI, Double Victory: 1st Place in Open Men´s and Open Juniors
• NSSA Hawaii Conference Champion, Open Juniors

To that wonderful resume, you can add now the fact that he’s the Gold Medallist of the 2009 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, the biggest surfing event for under 18 surfers in the world, where Keanu competed against the best juniors from 27 countries and won. Putting his name by the side of Jordy Smith (South Africa 2003), Matt Wilkinson (Tahiti 2004), Tonino Benson (USA 2005), Owen Wright (Brazil 2006), Garrett Parkes (Portugal 2007) and Tamaroa McComb (France 2008); all these surfers are now some of the greatest on earth and Keanu is part of the short list.

He won in the powerful lefts of la FAE in Ecuador, from March 28 until April 5, thanks to his clean top to bottom surfing. He showed that he knows how to read a wave and made long bottom turns that always ended with an explosive lip-attack.

With Hawaii fighting for the lead in Overall Team Standings, Asing did his part for his team, winning the division and giving the maximum amount of points to the Aloha country.

In the final, he beat two Brazilians, Gabriel Medina and Jessé Mendes and South African David Brand. With the Gold Medal hanging from his neck, he said: “This is the biggest thing I have ever won; I am so stoked to have pulled through the repercharges.

I think the loss in round four actually helped me. It made me more charged up and more focused. I knew I had to get good waves because every heat could have been my last. Coming to Ecuador has been an incredible experience. We have had good waves all contest and everyone surfed really well.”

Famous Hawaiian free surfer, Jason Shibata, Keanu’s team mate, said: "It has been my pleasure to watch Keanu mature into the surfer that he has become! He's got a good head on his shoulders and the heart of a true Champion.
I've always felt that Keanu's level head and strong family values were going to be the keys to his success and it has proven correct. I've seen a lot of great surfers who have got the talent but lack in the personality and the ability to stay grounded. Keanu is the total package and the world is finally beginning to see that!"

Proud father, Thomas Asing who always supported Keanu, told us the following about his son: “How many Dads can say 'My son is a World Champion’? – a quote that I could only dream of saying until recently. I am so proud of my son’s accomplishment, it took a lot of hard work and determination.

After a disappointing result in France last year, he set his goal and focused on doing a better job, putting on his best performance that he could this year. With a coach like Rainos Hayes and training 2-3 times a week in the gym, Keanu dedicated himself to achieve what he was looking for.

As a father I am more proud of who he is, a good kid who just loves to surf and has great respect for the ocean. I asked him once, "How will your success be measured when your surfing career is over?’ His response was 'Not what I get from surfing, but for what I give back.’ I think that’s great coming from a 15 year old (The fabric of a man is measured by his character, not by his accomplishments) and that's what makes me proud to be Keanu's father.”

Keanu, a good family man, a good surfer, a great young Champion with good things to come, is a name you’re going to want to remember.

About the International Surfing Association (ISA)
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the World Governing Authority for surfing, bodyboarding and surfriding. It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running world championships since 1964 and the Junior World Championships since 1980.

ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of over 50 countries on six continents. Its headquarters are located in San Diego, California. It is presided by Fernando Aguerre, first elected in 1994 in Rio, and re-elected six times since. The ISA's four Vice Presidents are Alan Atkins (Australia), Robin de Kock (South Africa), Mike Gerard (USA) and Karin Sierralta (Peru).

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