While our first issue of 2009, out in a couple of weeks, catches up with the European ASP World Tour rookies Boal, Lipke and Bourez for this year, let’s have a look at the next guys who could toughened the Euroforce in 2010 and the years to come. Looking right now at the 2009 WQS ratings won’t help a lot, probably because of the ongoing economic crisis. Most surfers will have to follow the Tour with less budget than previous years so they’ll probably opt for quality over quantity or at least a leg of the WQS that concentrate at least two or three contests in a geographical zone. It explains the relative absence of European surfers in events like Fernando de Noronha, where in the past they travel in numbers for that one contest and actually brought back some precious points early in the season. But there could be another reason, the generation gap: Boal, Lipke, Bourez made it and our top juniors are just starting on the WQS a part from one or two notable exceptions. So let’s have a quick look at those future players…

Joan Duru (Fra) (30th place on the 08 WQS) who was featured last year in the mag. Joan had a good run last year on the WQS but never really came close from the top 15. He is 100% on QS and is definitely Europe’s greatest hope for qualification especially with the kind of surfing he showed this winter. With his powerful surfing, we should see him starting his season in Tasmania and Margaret River…

Marc Lacomare (Fra) Junior, you discovered Marco’s quiver last year in the mag…he has the perfect approach to competitive surfing. He made sure the past few years to get as much experience as possible in the Junior ranks and won a few contests in that category. He had a couple of good results in big WQS contests but his priority wasn’t there yet, which is the case this year so hopefully all that preparation will pay off

Romain Cloitre (Reu) (98th WQS 08), he is the leader of the Reunion clan, counting numerous talents like Hugo Savalli, Maxime Huscenot, Medi Veminardi…The 2007 European junior champ will be looking at putting his teeth deep in the WQS flesh, he needs some good results and make a few more rounds to really be one of the future player. Slightly on the back foot last year, Romain could light things up this year if he started feeling a bit more at home on the WQS.

Hugo Savalli (Reu) (55th WQS 08), the best European last year at the O’Neill Highland Open, that good result probably gave him a taste for more but Hugo, last year, had not plan to follow the full season so he disappear in the depth of the ratings. This year, with full support from his sponsor he could further get used to the fierce competition of the WQS and gain in confidence and motivation traveling with the new Euroforce generation.

Charly Martin (Gdp) Junior…The 2008 runner up at the World Junior Championship in Narrabeen was in testing mode last year. He entered a few big contests during the season and had some quality results along the line but this year, he should be tackling the men league at full force and hopefully step up his game to be in reach of the top 15…

Patrick Beven (Fra) (45th WQS 08), he is still the only European surfer to have won several major WQS contests, so Patrick isn’t a stranger to victory. He failed to qualify two years ago victim to the numbers two spots away from the top 45 and he is probably looking at all his class mates in the ASP World tour today. So is Beven going to go for an extra year on the WQS or maybe start a fighter career, first contests will tell…

Gony Zubizarreta (SP) (47th last year on the WQS)…Same than Patrick without the 6 stars victories in Brazil and Canaries. Gony has another year or two ahead of him but unless he starts making it past the round of 48 this year, he has no chance of building some momentum to be in reach of the top 30…

Johnatan Gonzalez (Can) (53th last year)…one of the most talented European surfer without a doubt but also one of the most fragile mentally. He coped a double interference last year during the Rip Curl Pro in Hossegor, if Jonathan can get his competitive head together, well he could still be up there with Duru and Lacomare in the top 3 euros…His bag of tricks and his tube riding skills could take him all the way but most of his heats in the past where lost not in the water…