Keanu Asing – HAW, R Rank: 28 Proj: 27
Keanu Asing has popped up in the CT before, once even at the Quiksilver Pro New York of all places. He’s been a constant threat in the QS, but is making the jump to CT a bit early in our opinion. He hasn’t dominated the QS by any means; in 2014 Asing posted just 538.19 TFP, with a very average 12.52 AHS, dismal 13 QSF (dismal for a CT promotion, not in terms of QS percentile), and an ice cold 2.69 REA. He averaged less than 3 rounds per event in the QS, which doesn’t bode well for a shot at CT longevity.
Surf: Small – medium waves, left or right breaks and at clean reefs. His size makes small waves look bigger and he generates more speed because he is lighter. This will impact the judges to give him a greater score than he likely earned.
We’re not taking anything away from Keanu, he’s made it to the CT by grinding it out the hard way. If there’s one positive takeaway, it’s obviously his work ethic. Asing recently moved from Hawaii to Southern California in an attempt to grow himself as a tour competitor. If he continues to take these hard but necessary steps, the heat wins should follow – it just won’t be this year.
2015 Bold Prediction: Cut from CT (prove us wrong, Keanu! It’s the numbers, not our hearts #Ke4nu)