Thursday, October 1, 2026
When local surf hero Balaram Stack, 19, emerged from the water and walked onto the sand after completing a round of surfing during the Unsound Pro Junior competition last Friday, what was most obvious was his beaming smile and his pride in carrying his board back ashore.
“It’s fun, it’s great,” said Stack, of Point Lookout, noting that since he was seven-years-old, he has taken every opportunity to hit the waves. “I’m just trying to get a good wave. There aren’t always waves like this.”
The Unsound Pro Junior competition — part of a series of events that kicked off on April 27 and ran through April 30 — took place on April 29 at the beach at National Boulevard. The contest, said Dave Juan, co-owner of Unsound Surf, attracted roughly 50 surfers, ages 20 and under, who are competing in the Association of Surfing Professionals’ men’s North America Pro Junior Series. Long Beach was the sixth stop of nine in the series.
The contest, according to the ASP, is meant to help up-and-coming surfers establish themselves on the junior tour alongside more experienced surfers who are competing for a $10,000 purse. Unsound Surf, the presenting sponsor and organizer of the event, worked along with sponsors Red Bull, Skull Candy and Oakley.
The top three finishers in the North American series, Juan said, will compete in the ASP Junior Men’s World Championship.
At the Unsound Pro Junior competition, Keanu Asing, of Hawaii, placed first, while Christian Saenz, of California, placed second, Tanner Hendrickson, of Hawaii, placed third, and Stack placed fourth.
After the competition, an awards ceremony was held for the winners of the contest that night at the Allegria Hotel, also a sponsor of the competition.
Asing, 17, who has been surfing since he was four years old, said he was thrilled about his win, and that he thoroughly enjoyed competing in Long Beach.
“I like the food here, I like the people, I like the city,” Asing said. “It’s awesome — and Unsound is the best surf shop in Long Beach.”
Saenz, 19, said that the competition was a memorable experience as a surfer.
“I love this place, Long Beach is awesome,” Saenz said. “I had such a good time.”
Mike Nelson, co-owner of Unsound Surf shop, called the event fantastic, and said he believed that because of this year’s harsh winter season, many decided to take to the beach early to watch the competition or just enjoy the sunny weather.
“You have great waves, sunshine, everything is going smooth,” he said during the contest. “[This event] sets up the whole beach season.”
While many surfers said they were “stoked” about the Unsound Pro Junior competition, another surfing competition was also a main topic of conversation among surfers — the Quiksilver Pro New York competition, slated for Sept. 4-15, the sixth of 11 events on this year’s ASP world tour and one of the largest surfing contests in the country.
It will be the first ASP World Title Race event ever held on the East Coast, and has already created a huge buzz in the Long Beach surfing community.
Competitor Andrew Brooke, 17, of Bay Shore, NY, said after the Unsound Pro Junior that he anticipates a massive turnout come September.
“I think it’s really sick,” Brooke said. “It’s great exposure for New York.”
Saenz echoed those sentiments, and said that the competition will make for a good time for residents, both surfers and non-surfers alike, across the barrier island.
“It’s really good for the community and New York surfing,” he said, describing the event as “awesome” and “exciting.”
Stack, who said he would be participating in the Quiksilver event, said that the event couldn’t come soon enough.
“I can’t wait for it,” Stack said. “I think it’ll be the biggest event Long Beach has ever seen.”
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