An impressive line up of New Zealand's top surfers left for California today (Friday) to compete at the 2006 Lost Energy Drink ISA World Surfing Games that takes place from the 14^th - 22^nd of October.  The eleven strong team includes surfers from Auckland, Raglan, Whangamata, Gisborne and Dunedin.  The World Surfing Games will play host to thirty three teams from around the world.

The New Zealand team is highly confident of improving on the 13^th placing they achieved in the biennial event when it was last held in Ecuador in 2004.  The 2004 team achieved some excellent results including a 13^th placing in the Open Men's by Felix Dickson (Dun) but were restricted from gaining a higher placing by not sending the full complement of surfers to the event.

An impressive line up of New Zealand's top surfers left for California today (Friday) to compete at the 2006 Lost Energy Drink ISA World Surfing Games that takes place from the 14^th - 22^nd of October.  The eleven strong team includes surfers from Auckland, Raglan, Whangamata, Gisborne and Dunedin.  The World Surfing Games will play host to thirty three teams from around the world.

The New Zealand team is highly confident of improving on the 13^th placing they achieved in the biennial event when it was last held in Ecuador in 2004.  The 2004 team achieved some excellent results including a 13^th placing in the Open Men's by Felix Dickson (Dun) but were restricted from gaining a higher placing by not sending the full complement of surfers to the event.

"This year's team surf with a lot of flare and are capable of pulling out the big moves in the beach break conditions that Huntington Beach often dishes up" commented National Selector Ben Kennings.  "The likes of Open Men's surfers Luke Cederman (Rag), Morehu Roberts (Gis) and AJ Matthews (WGM) are excellent proponents of aerial surfing and that is what scored extremely high when the World Junior Champs were held at the same venue in 2005".  Along with Zennor Wernham (Rag), all four surfers compete successfully at the top level in New Zealand and will look to emulate their national success on the international stage.

Matthews along with the fourth Open Men's surfer Zennor Wernham (Rag) were late replacements in the team when two other surfers became unavailable.  Likewise in the Open Women's, Mischa Davis (Piha) was a late replacement for Airini Mason who this week contested the Havaianas Beachley Classic World Championship Tour event in Sydney Australia.  Davis who recently finished fourth in the Australasian Pro Junior Tour joins Lisa Hurunui (Gis) in the Open Women's draw.

Lisa Hurunui has spent the second half of the year residing back in New Zealand after having competed on the World Qualifying Series (WQS) for the past several years.  After recently recovering from a back injury and three months out of the water, Hurunui is weighing up her international competitive future and may well focus on New Zealand events only.  Hurunui climbed as high as 16^th on the WQS in 2004.  Her campaign at this years World Surfing Games has been aided by Ingham Mora and Papamoa's Top Ten Holiday Park who worked with Lisa on a learn to surf programme held in the Bay of Plenty earlier this year.  The proceeds were originally targeted at her WQS campaign, however her back trouble prevented her from competing on the tour and she has now focused on this pinnacle event.

Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck) was runner-up on the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour this year and the up and coming star will take on his first international event full of confidence after training all week in perfect waves that he scored in the Far North.  The bodyboarding pair of Andrew Low and Hayden Parsons come from the deep south and the two flat together in Dunedin where they spend much of their time hunting out serious waves along the Otago coastline.  Together with female bodyboarder Mihi Wells (Auck) they form what looks to be the strongest bodyboarding contingent that has represented New Zealand at the last three events.

The New Zealand team is as follows:
Open Men
Luke Cederman (Raglan)
Morehu Roberts (Gisborne)
Zennor Wernham (Raglan)
AJ Matthews (Whangamata)

Open Women
Lisa Hurunui (Gisborne)
Mischa Davis (Piha)

Men's Bodyboard
Andrew Low (Dunedin)
Hayden Parsons (Dunedin)

Women's Bodyboard
Mihi Wells (Auckland)

Men's Longboard
Thomas Kibblewhite (Auckland)

The event commences on the 14^th of October (Pacific Time) with a Parade of Nations along the world famous Huntington Beach.  All teams will then pour sand from each of the thirty three countries into a specially crafted box which will be kept in the surfing museum.

About International Surfing Association (ISA)
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognised 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.

For further information regarding the naming of this team, please contact Ben Kennings at Surfing New Zealand 07 8250018, 0212278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.

Event media releases will be distributed daily and updates on the progress of the New Zealand team will also be sent out.  File images of the New Zealand team are available courtesy of New Zealand Surfing Magazine.

The New Zealand team is supported by The New Zealand Community Trust and Billabong.

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