The New Zealand Junior Surfing Team was announced today with twelve of the nations top surfers set to compete at the 2008 ISA Quiksilver World Junior Surfing Championships to be held at Hossegor, France.  The prestigious event takes place from the 24^th of May through to the 1^st of June.

The New Zealand team boosts some of the biggest talent to come out of the country with team members having secured three finals berths in recent years.  Paige Hareb (Tara) and Airini Mason, who currently resides in Queensland, are two surfers with big expectations.  Both surfers have made the finals of the event in previous years – Mason in 2006 and Hareb in 2007.  Both surfers placed fourth in the final and this being their last year at the World Junior Champs they will want to leave a big impression.  

The two surfers have recently contested the ASP Australasian Pro Junior Tour in which Mason won in 2006 and placed second in 2007.  Hareb has had success on the tour currently ranked second after winning the most recent event at Coffs Harbour.  The two surfers are also competing on the ASP World Qualifying Series in 2008 with Paige currently ranked 5^th and Mason 13^th.  Alexis Poulter (Rag) and Rosa Thompson (Auck) round out the girls team after accomplishing solid results at domestics events this summer.

Mason is one of three Australian based surfers in the team.  Several of the team have also been competing on the Australasian Pro Junior Tour all summer.  Eli Jacobs who lives in Queensland surfed his way into the team with great results over summer that now see him ranked 27^th on the above mentioned tour which caters for surfers under the age of 20.  Of the four under 18 boys in the team Jacobs is ranked the highest of the lot.

Ryan Hawker (Piha) and Matt Hewitt (Mnt) both move up to the under 18 boys division in 2008.  Hawker has toured in the team for the past two years.  Hewitt made his first foray into international competition in 2007 stunning his competition by placing third at the event.  Paco Divers (Sandy Bay) the fourth under 18 boy in the team was the 2007 New Zealand Junior Champion and placed eighth on the Corona Crown Series in the open men’s division and first in the under 18 men’s division for 2007.

In the under 16 boys division Alex Dive (Mnt) and Johnny Hicks (Gis) have rivalled each other all summer sharing the victors spoils.  They are joined by Whangamata’s Blake Myers who continues to impress gaining finals berths throughout summer and Australian based Damo Norman.  Norman is a young up and comer and at the age of 14 is making an impression on the Australian ranks competing individually, for his school and for his State of New South Wales. 

There are five newcomers to the team in 2008 – Eli Jacobs, Rosa Thompson, Alex Dive, Blake Myers and Damo Norman.

The 2008 New Zealand Junior Surfing Team is as follows:

Under 18 Boys
Eli Jacobs – Queensland

Matt Hewitt – Mount Maunganui

Paco Divers – Sandy Bay

Ryan Hawker - Piha

Under 18 Women
Airini Mason - Queensland

Alexis Poulter - Raglan

Paige Hareb – Taranaki

Rosa Thompson – Auckland

Under 16 Boys
Alex Dive – Mount Maunganui

Blake Myers - Whangamata

Damo Norman – New South Wales

Johnny Hicks – Gisborne

The non travelling reserves are Sean Peggs (Tairua), Tane Wallis (Piha) and India Wray-Murane (Muriwai) for the under 18s, 16 and under 18 women respectively.

The World Junior Surfing Championships is an annual event having been held since 2003.  New Zealand has competed at the event since its inception as well as competing at the World Grommet Titles as it was formerly known since 1989.  New Zealand has been one of the top nations at each event with Jay Quinn (Gis) securing New Zealand’s first World Championship in the Under 18 Men’s division in 2001.  In 2007 the New Zealand team placed fourth at the event with the best results coming from Matt Hewitt who placed third in the under 16 boys and Paige Hareb who placed fourth in the under 18 girls.

Prior to the main event the team will meet South Africa to contest the annually run ‘SANZ’ Trophy held between the two teams.  New Zealand currently hold the trophy after winning it in 2007.  The two teams will fine tune their competitive strategies only days out from the main event.  The unique trophy that is up for grabs is made out of a solid Pounamu base with paua inlay and a surfboard made out of South African hardwood.

The event will be broadcast live over the net via www.isasurf.org.  Media releases on the team’s performance will be distributed daily throughout the event.  For further information regarding the New Zealand Junior Surfing Team please contact Ben Kennings at Surfing New Zealand 07 8250018, 0212278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz. 

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