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New Zealand wins international bid for World Junior Surfing Championships |
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Written by Surfing New Zealand
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Tuesday, 04 August 2009 |
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Alex Dive - Image Watts/ISA
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The best young surfers in the world will be competing for waves at Piha next January when Auckland plays host to the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship. The event will be held from 20-28 January.
The announcement comes after a successful approach to the sport’s global ruling body, the International Surfing Association (ISA), led by Surfing New Zealand and including New Zealand Major Events, Tourism New Zealand, Tourism Auckland, and the Auckland and Waitakere City Councils.
The 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship will see the world’s best under 18-year-old surfers battling it out for world titles in the biggest event of the junior surfing year. The spectacle at Piha is an Olympic-type event staged with competitors from around the world competing both individually and for their countries in front of large crowds.
“We’re really happy to announce that New Zealand will be the 2010 location for the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship. It is an amazing location with perfect waves and a great surfing culture. It’s really important to note that this is the first time after more than 25 years that the ISA holds an event of this magnitude in the Australasia zone,” says the ISA President, Fernando Aguerre.
“Securing this top ranked world event is fantastic for the city of Auckland, and for the sport of surfing in New Zealand,” says Greg Townsend, CEO of Surfing New Zealand which organised and led the bid process.
“We are excited to have been given this huge opportunity to showcase our unique culture and our beautiful environment to the world while at the same time giving New Zealanders a taste of the very best the sport of surfing can deliver.
“We are expecting in excess of 250 young surfers to be competing from almost 30 countries, and when you bring in support teams and followers of the sport, we are confident we will have some very big numbers both on and off the water at Piha next January,” Townsend says.
Luke Watson, Marketing Operations Manager of Quiksilver Australia, said: "We are very excited to have the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in New Zealand. NZ is such and amazing place, great waves and awesome weather that time of the year. Every body involved will have a ball."
New Zealand World Tour surfer Paige Hareb, currently ranked third in the world, says it’s a privilege to have the world champs here, with the spectacle set to deliver many benefits.
“It's a pretty big deal for the development of surfing here. Hopefully it will be well covered by the media so we get more people around New Zealand interested in our sport and more people wanting to start having a go at it as well,” says Hareb.
Earlier this year the New Zealand team came seventh at the World Junior Championship event in Ecuador. Surfing New Zealand is expecting some intense competition for the 12 places in the Kiwi team next year. Gisborne’s Jay Quinn won the forerunner to this event, the World Grommet Championships, in 2001.
Planning is now under way for the event with Surfing New Zealand focused on delivering a memorable event for the surfers, officials, fans, sponsors and spectators.
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Johnny Hicks - Image Watts/ISA
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Alex Dive - Image Watts/ISA
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Ends
Quotes
The following additional quotes reflect feedback from the organisations and individuals who helped Surfing New Zealand to secure the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship.
Tourism New Zealand
“We are delighted to see this event come to New Zealand,” says George Hickton, Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive. “New Zealand’s ease of access to the outdoors, both bush and beach, is an integral part of the Kiwi lifestyle, and something that’s the envy of many countries. Surfing is another great way to showcase what New Zealand has to offer our international visitors. We look forward to offering a 100% Pure New Zealand welcome to the competitors and their friends and family.”
SPARC
SPARC Chief Executive Peter Miskimmin says it is fantastic that New Zealand has secured the event. ``This is a growing sport among New Zealand’s youth. This is an amazing opportunity to see the best in the world competing here in our beautiful surroundings and I hope it will inspire the next generation to succeed on the world stage.’’
Auckland City Council
Auckland City Mayor John Banks is pleased to have secured another major event for the city. “This bid was a team effort between a number of organisations and is yet another example in a growing list of successes where regional collaboration has paid off. This event provides a great opportunity for Auckland to show its energy and vibrancy to the world, as well as the stunning natural beauty of its west coast beaches.”
Waitakere City Council
Waitakere City Mayor Bob Harvey says Piha’s strong surfing history makes it an ideal testing ground. “Piha is the birthplace of surfing in New Zealand. The first waves ever surfed in this country were ridden at Piha by visiting American lifeguards Rick Stoner and Bing Copeland in 1959. So the era of New Zealand surfing was born. Fifty years on, it is an honour to welcome the world’s young surfers back to the home of surfing. The wild west coast is the perfect place for a new generation of surfers to test themselves against the best competition and the hardest waves the world has to offer.”
Tourism Auckland
Tourism Auckland Chief Executive Graeme Osborne says he’s delighted Auckland will host the 2010 World Junior Surfing Championships. “As an international city we are fortunate to have a rugged surf beach right on our doorstep and I’m thrilled that Piha – one of Auckland’s jewels – will host this event. We look forward to welcoming the young international surfers to our region,” says Mr Osborne.
Maz Quinn
New Zealand’s most celebrated surfer, Maz Quinn, never secured a world junior title although he came close on several occasions. Quinn feels that hometown advantage is ‘huge’. “Having the world champs in our backyard will hopefully amp up our junior surfers to do well. They know the waves well and what Piha's like at that time of the year,” commented Quinn. “This is the chance, the perfect chance,” he adds, in relation to securing another world title.
Jay Quinn
Gisborne’s Jay Quinn won the event in 2001 and is the sole Kiwi to do so. After eight years of travelling around the world competing, Quinn expects most teams attending the event will get a shock at what New Zealand has to offer.
“I don't think the rest of the world realise what we have in New Zealand. However the thought of somewhere completely different, like New Zealand, is a destination on the mind of everyone. Once they get here they will be blown away.”
For further information, please contact:
Greg Townsend, Surfing New Zealand
07 8250018
021372146
surfingnz@xtra.co.nz
For media assistance, please contact:
Nick Brown-Haysom, New Zealand Sponsorship Agency
09 3765552
0274630208
nick@nzsponsorship.co.nz
About the International Surfing Association (ISA)
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the World Governing Authority for Surfing and all Surfriding activities, including Short Board, Longboard, Bodyboard, Kneeboard, Skimboard, Tow In and Stand Up Paddle surfing. 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.
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