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Written by Ben Kennings
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Monday, 16 May 2011 |
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Tane Wallis - Image Silas / Kiwi Surf Mag
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The Rip Curl New Zealand Junior Surfing Team departs to the 2011 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships in Peru tomorrow (Tuesday 17 May).
The twelve surfers in the team have been busy working on their surfing both at
training camps and on a personal basis as well as getting all their equipment
fine tuned and fundraising to make ends meet before they leave.
Three weeks ago the team got together for two days of training at Mahia where
they stayed on a marae and got to know each other as well as train hard on the
water. Come tomorrow they will start a
long journey across the Pacific Ocean to Peru where they will contest the
biggest event of their short careers.
Alexis Poulter and Joe Moretti captain the team of youthful surfers, this being
Poulter’s fifth foray to the international arena.
“It will be good leading the team as captain” said Poulter. “I have had a lot of experience at the event
and there are a few new members going this year so I plan to provide them as
much support as possible.”
Poulter herself placed fifteenth at the event in 2010 – a personal best that
she hopes to improve on again in 2011 as she attempts to bust into the top ten
surfers in the Under 18 Girls Division.
Early swell forecasts have a massive swell hitting the Peruvian coastline on
the first two days of the event, a scenario that Poulter feels will help the
cause of her team.
“I have been watching forecasts, it looks big when we get there, then it drops
off before picking up again at the end of the event. Hopefully it is big the whole time, it will
suit us if it is.”
Fellow team captain Joe Moretti will attend the event for the second time. Highly regarded for his fitness levels and
dedicated approach to his surfing, Moretti will bring professionalism to the
team and lead by example contesting the Under 18 Boys Division.
“These events are long, we are away for over two weeks and spend eight straight
days at the beach so it is important that our support structure is good” said
Moretti. “We must get in behind each
other with good support for the best chance of winning. We still have to focus on our own performance
too.”
Kennings, the youngest team member, is one of three first timers in the Rip
Curl New Zealand Junior Surfing Team and he thinks that all three of them will
bring a sense of excitement to the team.
“We have never been in the team before so I am sure we will be psyched up and
amped on everything that happens, hopefully that washes off on everyone” said
Kennings.
The youngest of the Moretti brothers Paul, echoed Kennings thoughts thinking
that the ‘newbies’ will bring motivation and a winning attitude to the team,
getting up early and taking it all in every day. “I think we will enjoy it, it will certainly
be my biggest overseas experience, and the biggest event I have ever been in.”
said Moretti.
Likewise Ella Williams was looking forward to making the most of the journey to
Peru. “I am looking forward to meeting new people,
surfing a new break and being in such a competitive environment with so many
other good surfers my age.” It is so
exciting, it will be cool to meet the local people too and see how they live, I
am very very excited.”
The team will be lead by manager Lee Ryan who pointed toward a long build up to
the event that will put the team in a good position.
“The team morale is high, all the training and preparations are complete. We have just got to get out there, stay
focused and give it 100%” said Ryan.
The World Junior Championship is the world’s pinnacle event for surfers under
the age of 18 with over 30 countries comprising 250 surfers ready to stake a
claim for world titles.
The Rip Curl New Zealand Junior Surfing Team includes surfers from six regions
throughout New Zealand with the small surf town of Whangamata providing three
surfers, Northland, Auckland, Raglan, Gisborne all providing two surfers a
piece with one representative from Mount Maunganui.
The 2011 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship starts proper
overnight Sunday (New
Zealand time) with the first heats. Prior to that, the team will take part in an
Olympic style parade of nations. You can
catch the entire event live via World Junior Surfing Championship.
The New Zealand Junior Surfing Team is as follows:
Under 18 Boys
Ben Poulter (Rag)
Joe Moretti
(Mimiwhangata)
Tane Wallis (Piha)
Todd Doyle (Mnt)
Under 18 Girls
Alexis Poulter (Rag)
Ella Williams (WGM)
Grace Spiers (WGM)
Jayda Martin – Fitzharris (Gis)
Under 16 Boys
Adam Grimson (Gis)
Dune Kennings (WGM)
Elliot Paerata – Reid (Piha)
Paul Moretti
(Mimiwhangata)
Team Manager/Coach: Lee Ryan (Mnt)
Team Assistant Manager/Coach: Anna Jolly (Auck)
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 2010 the New
Zealand team placed seventh at the event when it was held
in New Zealand
for the first time in the events history.
Once in Peru and prior to
the main event, the team will face off with South Africa in the annually run
‘SANZ’ Trophy held between the two teams.
South Africa
currently holds the trophy after winning it in 2010 at Piha. 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.
Further
Information
For further information on the Rip Curl New Zealand
Junior Surfing Team please contact Surfing New Zealand’s Ben Kennings on 021
2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.
Imagery
High resolution action images of squad members will be available to media free
of charge upon request.
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