The New Zealand Junior Surfing Team has progressed over half of their members through the qualifying rounds after two days of competition at the 2017 VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship currently taking place in Japan.
Seven surfers remain in the qualifying rounds including all four female members.
The event is taking place from 23rd September – 1st October and is playing host to 41 countries.
The boys divisions were contested on the first day of the event with good performances seeing four team members win their heats. The winners were led by Mount Maunganui’s Kehu Butler with a 15.66 point heat total out of a possible 20.
Team members in the Under 16 Boys Division also stepped up, themselves producing rides in excess of seven points. They included Dylan Preston (Mnt), Caleb Cutmore (Ham) and Kaya Horne (Gold Coast).
In their second round matchups late on day two, it was the experience of Mount Maunganui duo Butler and Jonas Tawharu that saw them advance through to the third round while their fellow team members were eliminated to the repechage rounds.
Both Butler and Tawharu won their heats with scores of 14.60 and 12.83 respectively.
“I had a local Japanese surfer in my heat who knew the banks really well but I got a good right hander that grew and it was nice and steep so I surfed it my best on my backhand to take the early lead then backed it up with another right” said Tawharu post heat.
“I’m feeling really confident in the small waves especially on my backhand and the whole team is ripping with a lot of kids still in the main round. Kehu and I have a break tomorrow and then back on for Qualifying Round 3 the following day” he added.
Team mates Elliott Brown (Dun) in the Under 18s as well as Dylan Preston (Mnt), Caleb Cutmore (Ham) and Kaya Horne (Gold Coast) in the Under 16s were relegated to the repechage rounds after placing third in their heats to some strong competition from the major nations.
Earlier in the day the girls divisions got action underway.
Raiha Ensor (Mnt) came from behind in the second half of her heat to post a 12.73 point heat total and advance while Saffi Vette (Gis) advanced in first place with an 11.96 point heat total.
Both Elin Tawharu (Mnt) and Tegen Bishop (Chch) placed second in their respective heats to advance.
Those relegated to the repechage rounds today will join Jared Gebert (Ohope) who was pipped in the final two minutes and finished third in his heat on day one.
William Van Der Beek (Mnt) had the day off but will be back in action first thing on Tuesday morning.
The swell is forecast to build on day three and for the following two days however the onshore wind is also predicted to accompany the building swell.
Day 4 schedule
Podium 1
11:50am – Under 16 Boys Qualifying Round 2, Heat 15 – William Van Der Beek (Mnt)
1:30pm – Under 18 Girls Qualifying Round 2, Heat 4 – Elin Tawharu (Mnt)
2:10pm – Under 18 Girls Qualifying Round 2, Heat 6 – Raiha Ensor (Mnt)
4:10pm – Under 16 Girls Qualifying Round 2, Heat 4 – Tegen Bishop (Chch)
4:50pm – Under 16 Girls Qualifying Round 2, Heat 6 – Saffi Vette (Gis)
Podium 2
12:00pm – Under 18 Boys Repechage Round 1 Heat 16 – Jared Gebert (Mnt)
The 2017 VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship is being streamed live via ISAWorlds.com. Japan is three hours behind New Zealand and action is expected to get underway between 7:30am and 8:00am daily.
Please see below for results from the first two days of the event which were completed today (Monday 25th September 2017).
Under 18 Boys Qualifying Round 1
Heat 2
Joshe Faulkner (RSA) 14.17, 1, Elliott Brown (NZL) 7.33, 2, Juan Pablo Yanez (ECU) 6.67, 3, Mauro Pacitto (ITA) 5.20, 4
Heat 15
Jonas Tawharu (NZL) 12.17, 1, Koby Oberholzer (RSA) 10.43, 2, Andres Duran (ECU) 7.97, 3, Ben Calum Larg (SCO) 5.87, 4
Heat 19
Kehu Butler (NZL) 15.66, 1, Ethan Fletcher (RSA) 9.6, 2, Joshua Marcillo (ECU) 6.07, 3, Peter H M Laing (SCO) 2.4, 4
Heat 30
Adin Masencamp (RSA) 14.5, 1, Alex Suarez Bazan (ECU) 12.8, 2, Jared Gebert (NZL) 10.67, 3, Giulio Caruso (ITA) 8.73, 4
Under 18 Boys Qualifying Round 2
Heat 1
Francisco Almeida (POR), 15.10, 1, Thomas Debierre (FRA), 12.50, 2, Elliott Brown (NZL), 10.67, 3, Uriel Sposaro (ARG), 8.46, 4
Heat 7
Jonas Tawharu (NZL), 12.83, 1, Zouhir Sélyann (MAR), 11.14, 2, Rinta Ooto (JPN), 10.23, 3, Tomás Ribeiro (POR), 4.73, 4
Heat 9
Kehu Butler (NZL), 14.60, 1, Gonçalo Vieira (POR), 12.07, 2, Aboufiras Neil (MAR), 10.23, 3, Yuri Ogasawara (JPN), 5.70, 4
Under 16 Boys Qualifying Round 1
Heat 2
Dylan Preston (NZL) 11.50, 1, Tao Rodriguez (PAN) 9.76, 2, Max Michalewski (POL) 9.23, 3, Eli Beukes (RSA) 3.70, 4
Heat 15
Isauro Elizondo (PAN) 13.77, 1, Caleb Cutmore (NZL) 12.50, 2, Kian Martin (SWE) 11.53, 3, Max Elkington (RSA) 9.17, 4
Heat 19
Kaya Horne NZL (12.90), 1, Dillen Hendricks (RSA) 9.43, 2, Luis Carlos Lopez (PAN) 8.70, 3, Eliott Perrochon (PAN) 4.43, 4
Heat 30
Luke Slijpen (RSA) 11.83, 1, William Van Der Beek (NZL) 9.24, 2, Adam Warchol (POL) 8.23, 3, Nikita Petrov (RUS) 3.97, 4
Under 16 Boys Qualifying Round 2
Heat 2
Keanu Chris Kamiyama (JPN), 15.80, 1, Micha Cantor (USA), 13.50, 2, Dylan Preston (NZL), 11.20, 3, Martin Cantera (URU), 7.87, 4
Heat 8
Justin Becret (FRA), 15.83, 1, Taro Watanabe (USA), 13.84, 2, Caleb Cutmore (NZL), 11.54, 3, Jin Suzuki (JPN), 10.17, 4
Heat 9
Riaru Ito (JPN), 11.94, 1, Joaquim Chaves (POR), 10.37, 2, Jorge Martínez (PUR), 10.14, 3, Kaya Horne (NZL), 8.00, 4
Under 18 Girls Qualifying Round 1
Heat 7
Valentina Resano (NCA), 11.00, 1, Elin Tawharu (NZL), 8.80, 2, Sophie Bell (RSA), 7.74, 3, Sara Sanchez (PAN), 3.37, 4
Heat 9
Raiha Ensor (NZL), 12.73, 1, Kirsty McGillivray (RSA), 12.07, 2, Maddy Malizia (RUS), 9.57, 3, Candelaria Resano (NCA), 0.00, 4
Under 16 Girls Qualifying Round 1
Heat 7
Kitty Brewer (CIS), 9.36, 1, Tegan Bishop (NZL), 9.13, 2, Kayla Gabriella Nogueira (RSA), 9.07, 3, Kiesha Wakeham (FIJ), 6.43, 4
Heat 9
Saffi Vette (NZL), 11.96, 1, S’nenhlanhla Makhubu (RSA), 7.90, 2, Irie FitzGerald (GUM), 6.00, 3, Claudia Cosgrove (CIS), 2.24, 4
The New Zealand Team finished 10th at the 2016 VISSLA ISA World Championship which was won by France with Australia in second, Hawaii in third and this years’ hosts Japan in fourth. The Kiwi team will aim to break into the top eight to qualify for the Aloha Cup at future events.
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.
The team has been kindly fitted out with their uniform and supported by Moko Clothing.
Further Information
For further information on the New Zealand Junior Surfing Team please contact Surfing New Zealand’s Ben Kennings on 021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.
