Written by Ben Kennings, Monday, 23 May 2011
The Rip Curl New Zealand Junior Surfing Team have commenced their assault on the 2011 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in Peru with six of the seven surfers competing on day one moving through their qualifying round heats.
The event is being held at Punta Hermosa, Peru from the 21st – 29th May with two arenas catering for a record 276 surfers from 27 countries competing at the event.
The surf on day one was 1.5m – 2.0m with clean conditions and light winds.
The Kiwi’s stand out performance came from Ben Poulter (Raglan) in the Under 18 Boys Division late in the day scoring 12.0 out of a possible 20 points to win his match up – one of only two Kiwis to do so on day one.
Surfing the left-hand point break Poulter looked at home in the waves notching up a 5.07 point ride before finishing with a 6.93.
“It was pretty fun out there, a couple of good sized waves” said Poulter post heat.
In true Poulter style, Ben threw buckets of spray off several big backhand turns to impress everyone watching his heat. “I am big, it comes naturally” said Poulter in his post heat interview when questioned about where he gets all his power. “It is fun in Peru, I am from Raglan and we have similar surf and temperature so it is not much different to here.
Fellow Under 18 Boys team mates Tane Wallis (Piha) and Todd Doyle (Mnt) both progressed through their low scoring scoring match ups – Doyle winning his heat scoring 8.54 out of a possible 20 and Wallis scoring 8.24 to place second.
“It was such a relief to get underway and start off with a win” said Doyle.
“I was pumped going into my heat. I knew I had one good Japanese surfer that was ‘smooth as’ and also a good Jamaican but our coach Lee Ryan gave me good guidance and that made sure I got off to a good start which set me up for that bomb at the end that won me the heat” explained Doyle further of how his heat unfolded.
The fourth member of the Under 18 Boys, Joe Moretti (Mimiwhangata) did not surf on the first day but will be competing twice on day two.
The Under 16 Boys Division saw the youngest surfers of the team up against the flare of the Tahitians, the Tahitians running away with each heat. Paul Moretti (Mimiwhangata), Dune Kennings (WGM) and Adam Grimson placed second in their heats to move through to the next round. Unfortunately Elliot Paerata – Reid (Piha) was not so lucky placing third and getting pushed in the repechage rounds.
The event has a double elimination system where surfers have to lose twice to be eliminated from the event. Despite losing in the first round, a surfer can push through and win the event; they simply have to surf twice as many heats.
The Under 18 Girls Division was not contested on the first day of the event meaning Alexis Poulter (Rag), Ella Williams (WGM), Grace Spiers (WGM) and Jayda Martin – Fitzharris will get their campaigns underway on day two.
Team captain Alexis Poulter was happy with how the team went on the first day despite not getting in the water herself.
“The Under 16 Boys were matched up against the Tahitians and they were surfing really well so that pushed our guys to do well too. The whole team was really supportive as well, we were all at the beach for each others heats cheering our surfers on” said Poulter.
The Kiwi’s warmed up for the event with a narrow defeat to South Africa who retained the SANZ Trophy for the second year running. The two teams battled it out with each team providing six finalists a piece. However South Africa eventually walked away with three wins.
New Zealand’s top performers were Ben Poulter, Ella Williams and Elliot Paerata – Reid who all placed second. Alexis Poulter, Paul Moretti and Adam Grimson also made the finals placing fourth, third and fourth respectively.
The Rip Curl New Zealand Junior Surfing Team also participated in the Olympic style parade of nations on the eve of the event. The parade weaved through the streets of Peru’s capital Lima before the 27 teams combined sand from each country in the Sands of the World ceremony.
The Kiwi’s got up on stage and performed the haka after adding their sand to the mix.
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.
Day two of the 2011 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship starts overnight Monday (12:00am, 24th May) with the four girls contesting their first heats as well as the remainder of the Under Boys Round 1 and all of Qualifying Round 2. You can catch the entire event live via www.isawjsc.com.
Day two schedule (New Zealand time)
Podium One
1:00am – Under 18 Girls Qualifying Round 1
4:20am – Heat 11 with Ella Williams and Jayda Martin – Fitzharris
5:40am – Heat 15 with Grace Spiers and Alexis Poulter
Podium Two
1:00am – Under 18 Boys Qualifying Round 1 Heats 25-32
1:40am – Heat 26 Joe Moretti
3 :40am – Under 18 Boys Qualifying Round 2
4 :40am – Heat 4 with Todd Doyle
5 :20am – Heat 6 with Tane Wallis
7 :00am – Heat 11 with Ben Poulter
8:40am or 9:00am – Heats 13 or 14 with Joe Moretti (should he progress through his first round)
Please see below for results from the first day of the 2011 Quiksilver World Junior Surfing Championship being held in Peru.
Under 18 Boys Qualifying Round 1
Heat 6
1, 8.54, Todd Doyle, NZL, 2, 6.83, Akeem Taylor, JAM, 3, 6.10, Akito Matsuno, JPN
Heat 11
1, 8.83, Aoi Watanabe, JPN, 2, 8.24, Tane Wallis, NZL, 3, 4.50, Garren Pryce, JAM
Heat 23
1, 12.00, Ben Poulter, NZL, 2, 6.50, Kaiki Yamanaka, JPN, 3, 2.70, Vasco Fragoso, GER
Heat 26 (Yet to be surfed)
Joe Moretti, NZL, Kanato Ohmori, JPN, Oshane Uaher, JAM
Under 16 Boys Qualifying Round 1
Heat 7
1, 11.26, Mihimana Braye, TAH, 2, 10.33, Derek Gomez, VEN, 3, 4.67, Elliot Paerata-Reid, NZL, 4, 3.00, Jorge Soto, CHI
Heat 11
1, 12.10, Mateia Hiquily, TAH, 2, 7.17, Paul Moretti, NZL, 3, 5.73, Cristopher Herold, CHI, 4, 5.27, Franwil Vento, VEN
Heat 15
1, 15.26, Keoni Yan, TAH, 2, 9.37, Dune Kennings, NZL, 3, 6.14, Alejandro Diaz, CHI
4, 6.10, Kleiver Izquiel, VEN
Heat 19
1, 12.80, Ariihoe Tefaafana, TAH, 2, 6.87, Adam Grimson, NZL, 3, 6.60, Yossis Delgado, VEN
4, 4.37, Danilo Cerda, CHI
Under 18 Girls Qualifying Round 1 (Yet to be surfed)
Heat 11
Ella Williams, NZL, Jayda Martin-Fitzharris, NZL, Noella Llufin, CHI, Emer Mc Hugh, IRE
Heat 15
Grace Spiers, NZL, Alexis C. Poulter, NZL, Chelsea Tuach, BAR, Chelsea Roett, BAR