New Zealand Junior Team Named

The Rip Curl New Zealand Junior Surfing Team was announced today with twelve of the nations top surfers selected to compete in New Zealand waters at the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships. The event is being held at Piha Beach from the 20th – 28th January next year.

Two new faces emerge in the girls team with Sarah Mason and Grace Spiers getting their first international caps. Fourteen year old Australian based Sarah Mason has been turning heads since well before her teens. Mason, the younger sister of top New Zealand and WQS surfer Airini Mason, has already tasted the big time with invites into the Roxy Pro trials on the Gold Coast of Australia where she astonished massive crowds with her aggressive surfing.

Spiers has also turned heads as a youngster, becoming the youngest surfer to ever win a national open women’s event at the age of 14. For the past two years Spiers has been sidelined with a back injury. However, Spiers returned to the water early this year and since then has been almost unstoppable winning three of four events and placing runner up in the other.

The two newcomers join Alexis Poulter (Rag), a three-time New Zealand representative and Jayda Martin – Fitzharris (Gis) who was New Zealand’s highest placed female, placing 16th at that same event earlier this year.

“There was an impressive pool of talent to choose from across all three divisions this year” commented National Selector Ben Kennings. “This team is be brimming with talent and we are confident that by the time the event roles into New Zealand these twelve surfers will represent their country with everything they have got in front of massive home crowds” added Kennings.

The national squad attended a selection camp in September and the team will attend a further training camp on the 28th of November to fine tune their surfing before the event.

The 2010 Rip Curl New Zealand Junior Surfing Team is as follows:

Under 18 Girls
Alexis Poulter (Rag)
Grace Spiers (Gis)
Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis)
Sarah Mason (Qld, Aus)

Reserve – Rosa Thompson (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 2009 the New Zealand team placed seventh at the event.

Prior to the main event the team will meet South Africa to contest the annually run ‘SANZ’ Trophy held between the two teams. South Africa currently hold the trophy after winning it in 2009. 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 07 8250018 , 0212278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.

Date: 21st October 2009

From: Surfing New Zealand

Sport: International Surfing

Event: 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship

Divisions: Under 18 Men, Under 18 Women and Under 16 Men

Date: 20th – 28th January 2010

Location: Piha Beach, Auckland, New Zealand

Websites: www.isasurf.org and www.surfingnz.co.nz

Surfing New Zealand are proudly partnered by

Hyundai

SPARC

Smokefree