Protugal Confirmed To Host 2007 Quiksilver ISA Junior Surfing Championships

The Federação Portuguesa de Surf ("FPS"), the International Surfing Association's National Governing Body for surfriding in Portugal, has been awarded the rights to host and organize the 2007 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships.

“I'm very happy that Portugal has been selected by the ISA to host the 2007 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, the most prestigious junior surfing event in the world. Portugal hosted the last ISA World Titles held in Europe in 1998. We are looking forward to enjoy again the famous Portuguese hospitality and great waves”. Fernando Aguerre, ISA President.

Since 2003, this yearly event has been in Africa (Durban), in the South Pacific (Tahiti), and in North America (Huntington Beach). This year, in May, it will be in South America (Maresias, Brazil). The event has been held every year, not only in different countries, but in different Continents. With 30 National Delegations forecasted to compete in Brazil, the diversity of races, languages, religions and cultures, have turned the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship into Surfing's Junior Olympic-style event. The exposure of young surfers to other peoples and cultures is part of an unmatched experience for all participants.

The ISA is the world’s governing authority for surfing and all its disciplines, including bodyboard, kneeboard, longboard, skimboard and bodysurf. The ISA governs the sports and works for their development in its member nations and the establishment of the sport of surfing in new places.

Every other year, the ISA holds the World Surfing Games for ISA’s member nations. Historically, the World Surfing Games grants to its winners the title of “World Champion.” The ISA also sanctions a large number of competitions worldwide. The ISA World Surfing Games is also one of the largest events in competitive surfing.

The first year in which the biennial World Surfing Games held a Juniors division was 1980 in Biarritz, France. With the huge and continuing growth of surfing worldwide, as well as in junior surfing performance and participation, in 2002, the ISA wisely decided to hold the Junior division of the World Surfing Games in its very own annual event, separate from the World Surfing Games. The plan of separating these events is to provide twice the amount of competitions and opportunities for the younger athletes as well as for a larger number of hosting nations. The former Junior division of the World Surfing Games, along with what used to be the annual Quiksilver ISA World Grommet titles, were consolidated into this new event, the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships, which was first hosted in 2003 in South Africa. This event in Portugal will however be the 17th ISA Junior event and the 3rd ISA WJSC sponsored by Quiksilver.

The ISA will continue to promote these Games as the true “Olympics” of surfing. With gold, silver bronze, and copper medals awarded, the athletes will be competing for the honor to represent their country and national colors and will surf for the pure joy of it, in the true nature of surfing’s aloha spirit.

List of Nations where the ISA has a recognized NGB (National Governing Bodies):

Argentina
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Barbados
Brazil
Bulgaria
Canada
Cape Verde Islands
Chile*
Colombia
Costa Rica*
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Fiji*
France
Germany
Guam
Guatemala
Hawaii
Holland*
India*
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Maldives
Mexico
Morocco*
Namibia
New Zealand
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Peru
Philippines
Portugal
Puerto Rico
South Africa
Spain
Sweden*
Switzerland
Tahiti
Trinidad & Tobago
Uruguay
United Kingdom
United States of America
Venezuela

*Applying and/or Provisional Member to be ratified at ISA BGM 2006

The 2007 event will feature U18 and U16 Boys World Championship Divisions as well as an U18 Girls World Championship Division.

Schedule of Events: TBD

The ISA would like to thank the Portuguese people, the government, sponsors and organizers, led by FPS President, Joao Guilherme, and all the participating delegations and athletes for making this event possible. The ISA is confident that FPS has the knowledge, experience and expertise to successfully run the 2007 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships. The ISA and FPS are looking forward to this great and historical event and expect National Teams to confirm their attendance in the following days.

Source: International Surfing Association

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