The Rip Curl New Zealand Junior Surfing Team Decided

The Rip Curl New Zealand Junior Surfing Team are set to challenge thirty nations from around the world at the 2007 Quiksilver World Junior Championships which begin Saturday (NZ time). The ten day event is being held in Costa De Caparica approximately thirty minutes from Lisbon. New Zealand has sent an eleven strong team comprising of eight boys and three girls to front up to the 300 competitors entered. The team will be aiming to better their current world ranking of seventh where they have placed the last three years. In 2006 the team gained a fourth placing by Airini Mason who was unavailable for this tour and also placed third in the ‘tag team’ event.

The New Zealand team travel to the event after coming off a long summer of events both in New Zealand and Australia. Having competed almost weekly since the start of the the team of the young surfers are in top shape and certainly on their game in terms of competition strategy and fitness levels. Recent results like Paige Hareb’s finals berth in a World Qualifying Series event in Australia and Tim O’Connor’s consistent form on the Australasian Pro Junior Tour should see them go into the event with all the confidence they need. Hareb has been a team member for the past three years while this will be O’Connor’s fourth and final sojourn to the World Junior Championships. Both surfers will want to improve on their individual placings from 2006 where they both finished 19th.

The explosive Northland duo of Wini Paul and Paco Divers will also be out to prove a point. Paul is the current New Zealand Women’s Champion while Divers is the Under 18 National Champion. If the two surfers hit their straps they are capable of going all the way to the finals. Both surfers attended last years event which was held in Brazil finishing 31st and 22nd respectively. However this year Divers will be moving up to the Under 18 boys division and will face tougher competition. There are four newcomers to the team in 2007 – Keone Campbell (Tara), Matt Hewitt (Mnt), Buck Woods (Gis) and Alexis Poulter (Rag). All four surfers will have to grapple with the amazing pool of talent amongst the 300 other competitors while making sure they concentrate on their own performances in the water.

Prior to the main event the team will meet South Africa to contest the annually run ‘SANZ’ Trophy held between the two teams. The two teams will fine tune their competitive strategies only days out from the main event while igniting old friendships and meeting new faces. 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 showdown is scheduled for the 3rd of May a day prior to the Parade of Nations which officially opens the World Junior Championships on the afternoon of the 4th.

The 2007 Rip Curl New Zealand Team

Under 18 Boys
Tim O’Connor – Mount Maunganui
Paco Divers – Sandy Bay
Sean Peggs – Tairua
Keone Campbell - Taranaki

Under 18 Women
Paige Hareb – Taranaki
Wini Paul – Sandy Bay
Alexis Poulter - Raglan

Under 16 Boys
Ryan Hawker – Piha
Johnny Hicks – Gisborne
Matt Hewitt – Mount Maunganui
Buck Woods - Gisborne

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. New Zealand has placed 7th at the last two World Junior Championships. A record thirty countries will compete at the event in 2007.

Source: Surfing New Zealand

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