Junior Surfers from 36 Countries Are Greeted by Perfection at Oceanside Pier
Competition at the 2015 VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship got underway in Oceanside, California.
The junior surfers from 36 countries were greeted by incredible waves and conditions at Oceanside Pier. The Under-16 and Under-18 Boys each completed 30 heats, with the U-16 surfers competing on the north side of the pier and the U-18 on the south side.
The competition kicked off at sunrise with strong offshore winds and a rising tide, giving way to more hollow, punchy conditions in the afternoon as the tide dropped. The waves provided barrel opportunities and open faces conducive for high performance surfing.
Hawaii’s Noa Mizuno posted the highest total heat score of the day in Boys U-18 in the morning’s first heat. Mizuno earned a heat score of 16.27, defeating Germany’s Jacob Lilienweiss (7.5) and sending Chile’s Sebastián Oliva (3.24) to Repechage, where he will have a second opportunity to advance.
Rolf Brusso from Norway, the newest ISA Member Nation, did not have the same fortune as Mizuno, however he expressed his joy of competing in this ISA World Championship.
“The journey has been amazing. We all gathered here in Oceanside and get to see everyone performing in warm water and thin suits. I’ve never surfed in a competition before, but it’s amazing to surf with all these other great nations. Everyone is shredding and there is great unity and vibes among all of us.”
In Boys U-16, Hawaii’s Logan Bediamol earned the highest heat total, leading the Hawaiian dominance on Day 1 of competition. With a score of 17.87, Bediamol will advance to the next round along with Barbados’s Zander Valencia (8.67), whereas Germany’s Jonas Seitz (3.63) will move onto the Repechage Round.
ISA President, Fernando Aguerre, commented on the commencement of competition.
“It’s incredible to see all 36 National Delegations cheering on their athletes on the beach and waving their country flags. You can feel the energy coming from this record amount of competing surfers. With the high level of Surfing we witnessed today, the tone of the competition has been set and the bar has been raised for the week to come.”
The 2015 VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship is a double elimination competition, with the first two surfers always advancing to the next Qualifying Round. Surfers in third and fourth place move into the Repechage Round, giving them one more chance to advance.
For a full list of today’s results, click here: http://isaworlds.com/juniors/en/results/
The 2015 VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship will resume Tuesday at 7am PST. Tuesday’s schedule will be the following (all times PST):
- South Podium:
- 7am – 2 heats Boys U-18 Main Event Round 1
- 7:40am – 16 heats Girls U-18 Main Event Round 1
- 1pm – 5pm – 12 heats Girls U-16 Main Event Round 1
- North Podium
- 7am – 2 heats Boys U-16 Main Event Round 1
- 7:40am – 16 heats Boys U-18 Main Event Round 2
- 1pm- 5pm – 12 heats Boys U-16 Main Event Round 2
For live action, photos, videos, news and event info, visit: www.ISAworlds.com
