Surfing Australia

LIMA/PERU (Sunday 29th May, 2011): TravelSIM Team Australia has claimed a bronze team medal in Peru today, with the 2011 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship wrapping up.

After five consecutive years of Australian domination, Team Peru won the largest junior surfing event in the sport’s history in one of the most dramatic last-day team standings.

The seventh and final day of the event was held at Caballeros with solid and very consistent 8 to 10-foot waves all day long.

Final Team Standings:
Gold: Peru
Silver: South Africa
Bronze: Australia
Copper: Hawaii

Team Australia’s best result came in the form of Nikki Van Dijk (Phillip Island, VIC) and Codie Klein (Kingscliff, NSW), who finished third and fourth respectively in the under 18 girl’s final.

“It was a real honour to make it onto the podium and receive a medal for the Australian Team,” said Van Dijk.

“It was amazing how many people were there for the presentation and to hear everyone cheering for the Australian Team. It was a great experience.”

Klein was equally pleased with her result.

“Nikki and I had such a great run to the final,” she said

“We managed to stay in the main rounds all the way, so we were full of confidence going into the final but we just did not get the right waves. I am still really happy to make the finals at the World Titles but I wish I caught a few good waves to have a chance at the gold medal.”

Elle Jean Coffey (Crescent Head, NSW) was unfortunately knocked out in her repercharge round 9 heat, while Soli Bailey (Byron Bay, NSW) and Jake Sylvester were also eliminated in the corresponding under 16 and 18 boy’s heats.

Once the surfing was over, the Closing Ceremony took place.

ISA’s Director General Bob Mignogna read a message from ISA President Fernando Aguerre, who had to leave earlier for California due to family matters.

“We have had the largest amount of junior surfers from around the world in history,” he said. “We have had the most consistent and powerful waves. We have the largest media audience in history, with over 100% more webcast viewers than last year. And the organizers working together with the ISA have hosted an impeccable event.”

Aguerre added, “The ISA belongs to all of us here today, but also to the millions of surfers around the world who are the solid foundations of the ISA, and to their family and friends. We are all working together for a better surfing future, and this event is a confirmation that we are on the right path. The Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship is the true and only coming together of surfers from the five continents.”

Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Champion Nations List:
2003 – Durban – Gold Medal: Brazilian Team
2004 – Papenoo – Gold Medal: Australian Team
2005 – Huntington Beach – Gold Medal: Hawaiian Team
2006 – Maresias – Gold Medal: Australian Team
2007 – Costa de Caparica – Gold Medal: Australian Team
2008 – Seignosse – Gold Medal: Australian Team
2009 – Salinas – Gold Medal: Australian Team
2010 – Auckland – Gold Medal: Australian Team
2011- Punta Hermosa – Gold Medal: Peruvian Team

Final Team Standings
1. Peru
2. South Africa
3. Australia
4. Hawaii
5. USA
6. France
7. Brazil
8. Portugal
9. Tahiti
10. New Zealand
11. Great Britain
12. Costa Rica
13. Japan
14. Argentina
15. Barbados
16. Ecuador
17. Mexico
18. Venezuela
19. Chile
20. Germany
21. Ireland
22. Puerto Rico
23. Uruguay
24. Jamaica
25. Italy
26. Guatemala
27. Morocco

TravelSIM Team Australia has traditionally been the dominant force at the ISA World Junior Championship boasting a stellar six from eight title wins and in 2011 our athletes are on a quest to secure a sixth consecutive overall gold in a row at the pumping waves of Caballeros and Señoritas, Punta Hermosa, Peru.

This year’s event marks the ninth annual ISA World Junior Championship since its induction in 2003 with history showing Team Australia will be hard to beat.

The 2011 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship has gathered the finest surfers from 27 nations to compete in the boy's under 18, boy's under 16 and girls under 18 divisions. As members of their respective National Surf Teams, surfers will compete for the glory of winning Team and Individual Gold, Silver, Bronze and Copper medals.

With the support and coaching of Surfing Australia’s High Performance Centre (HPC), TravelSIM Team Australia will be fighting to defend their current world title and would like to recognise the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), TravelSIM, Suncorp and BASE for their continuing support of the Team Australia Junior Program.

For more information please visit - www.surfingaustralia.com or TravelSIM -www.travelsim.net.au