Following an amazing final day of great waves and exciting surfing performances on Sunday, the 2013 Dakine ISA World Junior Surfing Championship presented by Billabong officially closed.
Team Australia is the new ISA World Junior Surfing Championship Gold Medal Team and winners of the Team Champion Trophy.
In the individual divisions, Hawaii’s Josh Moniz won the Boys Under-18, Hawaii’s Tatiana Weston-Webb won the Girls Under-18, Australia’s Jacob Wilcox won the Boys Under-16, and Hawaii’s Mahina Maeda won the Girls Under-16 in the incredible waves at Playa Jiquiliste.
‘This is the end of an amazing World Championship’, said ISA President Fernando Aguerre. ‘It’s a happy and sad end. We are very happy because it was a very successful event, but it’s sad because it means we have to leave Nicaragua. We have confirmed what we discovered last year, a surfing paradise. It was in our dreams, a small nation in Central America full of waves, offshore winds, good people and very accessible. Nicaragua has been so good, that all of us, the 500 people that came for the event, will continue to come back here and tell the rest of the world about it.’
Aguerre said he was very happy to announce that the 2014 World StandUp Paddle and Paddleboard Championship, will be held in Nicaragua in the ocean that produced all the great waves, and also on Lake Nicaragua.
After a week full of excellent waves and conditions, the final day did not disappoint. The surf was in the waist to chest-high range with perfect offshore winds all day long, providing great waves for the surfers to perform at their highest level.
The first final in the water was the Girls Under-16, where Hawaii’s Mahina Maeda, posted the best total heat score of the whole event, 19.16, earning the Gold Medal and World Championship. The Silver Medal went to Tahiti’s Karelle Poppke (13.27), the Bronze to Hawaii’s Dax McGill (10.57) and the Copper to USA’s Frankie Harrer (4.86).
Up next was the Boys Under-16 Grand Final. Australia’s Jacob Wilcox won the Gold, earning 14.90 points in a very close final against Silver Medalist Leonardo Fioravanti (14.73) from Italy. The Bronze went to Jake Marshall (12.20) from USA and the Copper to Reo Inaba (11.76) from Japan. ‘It was a really tight heat’, said Jacob. ‘I got a 6.5 on my first wave, then Leonardo got an 8, so the pressure was back on me. I needed to get an 8 also. I’m just so happy to win the final and be a world champion. It’s been my dream since I was a little kid. I’m so happy. I don’t even know how to describe how I feel now. I’m just so happy, feels like I’m floating. This is my second year competing in an ISA event, and it means a lot to be able to represent my country.’
Hawaii’s Tatiana Weston-Webb, continued her dominance, as demonstrated all week, into the Girls Under-18 final. With another great performance, Weston-Webb won the Gold Medal.
The Hawaiian, earning 15.50, defeated Silver Medalist Stephanie Single (AUS,12.10), Bronze Medalist Nikki Veisins (USA, 11.07) and Copper Medalist Chelsea Tuach (BAR, 9.17).
Local Suffolk Park surfer Soli Bailey made it to the final of the championships held last week on Jiquiliste Beach. Soli scored a 14.40 came a close second to Hawaii’s Josh Moniz on 14.43. ‘So stoked on my results, I made it into the final, I came a super close second but still happy. Big thanks to all my friends and family back in Byron I know they have been watching the webcast throughout the event, I appreciate their support. I can’t wait get home and celebrate.’
In the Boys Under-18 final, Hawaii’s Josh Moniz won the Gold after posting two big scores at the beginning of the final, a 7.00 and 7.43, for a total of 14.43. Australia’s Soli Bailey followed closely, but couldn’t find a wave to advance over Moniz, earning 14.40 and the Silver Medal. ‘I was nervous, and I got my two scores in the first five minutes’, said Moniz. ‘I thought that Soli was in the lead because he had an 8 and a 6, so I thought that I still needed a big score, but once I heard that I was winning I was watching out for Soli, because he’s a super good surfer. I think he got a 6 on another wave. I got lucky enough and won.’
Andy Criere, from France, won the Bronze Medal, finishing third with 10.84 and Australia’s Luke Hynd won the Copper Medal placing fourth with 5.70.
The last event of the championship was the exciting ISA Aloha Cup, a tag-team competition, with the participation of the seven best countries from last year’s ISA World Junior Surfing Championship (Australia, Brazil, France, Hawaii, Japan, Peru and USA) along with the local team, Nicaragua.
It is important to note that Nicaragua was fielding its first ever Junior Team in ISA competition.
After two semifinals where four of the eight teams advance, the grand final featured Australia, Japan, Peru and USA. Team Japan won the Gold Medal exhibiting a smart strategy and displaying high-level surfing skills. Japan defeated USA (Silver), Peru (Bronze) and Australia (Copper).
Two special events took place today. First was a presentation from the people of Tola, which is region that includes Playa Jiquiliste, to ISA President Aguerre. Community leaders gathered and delivered a special gift in appreciation of the ISA coming to their city. Part of the presentation was the telling of the traditional story called La Novia de Tola or Tola’s Girlfriend, which has turned into a mythical story about a social scandal between a couple.
The second special event was the Tola Groms Expression Session. Team Nicaragua’s Captain, Jackson Obando, who was born and lives in Tola, surfed a 15-minute heat alongside four of Tola’s best young surfers. The local surfers put on a great show for the nearly 1500 local spectators and competitors on the beach.
When the surfing competition concluded, the Closing Ceremony took place to officially close the 2013 Dakine ISA World Junior Surfing Championship and award the team trophies and individual medals.
Overall Team Results:
1. Australia: 24,256 points and winner of the ISA World Junior Team Champion Trophy
2. Hawaii: 23,828 Silver Medal
3. USA: 18,870 Bronze Medal
4. France: 18,212 Copper Medal
5. Japan: 16,322
6. South Africa: 15,652
7. Peru: 15,316
8. Brazil: 15,300
9. New England: 12,532
10. Portugal: 12,310
11. Costa Rica: 12,232
12. Venezuela: 10,388
13. Germany- 10,312
14. UK: 9,580
15. Argentina: 9,578
16. Tahiti: 8,700
17. Uruguay: 8,408
18. Puerto Rico: 8,276
19. Ecuador: 8,108
20. Nicaragua: 7,648
21. Panama: 7,168
22. Chile: 6,764
23. El Salvador: 5,184
24. Switzerland: 4,180
25. Italy: 3,440
26. Jamaica: 3,328
27. Mexico: 2,320
28. Barbados: 1,340
29. Ireland: 960
30. Russia: 640
Boys Under-18:
Josh Moniz (HAW) Gold Medal
Soli Bailey (AUS) Silver Medal
Andy Criere (FRA) Bronze Medal
Luke Hynd (AUS) Copper Medal
Girls Under-18:
Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) Gold Medal
Stephanie Single (AUS) Silver Medal
Nikki Veisins (USA) Bronze Medal
Chelsea Tuach (BAR) Copper Medal
Boys Under-16:
Jacob Wilcox (AUS) Gold Medal
Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) Silver Medal
Jake Marshall (USA) Bronze Medal
Reo Inaba (JPN) Copper Medal
Girls Under-16:
Mahina Maeda (HAW) Gold Medal
Karelle Poppke (TAH) Silver Medal
Dax McGill (HAW) Bronze Medal
Frankie Harrer (USA) Copper Medal
ISA Aloha Cup:
Japan: 63.77 Gold Medal
USA: 60.73 Silver Medal
Peru: 51.55 Bronze Medal
Australia: 49.08 Copper Medal
From Surfline: http://www.surfline.com
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