For immediate release
Kalani Louis
PC Sean Evans
Date: 1 June 2022
From: Surfing New Zealand
Sport: International Surfing
Event: 2022 ISA World Junior Surfing Championships
Divisions: Under 18 Men, Under 18 Women and Under 16 Men and Women
Date: 31st /05/2022
Location La Bocana & El Sunzal, El Salvador
Websites: www.isasurf.org and www.surfingnz.co.nz
Repechage Success Keeps Kiwi Surfers Hopes Alive
New Zealand Junior Surfing Team member Tao Mouldey is the last surfer in the event after another big day of surfing at the World Junior Championships, advancing through to Round 4 of the Under 16 Boys division. His performance in the Under 16 boys Round 3 was a standout. Calm and focussed he surfed to a 12.1 heat total only narrowly coming in second to Eden Hasson from Australia with a 13.1.”I am pretty frothing right now to get through that one as its one of the harder heats, that’s settled my nerves a little and I am super stoked on my performance today”. Advancing to Round 4 of the Under 16 Boys division he will place at least in the top 25 with another good result seeing him leap into the top 16.
It was a tough day for the rest of the Kiwi team which saw remaining team members Jack Tyro and Kora Cooper eliminated from the main event in challenging waves and up against some amazing surfing talent from around the world.
With the repechage rounds starting today first up was Kalani Louis wanting to make the most of his last chance heat. “My game plan was to go out and just surf the waves I could. And get a few fives on the board. “I feel like I did that today, I stuck with my plan and am really happy with my performance”. As he surfed to a second-place finish with a total heat score of 11.0 narrowly being beaten by Tosh Talbot who eventually won the heat with an 11.45. he now heads to Round 2 of the repechage.
Pia Rogers from Whangamata was the first female to surf in the repechage today and put her all into the heat, surfing to a 12.4 heat total and first place finish.” I put a strategy in place and stuck with it, she said on her win today.” “The level of surfing over the past few weeks has been a little rattling but putting my best foot forward and going as hard as I can is all I can do, and that paid off today”. Moving through to the next repechage heat Pia will surf again in heat 65.
The last to surf today was Skylar McFetridge in the Under 16 Girls Repechage 1. Again, Skylar made the most of her last chance heat sticking to the plan and earning herself a 7.05 heat total and a second-place finish to Mexican surfer Valeri Benitez. “I am pretty stoked to make my heat,” said an ecstatic McFetridge. “The level of surfing over here is pretty eye opening to me. I have never surfed at an international event so it shows me where I sit and what I can improve on”. Asked what her favourite part of the event has been Skylar said, “I have enjoyed every part of it but the support from the team and our supporters in New Zealand has been amazing, not to mention getting to surf pumping warm waves”. Skylar will now head into Repechage 2 heat 70
Day 5 sees 9 heats of the Under 18 Girls Repechage 1 get under way at La Bocana followed by Repechage 2 of the Under 18 Boys. Before finishing off the day with the Repechage 2 of the Under 18 Girls.
Meanwhile over at El Sunzal the Under 16 Boys Repechage 1 will run through the morning followed by the Under 16 Girls Repechage 2 and the Under 16 Boys Repechage 2 concluding the day.
Please see below for Day 4 results of the New Zealand Junior Surfing Team competing at the 2022 ISA World Junior Surfing Championships being held at La Bocana & El Sunzal El Salvador.
Under 16 Girls Repechage 1
1 Pia Rogers (NZL) 12.4, 2 Isabella Goodwin (Pan) 8.15, 3 Ida Bore (Nor) .95, 4 Estefany Borbor 0
1 Valeri Benitez (MEX) 12.5, 2 Skylar McFetridge (NZL) 7.05, 3 Chloe Platenius (CAN) 5.85, 4 Sofie Nakken Lund (NOR) 1.0
Under 18 Boys Repechage 1
1 Tosh Talbot (CRC) 11.45, 2 Kalani Louis (NZL) 11.0, 3 Yeferson Lopez (NCA) 6.9
Under 16 Boys Round 3
1 Eden Hasson (AUS) 13.1, 2 Tao Mouldey (NZL) 12.1, 3 Guilijerme Fernandes (BRA) 10.3, 4 Bunta Terada (JPN) 8.25
1 Tei Gale Grani (PAN) 12.1, 2 Hughie Vaughan (AUS) 10.75, Yuma Nagasawa (JPN) 8.3, Jack Tyro (NZL) 5.85.
Under 18 Boys Round 3
1 Ryan Kainalo (BRA) 12.5, 2 Mateo Cadenas (MEX) 7.7, 3 Connor Slijoen (RSA) 7.15, 4 Kora Cooper (NZL) 4.55
Ten surfers out of 12 will be in action again tomorrow with the Under 18 Boys and Girls repechage at La Bocana and the Under 16 Boys and Girls repechage at El Sunzal.
Schedule for Day 5 is as follows
La Bocana
Under 18 Girls (Repechage 1)
Liv Haysom Heat 12 3:15am
Under 18 Boys (Repechage 2)
Kalani Louis Heat 5 4:45am
Finn Vette Heat 12 6:30am
Under 18 Girls (Repechage 2)
Ava Henderson Heat 3 9:15am
Tash Gouldsbury Heat 10 10:00am
Liv Haysom Heat 11 10:15am
El Sunzal
Girls Under 16 (Repechage 2)
Pia Heat 4 4:30am
Leia Millar heat 5 4:45am
Skylar McFetridge Heat 9 5:45am
Boys Under 16 (Repechage 2)
Spencer Rowson Heat 5 7:45am
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.
The event is being broadcast live over the net via www.isasurf.org. Media releases relating specifically to the New Zealand team’s performance will be distributed throughout the event.
For further information regarding the New Zealand Junior Surfing Team please contact Ben Kennings at Surfing New Zealand 07 8250018, 0212278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.
Skylar McFetridge
PC: Jerrson Barboza
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