By Martin Grose – Surfing Australia - www.surfingaustralia.com

On behalf of Surfing Australia and the 2 million plus surfers in Australia, welcome to 2009 and we hope that you all have a great year.

Australian Surfing Awards incorporating the Hall of Fame Inductee
The annual awards ceremony is set for March 3 and will again bring the industry together to recognize those who have contributed over the years or, in the case of some awards, the Surf Photo and Surf Movie of the Year for contributions in 2008.  The awards also recognize Australia’s top Male and Female Performance Surfers and the Rising Star. This year’s awards will also pay tribute to Hall of Fame Inductee, Peter Troy who passed away late last year.

Australian Junior Squad selected for 2009 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Championship
The Australian Junior Squad has been selected to go into camp at the Surfing Australia High Performance Centre at Casuarina Beach later this month. The selection camp will be the final chance for the selected surfers to prove that they will be an asset to the team at the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Championship to be held at Salinas in Ecuador in late March.

Last year’s championship saw the Australian team take the team title but it was the closest result in years so the 2009 Australian team will have to be at its best to maintain the record as competition for this prestigious title increases each year.

Laureus Foundation comes Down Under
The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation is an apolitical charitable initiative that uses the positive influence of sport to tackle society's most pressing challenges around the globe, supporting projects on every continent.  Last year the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation supplied finance for softboards and rash shirts to a number of the Indigenous Surfing programs that are developing around Australia.

They will be “down under” next month to witness one of the programs in action and meet some of the indigenous kids and their families who have become involved in surfing through this program.  A number of international sports stars who are ambassadors for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation will be attending including Layne Beachley, athlete Cathy Freeman and cricketer Steve Waugh.

Women surfing strong
With the New Year just a few days old, prospects for continued strong performances by our girls in international competition are strong. Steph Gilmore will head into 2009 with two championships crowns to be joined by rookie Sally Fitzgibbons on the World Pro Tour. Laura Enever and Tyler Wright, who placed first and second in last year’s Quiksilver ISA World Junior Championship are looking to 2009 to cement their positions on the national and international stage. 

About International Surfing Association
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the World Governing Authority for surfing, bodyboarding and surfriding. It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running world championships since 1964 and the Junior World Championships since 1980.
ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of over 50 countries on six continents. Its headquarters are located in San Diego, California. It is presided by Fernando Aguerre, first elected in 1994 in Rio, and re-elected six times since. The ISA's four Vice Presidents are Alan Atkins (Australia), Robin de Kock (South Africa), Mike Gerard (USA) and Karin Sierralta (Peru).

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