Full Japanese team will compete in Ecuador

The Nippon Surfing Association has announced the short list of surfers that will be representing the Land of the Rising Sun in the seventh edition of the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships, to be held in Salinas, Ecuador from March 28 until April 5, 2009.

Meet the Japanese team members and a little bit of their backgrounds:

Under 18 Boys
Mr. Kai Ojima
Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship 2008 (placed 31st in U16)
Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship 2007(25th in U16)
ISA World Surfing Games 2008 (57th in Men’s Open)

Mr. Kaishu Tanaka
Haleiwa International 2006 (5th in Boys)
Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship 2006 (31st in U16)
Haleiwa International 2006 (4th in Japan Mens)
Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship 2008 (49th in U16)

Mr. Taiki Kurokoshi
Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship 2008 (37th in U18)

Mr. Yuto Takahashi

Under 16 Boys

Mr. Ginji Ishida

Mr. Hiroto Arai
2008 VQS Championships (Grom)
KING OF THE GROMS 2008(U16)
International Teenage Rampage 2008 (9th in U13)

Mr. Kanato Omori

Mr.Arashi Kato
Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship 2007 (22nd in U16)
VQS Championship 2006 (5th in grom)

Under 18 Girls
Miss. Asako Mizuno

Miss. Minami Takechi
Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship 2008 (49th in U18 girls)
Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship 2007 (37th in U18 girls)

Miss. Nao Omura
Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship 2008 (25th in U18 girls)
Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship 2007 (22nd in U18 girls)

Miss. Ninato Takahashi

Team Manager
Atsushi Sakai

Coach
Toru Kumagai

Japan has competed in five out of the six editions of the Juniors. They’ve always placed on the top 15 and achieved their best result, 9th, in Costa de Caparica, Portugal in 2007.

About the International Surfing Association (ISA)
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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