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

Joel Parkinson on top
Gold Coast surfer Joel Parkinson has come a long way since he was selected to compete for Australia in the 1997 Quiksilver Grommet Championships in Bali (precursor to the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships).  Joel along with Adrian Buchan competed in the Under16 division in 1997 and both have now progressed through to the top tier of surfing in the world today.

Joel from Queensland’s Gold Coast is currently top of the world rankings after the first two events on the ASP World Tour.

New Staff
Two recent appointments continue to propel surfing into one of Australia’s most popular outdoor sports. Steve Robertson has been appointed Surfing Australia’s Media Manager taking up his responsibilities immediately and Dane Jordon is the new ASP Australasia’s Tour Manager replacing Glenn Best who moved on recently.

Bring Back Kirra
The surfing community on the southern end of the Gold Coast is currently raising pressure on the authorities to stop the “sand pumping” that has managed to turn Kirra into a shadow of its former self. While it is acknowledged that the sand pumping created the “Superbank” it has also taken away one of Australia’s best known tube rides. The local Gold Coast council and Queensland State government have both pledged support and are working together with surfers and local community groups to “bring back Kirra” to its former glory.

Gavin Coleman takes out World Kneeboard Championship
Gavin Coleman led an all Australian final to take out the ISA World Kneeboard Surfing Titles in Opunake, New Zealand.  Coleman won the Open division from Simon Farrer, Baden Smith and Albert Munoz.

11 divisions were contested during the event from juniors to over 60’s. For a full list of the winners in each division go to www.kneeboardsurfingworldtitles.com/index.php

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).

BACK TO HOME