By Ben Kennings – Surfing New Zealand - www.surfingnz.co.nz

The Rip Curl New Zealand Junior Surfing Team was announced today, October 21, 2009, with twelve of the nations top surfers selected to compete in New Zealand waters at the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships.  The event is being held at Piha Beach from the 20^th – 28^th January next year.

The 2010 Rip Curl New Zealand Junior Surfing Team is as follows:

Under 18 Boys
Alex Dive (Mnt)

Damien Norman (NSW, Aus)

JC Susan (Mnt)

Johnny Hicks (Gis)

Reserve – Blake Myers (WGM)

Under 18 Girls
Alexis Poulter (Rag)
Grace Spiers (Gis)
Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis)
Sarah Mason (Qld, Aus)

Reserve – Rosa Thompson (Auck)

Under 16 Boys
Adam Grimson (Gis)
Ben Poulter (Rag)
Elliot Paerata – Reid (Piha)
Tane Wallis (Piha)

Reserve – Paul Moretti (Mimiwhangata)

The World Qualifying Series is over for the girls in 2010 with the final event of the year wrapping up early this month in Brazil.  Paige secured her best ever ranking of fourth and re-qualified via the WQS.  Airini Mason and Wini Paul fell short of requalification in 17^th and 32^nd respectively.

Final ratings are below:

1^st Carissa Moore (Haw)
2^nd Coco Ho (Haw)
3^rd Claire Bevilacqua (Aus)
4^th Paige Hareb (Nzl)
17^th Airini Mason (Nzl)
32^nd Wini Paul (Nzl)

SNZ will be conducting an ISA Level 1 Coaching & Instructing Program in 2009 on the 28^th and 29^th of November at Mount Maunganui. The course is accredited by the ISA and recognized throughout the world.  Make sure you get in quick to secure a place on this course before the summer rush. 

The next ISA judging course will be held at Mount Maunganui on November 7^th.  For more information on courses and proposed dates, you can go to the SNZ website, http://www.isasurf.org/coach_courseschedule.php, or you can contact course presenter Lee Ryan at: lee.ryan@surfingnz.co.nz. 

If you are keen to be a part of the biggest international surfing event to come to New Zealand, make sure you contact us about becoming a volunteer for the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship being held at Piha Beach from January 20^th through the 28^th.  All you need to do is show your interest by emailing: volunteers@nzsponsorship.co.nz.

Notice is hereby given that the 2009 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Surfing New Zealand Inc (SNZ) will be held at 9.30am on the 21^st of November, 2009.  The AGM will be held at Raglan.  We welcome and encourage all surfers to attend.

Te Puni Kokiri and Surfing New Zealand recently engaged Derek Lardelli to compose a haka specific to surfing.  Lardelli is a respected Kapa Haka tutor and performer and renowned Ta Moko artist. In 2008, Lardelli received the Insignia of an Officer from the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Maori art. The haka "Tihei Tangaroa" was introduced at the Maori surfing hui, held at Gisborne in September.  The New Zealand Junior Surfing Team will be the first to perform the haka in front of an international audience when the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship comes to our shores in January. 

Three Rangatahi Development Camps have just been completed in conjunction with Te Puni Kokiri.  The camps provided coaching and training for a select group of twenty-five young up and coming grommets from around the North Island.  The weekend camps took all participants through Marae tikanga and kawa as well as a number of surfing drills.  Now, the grommets get to test their skills at the national level when the Auahi Kore Aotearoa Maori Titles are held during Labour Weekend.