LOCAL SURFERS will be hitting in the waves at La FAE Beach in Salinas, Ecuador, as the International Surfing Association (ISA) on Monday announced the venue for the highlight of its junior surfing calendar.
The VISSLA International Surfing Association’s (ISA) World Junior Surfing Championships is slated to take place from April 5 to 13.
On Tuesday afternoon, some members of the provisional team were hard at training, at Drill Hall Beach, under the watchful eye of Barbados Surfing Association president Christopher Clarke and treasurer Louis Venezia.
Coach Nicholas Donawa, after putting them through their paces in the water, took them through what the ISA judges would be looking for in the competition that will be drawing the best junior surfers from around the world.
This is the ISA’s 50th anniversary and Venezia is on record as saying the island is fielding the best team, this year, in many years of sending teams to the World Junior Surfing Championships.
According to a release from the ISA, La FAE offers a “long, peeling lefthander and a consistent punchy beach break for the double-area contest site”.
“We are excited to return to Ecuador as the location couldn’t be better to hold the VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship during the ISA’s 50th anniversary year,” ISA president Fernando Aguerre was quoted as saying.
Three hundred of the world’s best Unde-18 surfers will take to the water, as they battle for individual medals and team glory.
Last year, Chelsea Tuach was the island’s lone representative as many of the local surfers were forced to pull out because the competition clashed with their school’s promotional and regional examinations.
This year, the island is fielding a full team of 12 surfers.
The Under-16 Boys will be represented by Che Allan, Zander Venezia, Andrew Rose and Lance Blades. The reserve in that division is Caleb Rapson.
The island will be represented by Dane Mackie, Joshua Burke, Daniel Edghill, Dylan Downie and Caelum Blandford as the reserve in the Under-18 Boys.
Giselle Allan and Olivia Warden, with Jodie Burke, as reserve, are the Girls Under 16 squad, while the Under 18 Girls division consists of Roma Bellori and Gabriella Gittens.
Jodie Burke is also the reserve there.
