Stephanie Gilmore, team Australia : photo AJ Neste/Surfing America/Quiksilver ISA WJSC 2005 

2005 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships

Team Australia
International Surfing Association (ISA)
Huntington Beach, California, USA
8 - 16 October 2005

Live webcast  -  Scores/Results/Photos etc 

Stephanie Gilmore Claims Back-to-back world titles

Team Australia finish fourth overall in Huntington

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, Huntington Beach, Calif., October 16, 2005 - After eight days of grueling competition, four nations shared in the gold medal haul at the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships, which were finalised in one metre (three foot) surf at Huntington Beach, California, today.

The Quiksilver World Junior Championships, sanctioned by the ISA (International Surfing Association), is the world’s biggest junior surfing event with more than 260 competitors from 28 countries. It is considered the “Olympics” of surfing. Nearly 5,000 waves were ridden in 270 heats over the eight-day event.

In today’s finals, individual world titles and gold medals went to Brazil, Hawaii and Australia, while Hawaii also claimed gold for the overall point score as top nation - the World Junior Champions, and France won gold for the teams event - the ISA Cup.

From the original field which started in the event last Sunday, only 12 surfers remained today to contest the finals in Under 18 Boys, Under 16 Boys and Under 18 Girls.

It was a case of déjà vu for 17 year-old Australian schoolgirl Stephanie Gilmore (Kingscliff, NSW) who won gold and back-to-back world titles in the Under 18 Girls division when she convincingly defeated American Karina Petroni (silver), and Hawaiians Carissa Moore, who placed third (bronze), and Lani Hunter (copper), who was fourth.

Gilmore locked in a strong ride early in the final, and then backed it up with a nine-point ride (out of 10 points) for a long floater and roundhouse cutback with 10 minutes remaining to lock up the final. It was a very polished performance from the rookie who won the Roxy Pro against the world’s best professional surfers on Australia’s Gold Coast earlier this year.

“There has been a lot of learning,” said Gilmore. “I am preparing for the WCT (women’s World Championship tour), and am feeling more confident for the ‘QS (World Qualifying Series). I have had a little bit more experience than the other girls, but I still see myself on the same level as them. I can’t get too cocky because you never know what’s around the corner.” 

 
Stephanie Gilmore, team Australia : photo AJ Neste/Surfing America/Quiksilver ISA WJSC 2005 

Australia’s next best-performed surfer was West Australian Under 16 boys competitor Dave Delroy-Carr (Cottesloe) who surfed to an impressive third place.

Hawaiian Tonino Benson won the division with long rides and an array of maneuvers, and he held off a late charge from fellow Hawaiian Clay Marzo.  Marzo fell on his final radical maneuver, an aerial reverse, which could have secured him a last-minute victory. “I am stoked I got the win,” said 15-year-old Benson. “It’s the biggest win of my career.  Hawaii has very different waves from here. It’s pretty challenging, but I just got off the East Coast and that helped me prepare for the waves here. Finally all my work is paying off.”

Marzo finished second for a silver medal, with Carr taking home bronze and Brazilian Wiggolly Dantas, who incurred an interference against Benson, placed fourth (copper).

Brazilian Jefferson Silva (Sao Paulo) claimed the blue-ribbon Under 18 Boys title in the dying minutes of the final when he caught a long left-hand ride towards the famous Huntington Beach pier. His score of 8.77 (out of 10) secured a victory that only minutes before had been open to anyone. It was Brazil’s first win in the prestigious Under 18 division.

Silva defeated American Tanner Gudauskas (silver), fellow Brazilian Thomas Hermes (bronze) and South African Jordy Smith (copper) to win the gold medal. All four had displayed state-of-the-art surfing with aerial maneuvers and radical turns. “He is 18 now so this was his last chance to ride for Brazil,” said Brazilian Coach Marcos Conde, speaking on behalf of Silva who doesn’t speak English. “He is very happy for his win and for his country.”

In an exciting teams event where countries field their best five surfers, France emerged victorious to win gold, defeating South Africa (silver), the United States (bronze) and Australia (copper) in a close-fought battle.  The French team was: Jeremy Flores, Romain Cloitre, Arthur Bourbon, Joan Duru and Pauline Ado.

Hawaii convincingly won the overall point score with a total of 5,904 points to take the gold medal, ahead of Brazil (silver - 5,321 points), USA (bronze - 5,173 points), Australia (copper - 4,966 points), South Africa (3,948 points), France (3,621 points), New Zealand (3,543 points) and Tahiti (3,485 points).  Hawaii is now the World Junior Champion for 2005.

It was a fitting win for the Hawaiians as the father of modern surfing, Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku, brought surfing to Huntington Pier in the 1920s and he returned to California in the 1970s to help promote the US Surfing Championships.  Duke Kahanamoku is specifically remembered for his principles of fair play, good sportsmanship and his gracious Aloha spirit - which were all in abundance at this Quiksilver ISA World Junior Championships, dubbed the “United Nations of surfing”.

Australia had a clean sweep at the Quiksilver World Junior Championships in Tahiti last year, winning an unprecedented five gold medals for the overall teams title and tag team event, and individual gold in the Under 18 and 16 Boys, and Under 18 Girls but they could only manage the one gold today in the Under 18 Girls.

The 28 countries which began the competition on Sunday 8 October are: Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hawaii, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Tahiti, United Kingdom, United States of America and Venezuela.

The next Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships will be held in Maresias, Brazil, next May (2006).

Quiksilver, the title sponsor for this year’s contest has been involved with junior surfing for more than 20 years. In the opening ceremonies, Quiksilver announced they will continue their sponsorship for the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships for another three years.   

“This event has been a huge success and has exceeded our expectations,” said Jeff Booth, Quiksilver Brand Manager. “It has been an honor to be involved with the ISA and this event and to see the stoke of all the countries coming to Huntington Beach to compete.”

Team Australia is proudly supported by Globe, FCS, Salomon, Gorilla Grip, BC Hats & Endura Health Products.

More Australasian Surfing News available here
Check the latest Australasian Surf Reports and Forecasts

For more Team Australia information:

Anthony Pope
Team Manager
Mobile: +61415 079 607
Email: tonyp@surfingaustralia.com

ISA WJSC 2005 - Surfersvillage