Steven Sawyer was the star for Team South Africa on Day 3 of the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships in New Zealand, winning his Round 2 heat to become the sole SA team member remaining in the qualifying stream of U16 boys’ division at the world’s biggest event for surfers 18 and under.

As somewhat calmer but still wild weather and unruly two metre waves continued to plague the event, organisers opted to use only the main podium for competition today and completed the U18 boys repecharge Round 1 after the U16’s wrapped up.

Sawyer completed a come-from-behind victory to advance to Round 3 of the qualifying stream along with heat runner-up Braye Mihimana of Tahiti, while Isaiah Moniz (HAW) and Martin Jeri (PER), in third and fourth places respectively, dropped into the sudden-death repecharge rounds.

After briefly taking the lead with a 5.25 point ride at the 15 minute mark in the 25 minute encounter, Sawyer was overtaken by Moniz who posted the heat-high score of 7.50. The Jeffreys Bay teenager bounced back with a solid 4.90 with six minutes to go and held on for the heat win.

Diran Zakarian (Melkbosstrand) and Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay) were relegated to the repecharge stream when they finished outside the top two in their respective U16 boys’ heats. Zakarian took to the surf in the first heat of the day and only managed to ride one wave for 2.50 points and fourth place.

In the last heat of the round, Lightfoot posted scores of 5.0 and 3.25 but was overshadowed by heat winner and already established international star Kolohe Andino (USA) and highly touted Australian Creed McTaggart, to finish third.

Team USA dominated proceedings today with all four U16 boys winning their heats and Andino posting both the highest single ride score of 9.0 out of 10 and heat tally of 15.75 out of 20.

Repecharge Round 1 for the U18 boys saw the first competitors eliminated from the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships. After three days of competition, 11 of the 21 nations competing, including South African, still have all their team members in contention for the gold, silver, bronze and copper medals at stake for U16 & U18 boys, U18 girls and the team titles.

The schedule for Sunday’s action sees Rounds 1 & 2 of the U18 girls being run at the main podium. The second podium will be the venue for U16 boys’ repecharge R1 (featuring SA’s Jarred Veldhuis), U18 boys’ repecharge R2 (Dane Staples, Michael February & Davey Brand) and the U16 boys’ repecharge R2 (Diran Zakarian & Dylan Lightfoot, and Jarred Veldhuis if he progresses from R1).

Surfing commences at 8.00am daily (9pm today SA time) on both podiums with live action video, commentary and scoring webcast from podium one and live scoring from podium two at www.isaworldjuniors.com

The 2010 South African Junior Surfing Team is supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) and clothed by Quiksilver with additional support from Skullcandy and Power Balance.

See Surfing South Africa’s daily Press Release, photos and video footage focusing on the progress of the South Africans at www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za

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Surfing South Africa

Contact:            Robin de Kock: General Manager (in New Zealand)
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