The South African Junior Surfing team secured fourth place overall along with a haul of four medals – two bronze and two copper – at the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships which ended in good one metre conditions at Piha Beach in New Zealand today.

The podium finish and copper medal was South Africa’s best team result since the ISA World Junior Championships became a stand-alone event in 2003, having finished fifth three times, seventh twice and sixth at last year’s event in Ecuador.

The other South African medals were earned by Sarah Baum (Athlone Park) who placed third overall for bronze in the U18 girls; team captain Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga) who pocketed the copper medal for fourth place in the U18 boys and the Tag-Team who clinched the bronze when they placed third overall in the Aloha Cup event yesterday.

De Vries stormed through the six rounds of theU18 boys qualifying stream, convincingly winning the Round 6 heat over Jordin Watson (AUS) to advance to the Grand Final as the favourite. But Gabriel Medina (BRA) and Tamaroa McComb (TAH) emerged from the cutthroat repecharge rounds and dominated the final match-up.

Medina was simply unbeatable, posting a perfect 10 point ride along with a 9.90 for a heat tally of 19.90 and the gold medal. Watson grabbed the silver, just 0.02 of a point ahead of McComb with de Vries in fourth place.

Baum also progressed straight through the five rounds of the U18 girls, advancing to the Grand Final in second place behind eventual gold medalist Tyler Wright (AUS). Alessa Quizon (HAW) and Lakey Peterson (USA) survived the repecharge final and the Hawaiian went on to claim the silver with Baum taking bronze and Peterson the copper.

Matt Banting (AUS) won the U16 boys from Jake Halstead (USA), Koa Smith (HAW) and Hiroti Arai (JAP) to give Australia their second individual gold and helped them secure their fifth consecutive team title at the event, and sixth triumph in the eight year history of the tournament.

Baum and de Vries’ finals results were sufficient to boost South Africa’s team total past France and into a medal-winning fourth place behind Australia, Hawaii and the USA. France finished fifth, Tahiti sixth and hosts New Zealand seventh.

Video highlights, images and full results of all the heats in the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships are available 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

2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships

Results

GIRLS UNDER 18

1          TYLER WRIGHT                  AUSTRALIA
2          ALESSA QUIZON                HAWAII
3          SARAH BAUM                     SOUTH AFRICA (Athlone Park)
4          LAKEY PETERSON            USA

=13     Bianca Buitendag                George
=29     Tanika Hoffman                   Kommetjie
=41     Heidi Palmboom                  Bluff

BOYS UNDER 18

1          GABRIEL MEDINA              BRAZIL
2          JORDIN WATSON               AUSTRALIA
3          TAMAROA MCCOMB         TAHITI
4          BEYRICK DE VRIES          SOUTH AFRICA (Umhlanga)

=19     Michael February                 Kommetjie
=25     Davey Brand                         Kommetjie
=31     Dane Staples                        St Francis Bay

BOYS UNDER 16

1          MATT BANTING                   AUSTRALIA
2          JAKE HALSTEAD               USA
3          KOA SMITH                          HAWAII
4          HIROTI ARAI                        JAPAN

=19     Dylan Lightfoot                     Jeffreys Bay
=22     Steven Sawyer                     Jeffreys Bay
=22     Jarred Veldhuis                    Kommetjie
=37     Diran Zakarian                     Melkbosstrand

ALOHA CUP

1          AUSTRALIA 
2          FRANCE      
3          SOUTH AFRICA     
4          HAWAII         

TEAM

1          AUSTRALIA 
2          HAWAII         
3          USA   
4          SOUTH AFRICA
5          FRANCE
6          TAHITI
7          NEW ZEALAND      

Ends

Distributed on behalf of:

Surfing South Africa

Contact:            Robin de Kock: General Manager (in New Zealand)
Email:               surfingsouthafrica@gmail.com 
Web:                www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za

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