Young Team Members Shine For Junior Surfing Team

Three of our youngest surfers in the New Zealand Junior Surfing Team fought hard for a clean slate in the Under 16 Girls Division at the ISA World Surfing Championships held in Peru today, all three advancing to the third round.

Brisa Canina, Alani Morse and Poppy Arkle all advanced through a big day of surfing.  They were joined by Lola Groube in the Under 18 Girls Division and Alexis Owen in the Under 18 Boys Division.

The team lost three surfers throughout the day with Tao Mouldey ending up on the wrong side of another close heat for the Kiwis.  Chloe Groube exited the Under 18 Girls Division as did Jacob Haines in the Under 18 Boys Division.

Surfing on the second podium, the young girls made the most of the 1.5m shifty peaks on offer at Peru's Punta Roca.

Alani Morse posted a 9.5 point heat total to win her heat, the young Raglan surfer clear on what is required in the coming days as the competition intensifies.

"As I get deeper into the draw I start to focus on myself and how I am preforming more. Things like, how can I post a higher heat score or how can I catch the better waves," said Morse.

"I try and have small wins along the way and goals to try meet. Each time I complete my goal I celebrate it and make a harder one. I also start to take more risks, whether it's pushing my turns harder or sitting in a different place in the lineup. I take those 50/50 risks because I'd rather go down 'sending it' than playing it safe. I know that I need to surf the best I can to keep pushing through the rounds," she added regarding her upcoming heats.

Morse finds herself pitted against team mate Poppy Arkle in the next round, Arkle, the highest scoring of the three Kiwis with a 10.33 point heat total.

"The waves just pulsed for my heat and I was super stoked to surf with only three other girls out compared to before and after the comp when there's hundreds of competitors," she said.

"I'm super stoked all the 16 girls are into round three and hopefully we can all get into round four," she added of their group performance and pending match ups on Day 5 of the event.

Rounding out the performances was Brisa Canina who finished second behind her Australian counterpart on 8.8 points and she joins the other two in the final 48 surfers in the event.

In the Under 18 Girls Division it was Lola that worked her way through to the third round too.

"I was stoked to get through my heat even if it wasn't my best surfing, tomorrow I will try get the first exchange and will do the best I possibly can," added Groube who comes up against surfers from Australia, Indonesia and France tomorrow.

In the Under 18 Boys Division, it was Alexis Owen who flew the Kiwi flag advancing with a comfortable 10.0 point heat win.

"It was a grindy heat but I got the job done," laughed Owen.  "My boards are feeling amazing and this wave at Punta Roca is fun so I am stoked with how it's all going," he added.

This year's event is being held at Punta Roca, a consistent right and lefthand point break that has delivered good conditions to date.  This year's event has a record 424 participants from 57 countries taking part.  New Zealand is chasing a result better than eleventh which they achieved in 2024.

The event takes place from the 7th – 15th December 2025 at Punta Roca, Peru.  With a huge field of surfers, this year's event only features a second chance format with all surfers from the repechage rounds joining back into Round 2 and single elimination from there on in.