<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The twelve surfer team heads off to the United States of America next week to compete at the <strong>2018 VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship</strong> being held at Huntington Beach, California from the 27th October through until the 4th November.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nine surfers in the New Zealand Team were competing in Gisborne at the Scholastic Championships with three of those surfers taking home titles – <strong>Caleb Cutmore</strong>, <strong>Brie Bennett </strong>and <strong>Kora Cooper</strong> all of Raglan. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The scholastic event mirrors that of the World Junior Championship with a focus on the team aspect and also the long duration of the event, surfers having to pace themselves over five days of competition.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It will be that domestic experience that the team will need to pull on with only three of the surfers having previously competed at the prestigious international event.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">You would expect the youngest surfer in the team, 14-year-old <strong>Kora Cooper</strong>, to be the surfer with the most nerves heading into the biggest event of his life and travelling without family. However, the young natural foot surfer appears to be relaxed only days out from departure, taking things in his stride and looking forward heading away as part of the junior team.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Cooper claimed two titles and a runner up finish at the 2018 Bayleys Real Estate Aotearoa Maori Titles held in Taranaki over the weekend as he bagged more heat time getting ready for the event. Likewise, <strong>Brie Bennett</strong> won the Under 18 Girls Division and placed second in the Open Women’s Division at the event also putting in hours in the coloured jersey.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The three veteran team members looking to improve on their 2017 performances are <strong>Caleb Cutmore</strong>, <strong>Saffi Vette</strong> (Gis) and <strong>Kea Smith</strong> (Mnt).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vette moves up into the Under 18 Girls Division this year after an impressive run at the event in 2017 that saw her finish eleventh overall. The Gisborne surfer will want to replicate her performances this year as she hunts for more international success after spending much of this year competing both in New Zealand and in Australia.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Cutmore also moves up into the Under 18 Boys Division and will be hoping to improve on his 49th placing from 2017.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For the past two years the team has finished tenth overall and they will be aiming to push into the top eight to gain qualification for the Aloha Cup. USA won the 2017 event beating Hawaii, Japan and Australia who finished second through fourth respectively.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Kehu Butler</strong> (Mnt) had to opt out of the event after being originally selected and is now focussing on his preparation for the WSL World Junior Championship in Taiwan later in the year after winning the Australasian Junior Series. Elin Tawharu (Mnt) was also selected for the team but stepped up to represent New Zealand at the World Surfing Games in September where she placed 22nd overall. The two surfers have been replaced by <strong>Shane Kraus</strong> (Piha) and <strong>Tiana – Breeze de Mooij</strong> (Mnt).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next week’s championship is the largest junior surfing event in the world playing host to over 350 surfers from 44 nations. 2018 marks the first year that all divisions are gender equal at the event with three surfers in each of the four divisions contested. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The 2018 New Zealand Junior Surfing Team is as follows:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Under 18 Boys Division</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Caleb Cutmore (Hamilton)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Conor McLennan (Christchurch)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Shane Kraus (Piha)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Under 18 Girls Division</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kea Smith (Mount Maunganui)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Saffi Vette (Gisborne)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tiana – Breeze de Mooij (Mount Maunganui)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Under 16 Boys Division</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kora Cooper (Raglan)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Myka Black (Christchurch)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tom Robinson (Whangarei)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Under 16 Girls Division</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ariana Shewry (Oakura)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Brie Bennett (Raglan)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Estella Hungerford (Christchurch)</div>