ATTENTION: ISA Members, please forward this Newsletter to all of your members, circulate also in any surf related website of your organization, and/or any entity affiliated with your organization. Thank you.

CONTENTS

The 20th ISA World Surfing Games brought together 26 nations from around the world to Salinas, Ecuador not only to enjoy the consistent surf, warm weather and friendly people, but also to battle out the top surfers and surfing nations in the world.  The level of surfing, bodyboarding, longboarding and event officiating was brought to new heights and truly shows the advancement of our beloved sport.  The WSG received huge media coverage and amazing support from both public and private sectors of the country, including the Ecuadorian Olympic Committee (COE).

The ISA would like to extend its deepest gratitude and appreciation to the host NGB, the Federacion Ecuatoriana de Surf (FES) and its Organizing Committee headed by FES President, Mr. Manolo Lozano, Moneda Travel Group, the event officials, Life’s a Beach Communications, all the event sponsors and volunteers for their incredible efforts in hosting and organizing a history-making WSG.  A special thanks goes out to all the National Teams who traveled to Ecuador to participate in the WSG. Your support and participation is greatly appreciated. Congratulations!

The ISA would also like to thank all the NGB delegates for their attendance at the ISA Biennial and Annual General Meetings in Salinas. The meetings were successful, productive and outlined the future of the ISA for the next years to come. Congratulations to the new ISA full and provisional members whose recognition status was ratified at the ISA Biennial General Meeting.

-Bahamas Amateur Surfing Association: Full Non-Voting/Non-Competing ISA Member

-Federation Royale Marocaine de Surf et Bodyboard (FRMSB): Provisional Member

-Surfing America: Provisional Member

-Fiji Surfing Association - Provisional Non-Voting/Non-Competing ISA Member

-Christian Surfers International - Provisional Non-Voting/Non-Competing ISA Member

-Pan-American Surf Association (PASA) – Provisional Non-Voting/Non-Competing ISA Member

Minutes from both meetings will be sent to NGBs next week.
 
 

TEAM RESULTS

1. Australia 16554

2. Brazil 14284

3. South Africa 13257

4. Peru 13160

5. Tahiti 11931

6. Spain 11080

7. France 11060

8. Venezuela 9760

9. Costa Rica 9742

10. UK 9215

11. Ecuador 9013

12. Argentina 8695

13. New Zealand 8433

14. Mexico 7748

15. Barbados 6840

16. Japan 6630

17. Switzerland 6185

18. Ireland 5819

19. USA 5345

20. Italy 5066

21. Jamaica 4080

22. Panama 2843

23. Sweden 2598

24. Guatemala 2256

25. Chile 1560

26. Canada 855

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

OPEN DIVISION

1. Hira Teriinatoofa, TAH 1000
2. Teco Padaratz, BRZ 890
3. Mark Richardson, AUS 730
4. Sean Holmes, SAF 670

1. Sofia Mulanovich, PER 1000
2. Julia Christian, USA 860
3. Andrea Lopes, BRA 730
4. Sheridan Shields, AUS 670

1. Andrew Lester, AUS 1000
2. Yeray Martinez, SPA 860
3. Alvaro Padron, SPA 730
4. Nicolas Capdeville, FRA 670

1. Kira Llewellin, AUS 1000
2. Neymara Carvalho, BRA 860
3. Marina Taylor, SPA 730
4. Claire McGowan, UK 670

1. Marcelo Freitas, BRA 1000
2. Jason Ribbink, SAF 860
3. Joshua Constable, AUS 730
4. Antoine Delpero, FRA 670

ISA CUP

1. Australia
2. Spain
3. South Africa
4. New Zealand
5. Brasil
6. France
7. Tahiti
8. Ecuador

ISA LEVEL 1 JUDGING COURSE

March 19, Salinas, Ecuador – In conjunction with the ISA WSG 2004

The ISA Level 1 Judging Course held in Salinas, Ecuador was a success. The official WSG 2004 judges who participated in the course and non-2004 WSG judges who have had proven prior head judging experience in their home nation completed all accreditation and practical requirements by the end of the WSG in Ecuador, thereby achieving the grade of Level 1 ISA Judge & Official. These participants were accredited with ISA qualifications and will be included on the International Database/Register. The ISA invited additional interested persons to attend the judging courses. These people received a certificate of participation upon completion of course.

This was an excellent opportunity for officials to gain valuable knowledge and experience from the world's top judges, and bring back information to their nation for the further development of their NGB’s level of Judging. The ISA looks forward to running the next Judging Seminar in Tahiti during the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships.

Any questions regarding the course or on acquiring ISA judging/officiating development licensing rights, contact Glen Elliott of Surfing Australia, glene@surfingaustralia.com or visit www.surfingaustralia.com

TAHITI ISA WORLD KNEEBOARD OPT HORUE 2004

June 28 – July 10, Papara, Tahiti

The Organizing Committee, the Federation Tahitienne de Surf and the Popoti Surf Club welcome kneeboarders from around the world to the city of Papara for the 2004 Tahiti ISA World Kneeboard Horue*. 
This is a great opportunity for athletes from different nations and cultural backgrounds to join together, develop their skills and have an experience of a lifetime in Tahiti.   
For more information, visit the event website: www.horue.pf, e-mail Christophe Holozet, Event Organizer at qch.Tahiti@netcourrier.com or Lindsay Nelson at the ISA Head Office at lindsay@isasurf.org.

*Horue is Polynesian for Surfing Championship

December 2 – 14, 2004, Papenoo, Tahiti

The ISA is pleased to announce that the 2^nd Edition of the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships is scheduled to take place in Tahiti this December. The ISA confirms receipt of the deposit and agreement from the Tahitian NGB and shall begin the organization with the NGBs. Once finalized, further details about the event will be sent to NGBs. The ISA is looking forward to this great event.

*An ISA Sanctioned Event

The ISA Calendar is available on the ISA website. Click here.

PUERTO RICO SURFING FEDERATION 
Congratulations to the newly elected President of the PRSF, Ms. Nilda Benitez, email: nbc8@hotmail.com

SURFING AMERICA – The new ISA National Governing Body for the United States of America
Mike Gerard, Executive Director

P.O. Box 309

18672 Florida Street, Suite 201-B

Huntington Beach, CA 92648

Tel: 714-848-8851 / Fax: 714-848-8861

E-mail: mikegerard@surfingamerica.org 
Website: http://www.surfingamerica.org

For the full and updated list of the ISA National Governing Bodies, please go to the ISA website, www.isasurf.org, or simply click here.  Please inform the ISA Headquarters (lindsay@isasurf.org) if there are any updates to your NGB contact information. Thank you.

5. ON THE OLYMPIC FRONT

March 7 – 9, 2004, Marrakech, Morocco

On behalf of the ISA, Maile H. Aguerre, ISA Vice President, attended the International Olympic Committee’s World Conference on Women and Sport in Marrakech, Morocco before her travel to Ecuador for the World Surfing Games. Under the overall theme, "New Strategies, New Commitments," the conference analyzed progress made in the field of women’s advancement at all levels in sport generally, and in the Olympic Movement in particular. The Conference also outlined priority issues still facing women in sport and addressed relevant strategies and policy guidelines to meet these challenges in the years to come.

IOC President Jacques Rogge, commented on the fact that there were only 8 International Federations out of all the IF’s, (on the Programme and Recognized) which had complied with the IOC’s requirement of having 20% of Executive Positions in the hands of women. The ISA is very proud to announce that the ISA is one of those 8 IF’s.

For more information, please contact Maile Aguerre at maile@isasurf.org

ISA Attends the Pan American Sports Organization General Assembly

The Leaders of the National Olympic Committees of the Americas met in San Antonio, Texas over the last weekend in April. On behalf of the ISA and PASA, Maile H. Aguerre, ISA Vice-President and PASA Vice-President attended these meetings to show support for surfing for inclusion in the upcoming 2007 Pan Am Games in Rio. The general assembly included updates on preparations by Rio de Janeiro for the Pan Am Games 07, as well as on the Olympic Games in Athens this summer.

Information for WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency)

WADA has requested that each ISA NGB know what travel plans its athletes have for the month of July as WADA will be conducting out of competition testing. This is mostly for Sports included on the official Programme, but since surfing is a recognized sport, the ISA, (and all of its NGBs), comes under this umbrella of WADA and therefore; out of competition testing.

What this means is that WADA wants to know the exact addresses and exactly where the NGB athletes (those that participated in the last WSG in Ecuador), will be in the month of July 2004.

As part of the WADA code that the ISA has signed, out of competition testing is a part of the code and can be conducted at any given time.

For those of you that did not participate in the WSG 2004, the ISA will need a list of athletes from the last WSG that your national team participated in, along with their addresses and travel plans for the month of July 2004.
For those NGBs who have never participated, please send the ISA a list from your last national series.

The ISA would really appreciate this information as soon as possible to be able to send it in. Please send it to Maile Aguerre at the following email: maile@isasurf.org

The WADA code goes in to full effect with the beginning of the Olympic Games this August.

Mahalo for your cooperation.

Ecoflag – Surfing and the Environment

Global Sports Alliance (GSA) is a non-profit organization based in Tokyo, Japan that is working with
organizations such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to increase environmental action and awareness in sports as laid out in the International Olympic Committee's 'Agenda 21' on sports and the environment
 

GSA has had a very positive response from athletes and spectators in beach and ocean related sports on the Ecoflag project. The Ecoflag has been very well received since being adopted by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) on the SWATCH-FIVB World Beach Volleyball Tour. The Ecoflag is a great way to promote environmental awareness among the surfing community. GSA is interested in developing similar links with the ISA and its NGBs, and fly Ecoflags at surfing events in order to increase environmental awareness among surfers worldwide.

Ecoflag symbolizes the commitment to the environment of sports-lovers and everyone who knows the importance and irreplaceable nature of the water, air and greenery that surrounds us. It is proof of our actions towards leaving a beautiful planet to our future generations. The aim of the ecoflag project is to increase environmentally orientated activities and create a power base for environmental action. Furthermore the ecoflag.com website serves as a forum to show the variety of activities taking place in communities and for the active exchange of ideas. The power harnessed from these activities will go towards solving global environmental problems.

For more information about the Ecoflag, the project and how to obtain a flag, please visit http://www.ecoflag.com/index_e.html or email Jason Chare of Global Sports Alliance at Jason_Chare@gsa.or.jp.

Information by Jason Chare.

PANAMA OP LATIN PRO

May 28 – 30, 2004 at Playa Venao, Panama

This is a 6-Star tournament with the competing categories: Open, Bodyboard, Junior, Longboard & Ladies

Beach Venao is a beach break. The waves are well formed, even though the bay is small. The average size of waves is 1 to 2 meters with the water temperature about 24 - 28 C.

ALAS looks forward to welcoming the athletes to this event.

News excerpt from the ALAS e-mail news bulletin, boletin@alastour.com

For information about this event, e-mail: Ruben Garcia, President of the Asociacion Panamena de Surf at apsradical@hotmail.com

For information on ALAS’ Latin Pro Tour, as well as the latest results and news, please visit www.alastour.com

EUROPEAN TOUR OF BODYBOARD – CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2004
July 2 – 4, Casablanca, Morocco
August 20 – 22, Portugal
August 25 – 29, Sintra, Portugal
September 3 – 5, Ferrol, Spain
September 9 – 11, Mimizan, France
September 16 – 18, Lacanau, France
Waiting Period November 7 – December 5, Oeiras, Portugal
Calendar submitted by Rui Felix at afelix@mail.telepac.pt; www.eurosurfing.org

DIPLOMA OF SPORTS MANAGEMENT (SURFING STUDIES)

Proudly endorsed by Surfing Australia

Southern Cross University – Tweed Gold Coast Campus – Coffs Harbour

The Diploma of Sport Management (Surfing Studies) is an exciting and challenging one-year course that commenced February 2004. The course, developed in conjunction with Surfing Australia, the ISA’s National Governing Body for Australia, aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills required of employees and managers in the global surf industry. In 2004, Southern Cross University will take 40 students for the one year full-time, or two year part-time course, covering subjects such as marketing, events management, sport media, business and sport management and technology. There is no need for applicants to be able to surf, although it would help.

Media Contact/General information: Surfing Australia – Renee Marshall reneem@surfingaustralia.com

ROBERTO VALERIO CUP

In 2003, CBS created the Roberto Valerio Cup for the Brazilian Amateur Circuit in honor of Roberto Valerio, who was the biggest supporter of amateur surfing in Brazil. (Mr. Valerio was also the major sponsor of the WSG in Rio in 1994).

The trophy rotates going to the winning team. The Brazilian Team that wins 3 times gets to keep it.

The Taka Roberto Valerio will take place in 2004 with 4 competitions:

The 1^st one will be from the 5^th through the 7^th of March in the Northeast

And the last will be from the 30^th of October through the 1^st of November in Ilha do Mel.

Calendar submitted by Juca de Barros, CBS cbsurf@terra.com.br

For more information, please visit the CBS Website: www.cbsurf.com.br

FIJI SURFING ASSOCIATION - CALENDAR OF EVENTS

June 12, FSA Club Competition (Venue to be announced)

June 26, Olympic Day Fun Run (Venue to be announced)

August 25 – 26, Fiji Games Surfing Competition (Venue to be announced)

Calendar submitted by Brian McDonald, FSA b.mcdonald@cqufic.ac.fj

Jamaican Surfers to feature in Surf Movie

Accompanying the Jamaican Surf Team at the ISA World Surfing Games 2004 in Ecuador was a film crew led by Director Rick Elgood of One Love fame. The crew was on location shooting scenes for an upcoming movie entitled "Surfrasta" about the development of the sport of surfing in Jamaica.

The story adapted for the screen by famous Jamaican scriptwriter Trevor Rhone, follows the exploits of four young dreadlocked Jamaican friends who learn the unlikely sport of surfing from an elder Rastaman, to be played by Billy Wilmot of Royal Palm Estate fame, and against all odds eventually are able to represent their country at the prestigious World Surfing Games.

Tracking the trail blazed by the Warner Produced hit film "Cool Runnings", Elgood will try to infuse the light comedy with the music of Jamaica’s top artists, our naturally photogenic people and scenery, highlight our unique world famous island culture and tie it all to a non-traditional sport which, unlike bobsledding, fits perfectly into Jamaica’s widely promoted "Sun Sea and Sand Vacation" image.

Also of interest is that apart from all the international exposure that the sport of surfing has received through television commercials and cartoons, the huge box office success achieved by the surf film "Blue Crush" about a group female surfers in Hawaii, has announced surfing’s official arrival to the Hollywood big time. The success of Jamaican produced films such as Harder They Come, Dancehall Queen and Third World Cop on the international movie scene, has focused attention on the budding Jamaican film industry and with backing from New York based VP Records, "Surfrasta" will obviously have a lot going for it.

Surfrasta, which began shooting in March, will also impact on the work that the JSA has been doing to develop the sport locally. "With our personal involvement in the project, this is a great opportunity for us to build on Jamaica’s small but growing reputation locally as a legitimate surfing nation by exposing the talent of our local surfers" said JSA spokesperson Billy Wilmot. "It will also go a far way towards promoting our island as a prime destination for the thousands of traveling surfers that are always looking for their next exotic surf vacation paradise".

Report submitted by Jamaican Surfing Association, jasurfas@hotmail.com

CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR 2004 - JAMAICA SURFING ASSOCIATION

June 12, Forth National Open, Zoo Surfing Beach Harbour View, East Kingston

June 26, Fifth National Open, Copa Surfing Beach, Cable Hut Beach, 8 Miles Bull Bay St. Andrew

July 10, National Junior Championships Event #1, Cable Hut Beach, 8 Miles Bull Bay St. Andrew

Calendar submitted by Billy Wilmot, jasurfas@hotmail.com

TAIRAWHITI / BODYLINE / BLITZ SURF SHOP SNZ PRO

March 13 – 14, 2004, Gisborne

Ben Kennings (WGM) secured his first ever SNZ Pro Series win in Tairawhiti/Bodyline/Blitz SNZ Pro. Kennings was up against a star-studded field of surfers that included Bobby Hansen (Gis), Blair Stewart (Gis) and Simon Deken (Tara). Kennings surfing in his first final in ten years finished the heat with a total heat score of 14.75 edging out Blair Stewart by 0.85. Bobby Hansen ended the final in third position with Simon Deken placing fourth.
 
 

The Open Women’s final was another to have a somewhat unexpected outcome. Young Hester Sutherland Stacey (Mt) walked away victorious in the final. Local girl Jessica Welch came in second place also scoring a 6.5 but unable to back that up with a good second scoring wave. The performances of the two girls will be special considering they beat New Zealand’ sole international female competitor Lisa Hurunui (Gis) into third place. Coming in fourth place was Leilani Morgan.
 
 

The junior finalists continued to raise the bar in their final with outstanding surfing. When the siren sounded it was Richard Christie who came away with a closely fought win. Nathan Welch was not to be upstaged in the final also completing some crowd-pleasing moves at the end of his waves. Unfortunately he could not find waves with the size or shape that Christie managed and had to settle for second. Taranaki’s Blanton Smith placed third and Morehu Roberts came fourth.
 
 

Report and results submitted by Steve Ria, steveria@surfingnz.co.nz.
 
 
 
 

BILLABONG MAHIA SNZ PRO

April 10 – 11, Mahia Penninsula

Maz Quinn made it three events in a row by winning the Open Men’s division of the Billabong Mahia SNZ Pro. Quinn’s international experience was evident with the polished surfer not letting the conditions dictate his surfing. Chris Malone (Gis) played the waiting game as did Blair Stewart (Gis) in the hope that some bigger set waves would roll in from the south. The bigger waves never came and the surfers were left to start building scores later in the heat. Malone squeaked into second place (10.20) followed closely by both Blair Stewart (9.90) and Simon Deken (9.75).
 
 

In the Billabong Women’s division, it was Lisa Hurunui who also used her international experience to overcome a young trio of surfers in the final. The Women’s final was a close tussle until the final hooter with Hurunui edging out the younger Airini Mason by 0.25. Mason came home strong with a 5.0 point ride late but it was only enough for second. Santorik placed third with Clare Thomsen coming in at fourth place. The win is Lisa Hurunui’s first of the year in New Zealand after spending much of her time oversees gearing up for her international campaign on the Women’s World Qualifying Series.
 
 

Morehu Roberts (Rag) finally pulled off a complete performance to win his first ever Junior Final in the Billabong Juniors division. A standout surfer throughout the weekend in both the Open and Junior Men’s, Roberts takes a valuable win that will elevate him on the SNZ Pro Series ratings and give him confidence for up coming international events. Richard Christie put up an early fight but was left short at the end of the heat finishing in second. Nathan Welch placed third with Owen McMillan in fourth both surfers struggling to find anything that offered more than an average scoring ride.
 
 

Report and results submitted by Steve Ria

LION RED SOUTH ISLAND CHAMPS

April 9 – 12, Dunedin and Otago Coastline

More than 90 competitors from around the South Island are in Dunedin for the three-day annual event, running now for more than 30 years. Nat Parsons (Kaik) has won out in an all South Island final at the Lion Red South Island Championships in the weekend. Parsons finished the final ahead of New Zealand representative Felix Dickson (Dun) who recently finished 9^th at the World Surfing Games, Manu Schafer (Chch) and Llewellyn Thomas (Chch).

On the final day, Sunday, surfers arrived at St Clair Beach at 7am to be greeted by a 2-3m-plus swell with forecasts of it rising to 4-5m later in the day. In the interests of safety, because of the boulder-strewn beach currently under repair, Contest Director Johnny de Graaf shifted the event to the north end of Aramoana Spit. A 0.5m-1m swell prevailed, with competitors and spectators sheltering under the cliffs at the north end of the beach as 40-50kt winds whipped overhead. Many competitors found the smaller conditions frustrating, however, small peaks were breaking up and down the stretch of beach throughout the day.
 
 

Lion Red Open Men

Nat Parsons, Kaikoura, 1, Felix Dickson, Dunedin, 2, Manu Schafer Chch, 3, Llewellyn Thomas Chch, 4.

Boardbase Junior U/18

Levi O'Connor, Kaikoura, 1, Maru Pou Riverton, 2, Will Newman, Chch, 3, Sam Dunfoy Kaikoura, 4.

Esplanade Restaurant Women's

Leilani Morgan, Chch,1 , Angie Koops Kaikoura, 2, Nicola Jones, Dunedin, 3, Sophie Moore, Auckland, 4

Quarry Beach Surfboards Cadets U-16

Sam Dunfoy, Kaikoura, 1, Levi O'Connor Kaikoura, 2, Dylan Wood, Chch, 3, Ike Hanson Chch, 4.

Hydro Surf Malibu

Sonia Clyne House Of Travel Master 35+

Johnny Fenton, Karamea, 1, Mark Perana, West Coast, 2, Neil Robb, Chch, 3, Lee Morris, Chch, 4.

R&R Sport Seniors 28

Manu Schafer, Chch, 1, Aaron Surgenor, Kaikoura, 2, Brad Melville, Dunedin, 3, Nick Mills, Dunedin, 4.

Void Clothing Body Board

Aaron Lock, Chch, 1, Dean Whiston, Dunedin, 2, Dan Wadsworth, Timaru, 3, Brad Perana, Chch, 4.

Report and results submitted by Ben Kennings, ben.kennings@surfingnz.co.nz

RIP CURL GROMSEARCH – EVENT ONE
April 17 – 18, Makorori Beach, Gisborne
Both Richard Christie (Mah) and Mischa Davis (Piha) started off the Rip Curl Gromsearch Series in the best possible fashion.  Both surfers won their respective divisions in the Under 16 age groups today at the first event in the series.

The Under 14 Boys matched off against each other from the quarterfinals having to surf three times before the day ended.  Ryan Hawker (Piha) again showed his maturity as he built on his best waves in the final and milked the 1m swells for all they were worth for the win.  
Airini Mason unable to win the Under 16 division came out on top of the Under 14 girls.  Her strong powerful style was unmatched by the other three finalists as they were required to play catch up throughout the 25 minute final.  
The Under 12 Boys hammered home a brilliant performance that had everyone commenting on the improvement of these youngsters over the past six months. The four finalists were the same as the previous three grom events this year.  Gisborne grom Johnny Hicks was the eventual winner over Karne Pitcher

(WGM) Canning Mason (Gis) and Greg Ranga (Waihi Bch). 

In the Under 12 Girls the youngest of the Mason sisters Sarah won out of her fellow finalists.  The five finalists showed great courage to tackle the 1.0m swells which were well over head high for the youngsters.  Ella Williams (WGM) placed second with, Renee Pearson (Gis) in third, Samantha

Sanderson Carter (Waihi Bch) in fourth and Lucy Brankin (Tara) in fifth.  Full results below:


U16 BOYS Finals

Richard Christie, Mahia, 1, Jason Hayes, Whmata, 2, Wiremu Bowers-Rakatau, Grt Barrier, 3, Jhia Steevens, Gis, 4

U14 BOYS Finals

Ryan Hawker, Piha, 1, Stefan White, Whmata, 2, Mathis Smith, Taranaki, 3, Sean Peggs, Coro, 4

U12 BOYS Finals

Johnny Hicks, Gis, 1, Karne Pitcher, Whmata, 2, Canning Mason, Gis, 3, Greg Ranga, Waihi Bch, 3

U16 GIRLS Finals

Mischa Davis, Akl, 1, Airini Mason, Mahia, 2, Daisy Thomas, ChCh, 3, Jessica Welch, Gis, 4

U14 GIRLS Finals

Airini Mason, Mahia 1, Paige Hareb, Taranaki 2, Sharnae Van Der Helder, Rag 3, Maddy Phillips, Auck 4

U12 GIRLS Finals

Sarah Mason, Mahia, 1, Ella Williams, Whmata, 2, Renee Pearson, Gis, 3, Samantha Sanderson Carter, Waihi Bch, 4, Lucy Brankin, Oakura, 5


For further information regarding the Rip Curl Gromsearch Series, please contact Leon Parkin at lparkin@ripcurl.co.nz or Ben Kennings.
Report submitted by Ben Kennings 


The next three Rip Curl Gromsearch Events are as follows:

Rip Curl Gromsearch Event Two Taranaki, 3rd, 4th July

Rip Curl Gromsearch Event Three Dunedin, 25th, 26th September

Rip Curl Gromsearch Event Four Muriwai, 11th, 12th December

April 20 – 24, Gisborne

Waikato's Luke Hughes has won the Billabong Under 18 Men's Division of the Globe National Scholastic Surfing Championships.  Hughes, who was suffering from food poisoning, won his semi final before going on to post 13.65 in the final to take the title.  Blanton Smith (Tara) placed second, scoring the finals highest single wave score of 8.5 points.  Owen McMillan (Tara) incurred an interference call in the first five minutes of the final and could not fight back from the penalty.  Coromandel's Klee Drummond could not find the better waves in the final and his excellent run of form into the finals was ended when he finished fourth.

Local knowledge proved valuable in the Bodyline Under 19 Women's final when Gisborne surfer Clare Thomson waited patiently to catch the best waves of the final.  Jessica Santorik (Wai) could not find the longer waves in the final and ended up placing second.  Hester Sutherland Stacey and Pipi Sopp finished third and fourth respectively.

The unstoppable Richard Christie (Gis) was just that in the Oakley Under 16 Boys final. Bay of Plenty's Tim O'Connor continued his run of high scores, sealing second position. Both Jason Hayes (Coro) and Kierin Van Der Helder (Wai) only caught short waves that offered little in the way of scoring potential, placing third and fourth respectively.

Ryan Hawker (Auck) showed his domination of the Oakley Under 14 Division by winning the final with another clinical display of contest surfing.  Oliver Bone (Nrth) placed second with his best performance of the year while Stefan White and Oliver Mason finished in third and fourth.

Floyd Smith (Auck) won the Under 18 Bodyboard final.  The current National Champion edged out the other three finalists in one of the closest finals of the day scoring 12.65 for the win. Simon Bennett (Tara) came from behind in the Under 15 Bodyboard final to take the win on his last wave he rode. Kneeboard final was won by Jos Hadfield (BOP) who had previously contested the Under 16 Men's semi finals.  The multi talented surfer edged out Kelvin Weir (Tara) for the win.

Report and results submitted by Steve Ria, SNZ.
 
 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR 2004 – SURFING NEW ZEALAND
Apr. 24, Assault Women’s Airforce Expression Session, Mt. Maunganui
Apr. 24 – 25, Assault Gil Grom Surf Training Group, Mt. Maunganui
May 1 – 2, Gisborne Longboard Classic, Gisborne
May 15 – 16, SNZ Level 1 Judging Course, Christchurch

ISA World Surfing Games 2004 Champion in the women’s division, Peruvian surfer, Sofia Mulanovich, had a great homecoming. In a soccer stadium in Lima, Peru, in front of 40 thousand spectators, her winning heat was shown on the big screens.

She got a true national sports hero’s welcome and champion’s treatment she certainly deserves.

Information submitted by Maile Aguerre. For more information contact j.a.talleri@fotolaser.com

CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR 2004 – FEDERACAO PORTUGUESA DE SURF

May 1, Apprenticeship for Eurojunior 2004 Junior Selections, Costa da Caparica

May 1 – 2, 15th Coaching/Training Course Level 1 - 3rd Block, FMH

May 7 – 9, 1st Stage of National Circuit of Surf Esperanças, Costa da Caparica

May 15 – 16, 2nd Stage of National Circuit of Longboard, Ribeira D’IIhas

May 21 – 23, 1^st Stage of National Circuit of Surf Open and Ladies Surf, Sintra -P. Grande

May 23, Apprenticeship for Eurojunior 2004 Junior Selections, Costa da Caparica

May 28 – 31, 3^rd Coaching/Trainers Course, Level 2, FMH

Calendar submitted by the Federacao Portuguesa de Surf, fedsurf@mail.telepac.pt

RED BULL BIG WAVE AFRICA 2004 – Surfing South Africa (SSA) Specialty event

June 7 – 27, Dungeons, Hout Bay, Cape Town

Darryl ’Flea’ Virostko, the planet’s most successful big wave contest surfer, has been added to the world class field assembled for the sixth annual Red Bull Big Wave Africa in Cape Town, South Africa.
 
 

Scheduled for June 7-27, 2004, the 21-day challenge to surf the biggest ride-able waves on the coastline of Africa this year again sees six South African and six international invitees, all specially selected for their skills in huge surf, take on Dungeons, the deep water reef under the towering cliffs of the Sentinel at the mouth of Hout Bay on the Cape Peninsula.
 
 

Virostko, winner of the ‘Men who Ride Mountains’ event at Mavericks, the US mainland’s premier big wave venue, on each of the three occasions the event has been staged, holds legendary status amongst the core group of specialists that participate in the life threatening activity that pits surfers against the ocean when it is at its most powerful.
 
 

He will join an international contingent that is headed by 2003 Red Bull BWA winner Greg Long, the 20 year-old Californian who received the 2004 XXL Best Overall Performance award for becoming the first surfer to be nominated for both the XXL and Paddle-in categories, and includes other 2003 finalists in Carlos Burle (Brazil), winner of the 2002 XXL big wave award for riding a 68 foot wave, and Hawaiian star Jamie Sterling who placed third and sixth respectively in BWA last year.
 
 

Contest director Gary Linden (California) and local expert Paarman will be responsible for identifying the ideal conditions for the Red Bull BWA contest to be staged. Linden was also the contest director for the ISA Big Wave Championships in 1998 and 1999 in Todos Santos, Mexico. The same streamlined format as last year – comprising two semi-finals, each featuring six competitors, with the top three finishers in each heat advancing to a six-man final - will again be utilised. By allocating around 60 minutes for each heat and a 30-minute break between the second semi and the final, the entire contest can be completed inside four hours.
 
 

Using state-of-the-art wave and weather prediction modules generated locally and internationally, the organisers track the conditions that fit the criteria – i.e. swells consistently over 15 foot (5 metres) in height that produce waves the size of three story buildings as they rear up and break over the Dungeons reef. The fickle nature of the winds and the life-threatening consequences of being wiped out in the mountainous seas, particularly in the icy, kelp infested seas adjacent to the Duiker Island seal colony, make waiting for the right conditions an intrinsic part of big wave surfing.
 
 

Safety also plays a huge role in the event and the 2004 Red Bull BWA event will again employ the services of California water safety expert Shawn Alladio, who, along with Cape Town’s foremost big wave tow-in crew of Glen Bee, Pierre du Plessis and Nico Johnsen on their Yamaha WaveRunners and in their Gemini inflatables provide the surfers with peace of mind that every precaution is being taken to ensure they survive the challenge.
 
 
 
 

The water-safety team and a fully equipped medical boat with two specially trained para-medics and a doctor are on hand even for free surfing and practice sessions at Dungeons during the event waiting period. The spectator craft are marshaled a safe distance from the powerful breaking waves by an SAPS Sea Border patrol boat to prevent skippers who do not usually put to sea in the type of conditions the event is staged in from getting into trouble.
 
 

Report by Life’s a Beach Communications.
For more information about the event, visit www.redbullbwa.com

2003 BILLABONG JUNIOR SERIES PRESENTED BY Hip2b²

Five Event National Surfing Series

March – August 2004, East London, Durban, Victoria Bay, Cape Town and Jeffreys Bay

The Billabong Junior Series, South Africa’s hugely popular annual surfing circuit for competitors under the age of 20, will enter its seventh consecutive year in 2004 with new co-sponsors in Hip2b², the brand born out of Mark Shuttleworth’s trip to space in 2002. To be known as the Billabong Junior Series presented by Hip2b², the five event national surfing series that has produced the country’s current crop of world beating young surfers, will now add to their aspirations by introducing them to savvy and smart ways to live their lives.

The 2004 series will again cater for the premier U/20 boys’ category, sanctioned by ASP Africa, and the Surfing South Africa sanctioned U/12, U/14 and U/16 boys and U/20 girls. The 2004 Billabong Junior Series presented by Hip2b² starts in East London on the weekend 5-7 March followed by Durban (2-4 April), Victoria Bay in the Southern Cape (14-16 May) and Kommetjie in Cape Town (11-13 June) before all the champions are crowned at the final event staged in Jeffreys Bay over the weekend 7-9 August.

Report submitted by Life’s a Beach Communications, lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

SURFING SOUTH AFRICA (SSA) – 2004 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

May 2 – 9, Quiksilver SA Championships, Jeffreys Bay

May 13 – 20, Mr. Price SA Schools Tour, Reunion

May 14 – 16, Billabong Junior Series #3, Vic Bay

May 22 – 23, Rip Gromsearch #3, St. Mikes

May 24 – 30, Rip Curl Pro, Cave Rock

May 29 – 30, Roxy Surf Jam #2, St. Mikes

Calendar submitted by Life’s a Beach Communications

Tahiti’s Hira Teriinatoofa won the Mens Open division. Upon his return to Tahiti, Hira received the official presidency award named ‘Ordre de Tahiti Nui’ from the President of the Government Gaston Flosse. Billabong has also given him a Wild Card for direct entry into the Billabong Pro in Teahupoo at the end of this month. The ISA wishes to congratulate Hira on his incredible and long awaited victory.

Information submitted by Maina Sage, FTS maina.SAGE@logement.gov.pf

POSTPONED: SALTROCK / RESIN 8 BPSA UK TOUR 2004

The Saltrock / Resin 8 BPSA UK Tour 2004, originally scheduled for April 10 – 12 at Croyde Bay, North Devon is postponed until September due to a forecast of poor surf conditions.

For more information, please contact Dave Reed at dave@uksp.fsnet.co.uk

LOST BODYGLOVE BRITISH SCHOOLS 2004

April 17 – 18, Woolacombe

Braunton School became this year’s champion of the Lost Bodyglove British Schools Surfing Championships, narrowly defeating Kingsbridge and Treviglas (Newquay) who came 2^nd 3^rd respectively.

In 3-4ft onshore challenging surf conditions, Adam Thornton (Braunton School) put in an outstanding performance to win the Junior (Under 18) division. Bethan Mason managed to pick the larger set waves and dominate her final and take the trophy in the Girls division. Tom Butler (Treviglas) surfed exceptionally well to win the Cadets division. In the Longboard Adam Griffiths (King Edwards) showed his natural surfing talent to win a close fought final. In the Youth (Under 14) Aiden Wright (Treviglas) put in another strong performance to take the title.

The Bodyboard divisions gave an indication of the growth with a big entry of that discipline within surfing, the eventual winners being: Junior Bodyboard (Under 18) and Cadet Bodyboard Under 16) Mark Baker (Truro) and Girls Bodyboard Rowenna Farr (Kingsbridge

A record 140 surfers representing 42 teams from all over the country competed at Woolacombe during the weekend.

Report by Dave Reed, BSA

BRITISH JUNIOR SQUAD TRAINING WEEKEND

April 24 – 25, Fistral Beach, Newquay

Twenty five of the best British junior surfing talent turned up for the first weekend squad training session of the year and were blessed with classic conditions, the best swell and weather of the year. BSA Head Coach Barrie Hall was very pleased with the sessions and commented ‘what an excellent weekend to kick start the season. This has been an invaluable experience for the squad and coaches to analyze the strengths and weaknesses in surfing performance and set out a development plan for the year.’

The BSA plans on three more training weekends for the Junior squad for 2004 amongst other activities to help the future surfer stars improve their skills.
 

Report by Dave Reed, BSA

RIP CURL ENGLISH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2004

The 2004 Ripcurl English Championships promises some tough surfing competition from the countries top surfing stars. The 32nd Annual Event will be held at Watergate Bay on the 1st - 3rd May. This 3 mile long beach can provide classic waves at all stages of the tide, making for 3 days of non-stop surfing action. The UK's top riders will battle it out for this prestigious title, as becoming English Champion is the perfect start to the competition season.
For further information, please contact Karen Walton, karen@britsurf.co.uk

Texas Gulf Surfing Association signs on with Surfing America

Surfing America announced April 8^th, the Texas Gulf Surfing Association (TGSA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to join Surfing America as a Member Organization. Surfing America is the newly appointed National Governing Body (NGB) for the sport of surfing in the United States.
 
 

The Surfing America office received written confirmation from the TGSA Board that a vote took place earlier this week—officially approving the Memorandum of Understanding between the parties and recognizing Surfing America as the new NGB.
 
 

By signing on as a Member Organization, the TGSA has ensured its place within Surfing America’s national structure as the officially recognized organization for the Texas Region. As such, the TGSA competitions will serve as a path for Texas-based athletes seeking to compete in the US Surfing Championships and for a spot on the US Surfing Team.
 
 

With this act, TGSA joins the Eastern Surfing Association (ESA), the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA), and the Hawaii Amateur Surfing Association (HASA) as a Surfing America Member Organization. Surfing America is currently planning its inaugural US Surfing Championship and US Surfing Team selection for this summer in Huntington Beach, CA and will field this year’s US Team to the ISA Junior World Games in Tahiti in December.
 
 

"We are extremely excited to get Texas on board," said Mike Gerard, Surfing America’s executive director. "The State of Texas is well known for its big heart and immense spirit and pride—and the Texas Gulf has some of the most enthusiastic and passionate surfers in the world. We wouldn’t be complete without their involvement and we embrace the opportunity to get their input as we shape our programs for the future."
 
 

The TGSA is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation organized to promote surfing in Texas and has been running premiere surfing contests up and down the Texas coast for the past 16 years for surfers from ages 6 to 60. The TGSA has recently grown to almost 300 members and benefits from the support of many corporate sponsors from both inside and outside the surfing industry.
 
 

"The TGSA looks forward with great anticipation to the programs planned by Surfing America," said Charlie Cook, TGSA’s treasurer. "We will be working diligently to get our top athletes into the American Surfing Championships to be held in Huntington Beach this coming June. We are stoked to join the NSSA, ESA and HASA in support of the new future for surfing in the U.S.A."
 
 

Report submitted by Mike Gerard, Surfing America at mikegerard@surfingamerica.org

ATTENTION: ISA Members, please forward this Newsletter to all of your members, circulate also in any surf related website of your organization, and /or any entity affiliated with your organization. Thank you.