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After seven years of coming close to victory, Team Hawaii finally made it back to the top of the podium and won the Team Gold Medal of the DAKINE ISA World Junior Surfing Championship Presented by Billabong. Photo: ISA\/Shawn Parkin<\/p>\n
Young Hawaiians Dax McGill and Kalani David Win Back-to-Back Gold Medals; Brazilian Matheus Navarro Narrowly Wins Gold Over Teammate Deivid Silva<\/p>\n
DAKINE ISA World Junior Surfing Championship Presented by Billabong
\n Sunday, April 22, 2012
\n Playa Venao, Panama<\/p>\n
There\u2019s quite a lot of Aloha spirit spreading through Panama at this time. In a thrilling final day of competition at the DAKINE ISA World Junior Surfing Championship Presented by Billabong, which was run in ultra-fun waves at the Playa Venao beachbreak, Team Hawaii won two of three individual Gold Medals and managed to win its first Team Gold Medal since 2005.<\/p>\n
Two of the youngest Hawaiians on the team, 14-year-old Dax McGill (competing in Girls Under-18) and 14-year-old Kalani David (Boys Under-16) carried the Aloha State flag proudly as they were chaired up the beach by teammates after winning their respective divisions. Brazil\u2019s Matheus Navarro, one of the most dynamic, entertaining and innovative surfers of the event, won the Gold Medal in Boys Under-18.Under sunny skies and with light onshore winds blowing, athletes from the 31 nations found a spot on the beach to watch the best 24 surfers remaining in the event on the last day of competition. Many wore their country colors and waved their nation\u2019s flags, even if they no longer had an athlete competing.<\/p>\n
ISA President Fernando Aguerre was all over the event site, greeting athletes, speaking on the webcast, shaking hands with coaches and cheering for the top-level surfing happening in the water. When he wasn\u2019t on the sand, the ISA President was sharing conversations with the distinguished guests in attendance: Panama\u2019s President, Ricardo Martinelli; Salomon Shamah, the country\u2019s Minister of Tourism; and Ricardo Fabrega, the Minister of Government and one of the country\u2019s first surfers. President Martinelli spent much of the day watching from the judges tower and even made an appearance on the live webcast, both in English and Spanish, which was being viewed in 144 countries.<\/p>\n
After eight days of competition featuring the best junior surfers in the largest and most important under-18 surfing event in the world, Hawaii\u2019s coach, Rainos Hayes, stood at the shoreline mid-day beside his other coaches. A flag pole leaned against his shoulder, and the red, white and blue of the Hawaiian flag waved in the onshore winds above him. All he could do was watch the action in the water and smile. And why wouldn\u2019t he? In the Girls division, which had begun the week with 81 athletes, three of the four surfers competing for a medal were representing Hawaii.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had such a beautiful event, and there\u2019s a game going on here, and you do want to win, but that\u2019s kind of far from the focus right now. I\u2019m very proud of all the girls,\u201d said Hayes, who\u2019s been coaching Team Hawaii for 17 years. \u201cI told them to go play, go surf, show what you can do. In the end, if you\u2019ve got to take a look at [tactical] situations, that\u2019s fine, but you girls need to go get on waves worth riding and really perform. You\u2019ve earned everything that\u2019s come to you thus far.\u201d<\/p>\n
Any nerves that may have been present for the Hawaiian trio of Mahina Maeda, Dax McGill and Tatiana Weston-Webb weren\u2019t noticeable. The three surfers spread across the lineup and caught wave after wave. A Hawaiian sweep wasn\u2019t a given, however, since the other competitor was the only undefeated surfer in the event, Ellie-Jean Coffey of Australia.<\/p>\n
With a minute left in the heat, Coffey caught a mid-sized left and completed a series of top turns, and threw a claim when she completed the ride. The score moved her into the first position.<\/p>\n
Seconds later, McGill \u2013 an ISA first-timer and the youngest surfer in the Final \u2013 found a left of her own and the first maneuver set the tone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did that first hit and got super psyched, and saw two more sections coming up and I was like, \u2018let\u2019s whack this thing as hard as I\u2019ve ever whacked something before!\u201d McGill explained.<\/p>\n
She rode the whitewater into the shore, where her Hawaiian teammates were already waiting. Four of the guys went diving into the water to meet her. When the 6.93 score was announced, she was hoisted onto their shoulders and given the champions chair ride all the way to the podium.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m on top of world right now,\u201d said McGill, after the heat, the Hawaiian flag draped over her shoulders and a Cheshire cat grin stretching from freckled cheek to freckled cheek. \u201cThank you to everybody who\u2019s ever supported me. I\u2019m so stoked right now! This is my first year doing ISA and I never thought I could ever make it this far, but I just did \u2013 I proved myself wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coffey ended up with the Silver Medal. McGill\u2019s teammates, Weston-Webb and Maeda, ended up with the Bronze and Copper Medals, respectively.<\/p>\n
The Aloha pride continued in the next Final, with two more Hawaiians surfing for medals in the Boys Under-16 division.<\/p>\n
Left to right: Dax McGill (HAW), Kalani David (HAW) and Matheus Navarro (BRA) won the individual gold medals and wrote their names alongside the likes of Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Jordy Smith (RSA), Gabriel Medina (BRA), Owen and Tyler Wright (AUS) among others. Photo: ISA\/Shawn Parkin<\/p>\n
In the last two days, Kalani David really began to display the array of aerial maneuvers that has made him one of the most talked-about surfers of his generation. Wave after wave, aerial after aerial he built the foundation of a Gold Medal-winning score (13.50).<\/p>\n
\u201cI woke up really sick this morning. I drank a lot of Vitamin C all morning and watched a lot of surf movies to get ready,\u201d David said. \u201cI\u2019m super stoked right now. It means the world to me to win the Gold Medal. Being in a contest with junior surfers from all around the world, it definitely is something I\u2019ll remember forever.\u201d<\/p>\n
David\u2019s Gold Medal performance, along with Josh Moniz\u2019s Copper Medal solidified Team Hawaii\u2019s position atop the standings. Japan\u2019s Takumi Nakamura finished in second to win the Silver Medal, while Costa Rica\u2019s Noe Mar McGonagle won the Bronze.<\/p>\n
In the final heat of the day and the eight-day event, the last celebration was reserved for Team Brazil. Fighting for position in the team standings, the Brazilians had two surfers aiming for Gold in Boys Under-18. It just so happened that the two surfers, Matheus Navarro and Deivid Silva, were among the most dynamic surfers in the event.<\/p>\n
While Portugal\u2019s Vasco Ribeiro (Bronze Medal) and Australia\u2019s Joshua Hay (Copper Medal), put up a noble effort, the Final was an all-star performance by the two Brazilians, exchanging first and second position on several occasions. With the final minutes of the clock ticking away, the two had an exchange that represented the type of surfing they\u2019d done all week. On a right-hand wave, Silva found speed in unexpected places, floating over multiple closeout sections before landing a backside reverse with no grab, for a 9.33.<\/p>\n
A short while later, the regular-footed Navarro \u2013 who needed an 8.3 to catch Silva \u2013 found a long right and executed every maneuver he could think of. He mixed vertical snaps with polished, swooping turns and closed the wave with a two-hand first-pump. His excitement, and that of the Brazilian team \u2013 which went running down the beach toward Navarro \u2013 were justified. The judges awarded him an 8.43, which was just enough to move him into the Gold Medal position, with a two-wave total of 16.90. Silva finished in the Silver Medal spot with a 16.80.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a really long week, I think I competed in over 10 heats and made it all the way to the final. I lost in the second round and fell to the Repechage, so it was really tough to face that. But one of the coaches told me that in this event in Portugal 2007, Jadson Andre had the same luck and ended up winning the Gold,\u201d said Navarro, who carried up the beach by his team as the new ISA World Junior Champion.<\/p>\n
Following the final heat of the day, the festivities transitioned to the medal podium and the Closing Ceremony. Each of the four finalists received their medals, and it was announced that Hawaii had won the Team Gold. In the seven years since its last Team Gold, the Hawaiians had won Silver twice, Bronze twice and Copper twice. They were due.<\/p>\n
With all 31 nations surrounding the stage, and photographers and videographers packing the press area, the ISA President shared some words expressing his overwhelming joy after a picture-perfect event.<\/p>\n
\u201cSurfing and the ISA love Panama. I want to thank the organizers of the event, Tuti de Le\u00f3n and Patrick Castagnet. They have organized three wonderful events for the ISA in 20 months. [President Martinelli] has confirmed that he wants us back next year with one of the ISA major events, so we may meet each other again,\u201d Aguerre said. \u201cThank you so much everybody and I want to leave by saying something really important: some of you are going back home with a medal and others not, but each one of you are champions and this experience will remain in your hearts for the rest of your life.\u201d<\/p>\n
The guest of honor of the final day confirmed Aguerre\u2019s words.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am thankful for having all of you here in Panama, and I am honored because I know that the President of the ISA accepted my invitation to do another event here next year,\u201d President Martinelli said. \u201cSurfing in Panama is known all over the world for its beautiful beaches, waves and surfers, and above all we have a great heart to receive all the surfers from all over the world. I hope to see all of you next year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Girls Under-18 Final
\n Gold: Dax McGill (HAW) \u2013 12.60
\n Silver: Ellie Jean Coffey (AUS) \u2013 9.20
\n Bronze: Tatiana W-Webb (HAW) \u2013 8.53
\n Copper: Mahina Maeda (HAW) \u2013 8.24<\/p>\n
Boys Under-16 Final
\n Gold: Kalani David (HAW) \u2013 13.50
\n Silver: Takumi Nakamura (JPN) \u2013 13.40
\n Bronze: Noe Mar McGonagle (CRC) \u2013 11.34
\n Copper: Josh Moniz (HAW) \u2013 11.17<\/p>\n
Boys Under-18 Final
\n Gold: Matheus Navarro (BRA) \u2013 16.93
\n Silver: Deivid Silva (BRA) \u2013 16.83
\n Bronze: Vasco Ribeiro (POR) \u2013 11.77
\n Copper: Joshua Hay (AUS) \u2013 11.37<\/p>\n
Final ISA World Juniors Team Ranking
\n Gold: Hawaii
\n Silver: Australia
\n Bronze: Brazil
\n Copper: USA
\n 5. Japan
\n 6. France
\n 7. Peru
\n 8. Portugal
\n 9. South Africa
\n 10. New Zealand
\n 11. Costa Rica
\n 12. Tahiti
\n 13. Argentina
\n 14. Great Britain
\n 15. Venezuela
\n 16. Barbados
\n 17. Panama
\n 18. Mexico
\n 19. Germany
\n 20. Ecuador
\n 21. Uruguay
\n 22. Puerto Rico
\n 23. El Salvador
\n 24. Spain
\n 25. Guatemala
\n 26. Jamaica
\n 27. Italy
\n 28. Chile
\n 29. Canada
\n 30. Switzerland
\n 31. Nicaragua<\/p>\n
The DAKINE ISA World Junior Surfing Championship Presented by Billabong is made possible with the support of the following event partners: DAKINE, Billabong, Panam\u00e1, Super Deportes, Mini, Dollar Rent A Car, Copa Airlines, Extreme Surf & Sport. The media partners are Surfea Panama, FOX Sports, Surfersvillage and Surfos. The Official Forecaster for the event is Surfline.<\/p>\n
6<\/p>\n
About the International Surfing Association
\n The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the World Governing Authority for Surfing. It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running Open Division World Championships since 1964, Junior World Championships since 1980, and Masters World Championships since 2007. The ISA also sanctions the World Kneeboard Titles and the Tandem Surfing World Title, and held the first stand-alone World Bodyboard Championship in 2011, and the first World StandUp Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Championship in 2012.<\/p>\n
ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies of 70 countries on five continents. Its headquarters are located in San Diego, California. It is presided over by Fernando Aguerre (Argentina), first elected President in 1994 in Rio de Janeiro and re-elected seven times since. The ISA\u00b4s three Vice-Presidents are Alan Atkins (AUS), Kar\u00edn Sierralta (PER) and Debbie Beacham (USA).<\/p>\n
More on www.isasurf.org <\/p>\n
About DAKINE
\n Backed by a pro team roster that includes some of the world\u00b4s top action sports athletes, DAKINE has been an industry leader in action sports accessories since 1979. Founded in Hawaii and located at the base of Mt. Hood in Hood River, Oregon, DAKINE offers a complete range of innovative and quality products, including outerwear, sport-specific and lifestyle-driven backpacks, bags, travel gear and accessories. DAKINE products are available for purchase at specialty sports retailers worldwide. For more information, visit http:\/\/dakine.com\/surf<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After seven years of coming close to victory, Team Hawaii finally made it back to the top of the podium and won the Team Gold Medal of the DAKINE ISA World Junior Surfing Championship Presented by Billabong. Photo: ISA\/Shawn Parkin Young Hawaiians Dax McGill and Kalani David Win Back-to-Back Gold Medals; Brazilian Matheus Navarro Narrowly … Continue reading “Team Gold Medal of the DAKINE ISA World Junior Surfing Championship Presented by Billabong”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[24],"class_list":["post-13974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-isa-surfing-news","tag-surfing-news-archive"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13974"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13974\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18223,"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13974\/revisions\/18223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}