Surfing: Scott-Arrieta dips out after encouraging start

Manu Scott-Arrieta, of Sandy Bay, initially looked strong in his debut World Junior Surfing Championship campaign in Ecuador. Photo/Isa Surfing

Sandy Bay surfer Manu Scott-Arrieta has finished 41st overall in his debut at the VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in Ecuador.

Early on in the competition, Scott-Arrieta won his heat by scoring a 9.13-point total.

Scott-Arrieta completed several big turns in his heat last week, clearly having shaken off the nerves of surfing in the championships for the first time.

The teenager couldn't maintain the good form, although he came within a whisker of advancing to the next round.

Needing only a 2.41 to advance, Scott-Arrieta fell on one of his last opportunities that looked like delivering him a reprieve and advancement into the fifth round.

Scott-Arrieta had advanced through the third repechage round, where teammates Jonas Tawharu and Daniel Farr exited.

Overall, the New Zealand team finished 10th which was one spot back from last year.

Hawaii took the gold medal and won the Team Champion Trophy. In the individual divisions, Brazil's Luan Wood won the boys under-18, Hawaii's Tatiana Weston-Webb retained her girls under-18 title, France's Leo-Paul Etienne won the boys under-16 and Hawaii's Mahina Maeda retained her girls under-16 title.