The Rip Curl New Zealand Team have begun their assault on the 2011 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in South America with six out of the seven surfers competing on Sunday, moving through their heats.
The event is being held at Punta Hermosa, Peru, with two arenas catering for a
record 276 surfers from 27 countries at the event and conditions on the opening day were near perfect with 1.5m to 2m waves and clean conditions.
Northland is well represented by the Moretti brothers from Mimiwhangata.
Joe Moretti, who is the team captain and will compete in the under-18s, did not surf on the opening day. His younger brother, Paul, had a successful start, surfing into second place in his heat and earning a spot in the second round.
Paul Moretti, like under-16 compatriots Dune Kennings and Adam Grimson, all struck Tahitian surfers in their heats and struggled to match their flare but all placed second to progress. Unfortunately Piha's Elliot Paerata-Reid was not so lucky finishing third and getting pushed into the repechage rounds.
The event has a double elimination system where surfers have to lose twice to be eliminated from the event. Paerata-Reid will enter the water today knowing he must finish in the top two to continue surfing.
Raglan's Ben Poulter, Tane Wallis and Todd Doyle all progressed to the second round in the under-18 boys division.
Meanwhile the under-18 girls contestants Alexis Poulter, Ella Williams, Grace Spiers and Jayda Martin-Fitzharris will also get their campaigns under way on day two.
