Surfing: Young gun on a high

If the excitement in his voice is anything to go by, then it will be some time before 18-year-old Morehu Roberts returns to Earth after his hitout with surfing legends Andy Irons, Sunny Garcia, Joel Parkinson and Mark Occhilupo.

Having just competed in the world junior championships in California, where he finished a creditable seventh, Roberts was called into the New Zealand team to take on the World team at Piha on Saturday.

Roberts was bouncing off the wall despite the New Zealand team - Roberts, Maz Quinn, Daniel Kereopa and Bobby Hansen - being beaten 60-50.

"Everyone was rippin' and surfing so good," Roberts said. "It was amazing to get the opportunity to surf against them and see how they are and how they act. They were all real cool. They talked to me so it didn't really freak me out that much."

The first round was a tie with Quinn, Kereopa and Irons all winning their heats.

The second round, a tag team competition, saw Irons clinch the victory for the world team. The Hawaiian nailed the highest wave of the round scoring 9.0 out of a possible 10.

Although bleak, the conditions at Piha were contestable with one-metre waves.

"The conditions were kind of hard. There wasn't that many waves coming through but at least there were waves," Roberts said.

A crowd of at least 15,000 trekked out to Piha for the session which Irons said was the most generous crowd he had ever surfed in front of.

"I have never seen a crowd like that before in my life," Roberts said. "It was pretty cool."

The South Island and National champs are next for Roberts who has three more years on the pro junior before trying for the world circuit.