2018 VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship Kicks Off at the Huntington Beach Pier

27/10/2018 20:19

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., Oct. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Huntington Beach, Calif., also known as Surf City USA™, welcomed the best junior surfers in the world this morning at the 2018 VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship opening ceremony.

A record-breaking 361 athletes and 136 team officials from 44 countries paraded through Downtown Huntington Beach to mark the beginning of the nine-day surfing competition, hosted by Visit Huntington Beach.

"Huntington Beach has been a part of ISA history for many years. It was here at this pier in 1996 that we awarded the first individual medals at the World Surfing Games," International Surfing Association (ISA) President Fernando Aguerre said. "It was also the first surfing event attended by members of the International Olympic Committee, which planted the seed for surfing's eventual Olympic inclusion 20 years later."

Huntington Beach locals lined Main Street to watch the Parade of Nations, with each country dressed in patriotic garb and proudly waving their flags. The parade ended at Huntington Beach Pier Plaza, where the Opening Ceremony took place.

To celebrate the unifying nature of surfing, ISA's signature Sands of the World Ceremony invited two members from each nation to pour sand from their local beaches into a glass container while waving their national flag. The USA Surfing Team poured sand from Huntington City Beach, where the competition will take place.

"You're going to surf the most consistent, year-round surf break right here in Huntington Beach. You're going to be able to add your name to a long list of people who have been crowned champion in Surf City USA — like past U.S. Open champions Brett Simpson, Courtney Conlogue, and Kanoa Igarashi," Visit Huntington Beach President and CEO Kelly Miller said.

Since the inception of the ISA Junior Division, the event has given a glimpse into which young surfers will become the future stars of the sport. The ISA recently reaffirmed its commitment to surfing's long-term Olympic future and its inclusion at both Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028, after the sport was named the official sport of California in August 2018.

"Some of [these athletes] may be among the first Olympic surfers in history in two years' time at the Tokyo 2020," Aguerre said.

Huntington Beach, home to numerous elite surfing competitions, such as the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing, last hosted an ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in 2005. The 2018 VISSLA ISA World Juniors will be the fifth ISA event held in Surf City USA.

"This is a city rich in surfing heritage. Every top competitive surfer has competed right here. You are in illustrious company, so please enjoy what this amazing town has to offer," VISSLA President Paul Naude said.

After the Opening Ceremony, the competition kicked off with the under-18 (U-18) and under-16 (U-16) boys at the Huntington Beach Pier.

The 2018 VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship will take place from Oct. 27 to Nov. 4. To watch the competition live and for the full schedule of events, visit http://isasurf.org.

About the International Surfing Association:
The International Surfing Association (ISA), founded in 1964, is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the World Governing Authority for Surfing. The ISA governs and defines Surfing as Shortboard, Longboard & Bodyboarding, StandUp Paddle (SUP) Racing and Surfing, Bodysurfing, Wakesurfing, and all other wave riding activities on any type of waves, and on flat water using wave riding equipment. The ISA crowned its first Men's and Women's World Champions in 1964. It crowned the first Big Wave World Champion in 1965; World Junior Champion in 1980; World Kneeboard Champions in 1982; World Longboard Surfing and World Bodyboard Champions in 1988; World Tandem Surfing Champions in 2006; World Masters Champions in 2007; and World StandUp Paddle (SUP, both surfing and racing) and Paddleboard Champions in 2012. ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies of 104 countries on five continents. Its headquarters are located in La Jolla, California. It is presided over by Fernando Aguerre (Argentina), first elected President in 1994 in Rio de Janeiro. The ISA's four Vice-Presidents are Karín Sierralta (PER), Kirsty Coventry (ZIM), Casper Steinfath (DEN) and Barbara Kendall (NZL).

About Visit Huntington Beach:
Visit Huntington Beach is the official destination marketing organization of Huntington Beach, Surf City USA®. One of Southern California's premier beach and surf destinations, Huntington Beach is the ideal location for a California family vacation, active outdoor sports and adventure trip or relaxing weekend getaway. With 10 miles/ 16 kilometers of wide-open white sand California beaches, Huntington Beach is a destination of choice for vacationers and business travelers alike. To plan your Surf City USA® vacation, or to learn more about Huntington Beach, see the Visit Huntington Beach website at www.surfcityusa.com, go to @SurfCityUSA on Instagram, or call 1-800-729-6232 for a free Visitors Guide.

About VISSLA:
Vissla is a brand that represents creative freedom, a forward-thinking philosophy, and a generation of creators and innovators. We embrace the modern do-it-yourself attitude within surf culture, performance surfing, and craftsmanship. We constantly strive to minimize our environmental impact and protect the oceans and waves that raised us. This is a surf-everything and ride-anything mentality. We are creators and innovators.

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