Quiksilver World Junior surfing championships begin

Salinas, Ecuador -- The Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships returned to Playas de la FAE today for the second day of competition. Girls Under 18 made their grand debut, running all 24 heats of round one at the secondary contest site – a right and left beach break on the south end of the beach.

Contest organizers also held the remaining heats of round one and all of round two for Under 18 Boys at the main contest site at the point. The surf was two to three feet in the morning but steadily rose throughout the day to a solid four-to-five feet by the afternoon.

Gabi Rowe and Karma Worthington kept the Great Britain team in the main rounds, taking second place in their heats. Many of the team’s Boys Under 18 surfers made it through round one but were unable to advance through round two and must now battle it out in the grueling repercharge rounds.

Best of luck from Northcore to all of Team GB

*photo ISA/Lobo

Lewis Clinton makes finals of Barbados Open

The Barbados Surfing Association recently held their first event of 2009, the open surf series at South Point. Lewis Clinton entered the under 21 boys division competing in 2-4ft waves. Lewis scored an excellent 3rd placing overall.

World Junior Surf championships 2009

Both Lewis Clinton and Kathleen Spears will be joining the British Junior team in Ecuador at the end of this month for the World Junior Surfing Championships and we'd like to wish the guys the very best of luck. Heres some more info on the event:

Upcoming: The Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship

From March 28 to April 5 the waves of the Playa de las FAE in Salinas, Ecuador, will host the greatest junior surfing event in the world: the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship.

More than 200 of the best athletes of about 30 different countries will be competing for one of the greatest honors to which a junior surfer can aspire: a podium in an International Surfing Association (ISA) event. The ISA is the World Governing Authority of Surfing and all its disciplines, recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

The event will crown the world champions in the categories Boys Under 18, Boys Under 16 and Girls Under 18, as well as the World Junior Champion nation, after the results of all its participants have been added. Each team will be represented by four members in each of the categories; therefore, a complete team will be composed of twelve athletes.

Salinas is a beach resort located 136 km from Guayaquil, the second largest city in Ecuador. Its main and most renown surfing spot is the Playa de las FAE (FAE meaning Ecuadorian Air Force, for its initials in Spanish) will be the event scenario.

The wave is a long, perfect and consistent left-leaning point break that maintains the good shape in swells of up to 8 feet. The beach acquired fame after the World Surfing Games were held there in 2004.

Northcore Pro-pockets features in French surf magazine

The Northcore Pro-Pockets heated neoprene sports belt features in Trip Surf, one of Frances biggest surf mags this month. Check it out here:

http://www.trip-surf.com/jeu-concours.html

check out Kathleen Spears latest blog entries from the North Shore

"...the last few days on the north shore have been probably some of my best yet, its been crazy! The waves have been absolutely pumping!"

http://www.kathleenspears.com/html/hawaiian_blog.html

Kathleen Spears in Oahu

Follow Kath's adventures in Hawaii on her blog:

http://www.kathleenspears.com/html/hawaiian_blog.html

Kathleen Spears selected for World Surf Games

Congrats to team Rider Kath Spears who has been selected for the team going to the World Surf Games in Equador late March early April 2009. Right now as part of her training she is on the Northshore of Oahu, wisely avoiding the sub-zero British weather!