Durban – A group of teenage surfers from across South Africa have flown to El Salvador in South America to represent the green and gold at the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Junior Championships.
Among them are youngsters from KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape.
The team arrived in South America last week for one of the most prestigious tournaments on the world surf calendar and will take on the world's best from May 27 to June 5.
The tournament opens the surf world up to the future of the sport as 500 contestants from 45 nations compete.
The 18th edition of the ISA junior world champs will take place at the La Bocana and El Sunzal in El Salvador, according to ISA.
The first day of the competition started on Sunday.
The 12 South Africans sent to represent their country are Sarah Scott, Indiephile Osinachi, Adriel Wolmarans, Aimee Du Preez, Gemma Hanafrey, Zia Hendricks, Daniel Emslie, Connor Slijpen, Luke Thompson, Nate Colby, Ntokozo Mapumulo and Luc Lepront.
In the first round of heats, Durbanite Luke Thompson scored the second highest in heat six, getting a 14.33.
Daniel Emslie from Buffalo City in the Eastern Cape dominated heat 11, scoring 15.1.
Both Thompson and Emslie finished in the top ten for the highest heat scores.
The SA junior team is made of three U18 girls, three U18 boys, three U16 girls and three U16 boys. All 12 athletes have received their accreditation through Sascoc.
The team also includes Durbanite Indophile Osinachi, who is a member of the surfers Not Street Children programme run at the Durban beachfront.
Osinachi is a role model and inspiration for many other youngsters in the country who are ripping for gold, according to Robin de Kock, the general manager of Surfing South Africa.
“I think the most important part about having a young black girl surfing in the national team is that it breaks down old stereotypes like ”black girls don’t surf“. Well they do now! Indophile is very much a role model in that programme and she is one of the more talented kids in that programme,” De Kock said.
The Surfers Not Street Children NGO put out a statement before Osinachi left for El Salvador.
“So stoked on this pic of Indophile in her Team South Africa green blazer. Indophile, from our Girls Surf Too programme, is on her way to ISA World Surfing Champs in El Salvador to represent South Africa,” it said.
Osinachi was unlucky in heat 11 of the girls U18 and finished fourth
Durban’s Ntokozo Maphumulo is also competing at the event. Scottsburg surfer Luc Le Pront won heat 11 with a 10.54. Both surfers are competing in the U16 category.
The coach of SA’s world junior team – Durban born Tasha Mentasti, who is considered to be a pioneer in women’s surfing – is no stranger to championship titles.
Mentasti was the first woman in the world to coach a national junior surfing team, according to De Kock.
“The waves of change have started and I am grateful for this incredible opportunity,” Mentasti was quoted as saying on GSport.
Gemma Hanafrey won heat 15 of the girls U16 with a 9.10.
IOL