INSIDE THE ISA WORLD JUNIOR SURFING CHAMPIONSHIP: DAY 7
ISA WORLD JUNIOR SURFING CHAMPIONSHIPS: DAY 7
Adrenaline Sun’s ISA Insider, Alan Burke gives his emotional account of what would be Chelsea Tuach’s final repercharge round at the Dakine ISA World Junior Surfing Championship 2012.
Chelsea throwing everything into this turn
It’s 8.30 a.m. in Playa Venao Panama at the Dakine ISA World Junior Surfing Championship and Barbados’ lone team rider left in the championships, Chelsea Tuach is entering the water to paddle out for her rd 7 repercharge. The entire team is there to support, it’s a major heat for her because if Tuach advances she equals or betters her 9th place finish at last years games in Peru, however if she gets 3rd she finishes 11th.
The team is quiet in comparison to the past 6 days of competition, whether it be fatigue or just simply being nervous of the outcome. I must admit, I was nervous but refused to show it because a top 10 finish in these games is a major accomplishment, not only for the surfer but for the country. I have personally done it four times in three different divisions including a bronze medal at the 1998 games, this occurred over a sixteen year period. It’s a marathon of surfing events and in my experience very tough mentally and physically as you’re competing against some of the best kids from 31 countries around the world who all have different surfing styles and tactics. One of the biggest challenges is that you may have never heard of your competitors, however they all surf at a world class level, so you never know what to expect.
Chelsea’s first wave came and she was in perfect position, came off the bottom hit a really nice top turn and went straight back into a similar turn but was looking down the line before her turn was completed and nose dived receiving a 2.9, she backed it up with another 2.5 manoeuver wave and was just not enough to advance.
Parental support can equate to more than half of the success!
There were over 300 competitors from 31 countries, Barbados being the country with one of the lowest populations and we have to choose our world class surfers from a “pool” of 40 competitive surfers when the major nations choose from hundreds. The performance from our very young team was one that every Barbadian should be proud of, our kids were between the age of 13-16 competing against kids in many cases 3 years their elder and showed ability that was on par or better. Besides the current young National Junior Team, we have another group of very talented surfers on the rise at home which leads me to predict that in 2014 we will finish in the top 10 once we compete with a full team.
We can succeed in putting Barbados in the top 10 Surfing Nations in the world, it’s a very achievable goal but we have to be committed! I am proud to have been part of this team and will say that it’s the most talented group of Bajan surfers I have ever traveled with. Every team member including supporters poured 100% of heart into their surfing performance and produced probaly their best level of surfing to date. The 2012 Barbados National Junior Team did us proud!
written by ISA Insider, Alan Burke
Adrenaline Sun
Adrenaline Sun is a new-media action sports magazine that gets inside the world of Caribbean extreme sports to bring you every thrilling event through original content, videos, e-publications and social media. We don’t focus only on the biggest sporting events. We engage regional and international fans and athletes in key action sports niches including skateboarding, paintball, BMX, and off-roading. We also attract a highly enthusiastic local fan base that includes avid sailors, surfers and motorsports junkies.
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