THE opposition surf teams are littered with international experience, some of them child prodigy’s, some of them enigmas. Not daunted by any of these factors, uMhlanga’s Teal Grace Hogg was the highest place girl at the ISA World Junior Surf Champs in Ecuador. Teal finished 16th in the U18 division at the champs with Danville Park Girls’ High School’s Cana Foster finishing equal 22nd in the U16 division.

This was Teal’s first international competition and her first SA cap. “It was an amazing competition, definitely an eye opener and an experience I’ll never forget. At the beginning of the year I had set myself the goal of getting my green and gold and receiving my SA blazer was just an indescribable feeling,” she enthused.

The U17 SA Junior Champ thanked her sponsors, her family and her coach for their support. “Without them I would not have made it this far. Quinton (coach) was super in the lead up to the champs. He’d Skype me everyday when I was in Ecuador, we’d talk about the conditions and he kept telling me to keep mentally strong and just have fun,” she said.

It’s a busy schedule for Teal who will compete in a number of local events including the KZN trails later this year.

Event news

Hawaii dominated the gold medal count at the event, adding both girls’ titles to the team title when Tatiana Weston Webb and Mahina Maeda repeated their gold medal performances in Nicaragua last year in the U18 and U16 divisions respectively and also earning gold in the Aloha Cup final on Friday.

Overall Team Results:
1. Hawaii- 21,168 points, Gold Medal and Winner of the ISA World Junior Team Champion Trophy
2. France- 20,872, Silver Medal
3 Australia- 20,628, Bronze Medal
4. USA- 18,418, Copper Medal
5. Brazil- 17,426
6. Peru- 15,062
7. Japan- 14,820
8. South Africa- 14,618
9. Portugal- 13,852
10. New Zealand- 13,474

Boys U18:
Luan Wood (BRA), Gold Medal
Elivelton Santos (BRA), Silver Medal
Lucca Mesina (PER), Bronze Medal

25^th – Max Armstrong (RSA)
25^th – Shane Sykes (RSA)
31^st – Steffen Burrows (RSA)
43^rd – Ntando Msibi (RSA)

Girls U18:
Tatiana Weston Webb (HAW), Gold Medal
Kim Veteau (FRA), Silver Medal
Tia Blanco (USA), Bronze Medal

16^th – Teal Hogg (RSA)
22^nd – Chanelle Botha (RSA)

Boys U16:
Leo-Paul Etienne (FRA), Gold Medal
Joe Van Dijk (AUS), Silver Medal
Nolan Rapoza (USA), Bronze Medal

6^th – Joshe Faulkner (RSA)

25^th – Ethan Fletcher (RSA)
25^th – Jordy Maree (RSA)
43^rd – Adin Masencamp (RSA) 

Girls U16:
Mahina Maeda (HAW), Gold Medal
Leilani McGonagle (CRI), Silver Medal
Laura Poncini (AUS), Bronze Medal

22^nd – Cana Foster (RSA)
25^th – Ruth Armstrong (RSA)