QUIKSILVER ISA WORLD JUNIORS: FINAL DAY!

Well, it came to the final day of competition to decide between the top five countries who would receive the Gold medal at this year's ISA World Junior Championship. "It all depends on who makes the finals." That was the sentiment shared by coaches of top nations such as Australia, Brazil, Hawaii, USA, and South Africa as we entered the final daybreak of this seven-day, double elimination marathon that is the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships.
With such a narrow margin entering decision day and pumping surf to even the playing field, it was the Australian contingent that rose to the occasion.
"In our team meeting last night, we realized we seemed to be behind teams that we needed to beat," said Under 18 Boys silver medalist Owen Wright. "The guys that we still had in it did a good job and we were able to get gold."
Wright owned the premiere Under 18 Boys division all the way up to the final, until former ISA Under 16 Runner-Up, Brazilian Alejo Muniz found the golden wave in the overhead, pumping righthanders at Seignosse, France's Plage de Penon. Wright had won every heat in the event thus far until Muniz stopped his flow with a 9.1 in the early stages of the final.
"I was just focused on the goal, which was winning," said Wright, who had two of his boards stolen during the awards ceremony. "It didn't end up that way but I still put in a solid performance. The Brazilian got the better waves, which drew the better scores."
After a disappointing double elimination of USA's Dillon Perillo and Nat Young two heats before the main event, Hawaiian Tyler Newton was the only North American in the final and also charged through the entire competition without dipping down to the repercharge rounds. "We are a really good team and so is Hawaii, but Brazil and Australia are really great teams."-- USA head coach Joey Buran
"I had a couple scratchers in the beginning of the event that I barely made," said Newton, who finished third. "There were a few where I got lucky and got through in the last seconds."
Also taking the easy route to the final was USA's only individual medalist, Courtney Conlogue. Although she was utterly disappointed with her performance in the final, Conlogue was the lone American on the podium and largely responsible for the USA's copper medal (4th) finish.
"I probably could have got gold if I got the right waves but I just didn't pick the good ones," said a dismayed Conlogue. "Hopefully next year, I'll get gold not bronze."
Conlogue's strategical errors in the final didn't reflect the world-class performance she put forth the entire event. A pair of Australians bested her with Laura Enever taking the win and Owen Wright's little sister finishing second - solidifying the Australian team's domination.
"I'm so wrapped for her," Owen Wright said proudly of his sister Tyler's silver medal effort. "She's only 14 and that's pretty good to get second. She came so close and nearly won it." Too bad the girls don't have an Under 16 division like the boys.
2007 Under 16 Boys Runner-Up, Tahitian Tamaroa McComb drew high scores from the judges the entire event. This year appeared to be his year for greatness as he eluded the repercharge rounds as well and found himself in the driver's seat mid-final.
"There was a lot of pressure on me and I was in first with five minutes left. I had to sit on the second place guy," said McComb in his soft-spoken Tahitian accent. "Those five minutes seemed like an hour but winning was my goal this year."
The difference between bronze and copper for Hawaii and the USA came when an unsuspecting Islander put forth the performance of his young career. Matty Costa blazed through the entire event to find his place on the podium with a bronze medal around his neck. While USA's top Under 16er Conner Coffin sat one heat away from a medal but suffered a minor tragedy just before his deciding heat. Coffin's magic board was stolen amongst the chaotic rainstorms leading up to a miraculously sunlit awards ceremony. Coffin finished a disappointing sixth while Hawaii edged the USA for the team bronze.
"I said before we left that we had a really good team that could be a really great team," USA head coach Joey Buran remarked after the realization of fourth set in. "We are a really good team and so is Hawaii, but Brazil and Australia are really great teams."






FINAL RESULTS:
Gold: Australia

Silver: Brazil

Bronze: Hawaii

Copper: USA