Mount Maunganui surfer Todd Doyle is through the first round of the 2011 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in Peru.

He won a low scoring heat with a score of 8.54 out of a possible 20, but was happy to have done enough to win.

Todd Doyle. Photo: PhotoCPL.

'It was such a relief to get underway and start off with a win,” says Todd.
'I was pumped going into my heat.

'I knew I had one good Japanese surfer that was ‘smooth as' and also a good Jamaican, but our coach Lee Ryan gave me good guidance and that made sure I got off to a good start, which set me up for that bomb at the end that won me the heat.”

Fellow under-18 boys' team mate Tane Wallis placed second in his heat with a score of 8.24 to advance, while the early standout from the Kiwi contingent was Raglan surfer Ben Poulter. He scored a 12.0 to win his match up in the day one conditions of 1.5-2m swell in clean conditions and light winds.
'It was pretty fun out there, a couple of good sized waves,” says Ben.
In true Poulter style, he threw buckets of spray off several big backhand turns to impress everyone watching his heat.

'I am big, it comes naturally,” says Ben in his post heat interview when questioned about where he gets all his power.

'It is fun in Peru, I am from Raglan and we have similar surf and temperature so it is not much different to here.”
The event is being held at Punta Hermosa, Peru, May 21-29 with two arenas catering for a record 276 surfers from 27 countries competing at the event.
The fourth member of the Kiwis under-18 boys' team, Joe Moretti, did not surf on the first day, and will compete twice on day two (overnight NZ time).
The under-16 boys' division saw the youngest surfers of the team up against the flare of the Tahitians – the Tahitians running away with each heat.

Paul Moretti, Dune Kennings and Adam Grimson placed second in their heats to move through to the next round, but unfortunately Elliot Paerata-Reid placed third and is now in the repechage rounds.
The event has a double elimination system where surfers have to lose twice to be eliminated from the event.

Despite losing in the first round, a surfer can push through and win the event; they simply have to surf twice as many heats.

The under-18 girls' division was not contested on the first day of the event meaning Alexis Poulter, Ella Williams, Grace Spiers and Jayda Martin-Fitzharris will get their campaigns underway on day two.
Team captain Alexis Poulter was happy with how the team went on the first day despite not getting in the water herself.
'The under-16 boys' were matched up against the Tahitians and they were surfing really well so that pushed our guys to do well too,” says Alexis.

'The whole team was really supportive as well – we were all at the beach for each others heats cheering our surfers on.”

The Kiwis warmed up for the event with a narrow defeat to South Africa who retained the SANZ Trophy for the second year running.

The two teams battled it out with each team providing six finalists a piece. However, South Africa eventually walked away with three wins.
New Zealand's top performers were Ben Poulter, Ella Williams and Elliot Paerata-Reid, who all placed second.

Alexis Poulter, Paul Moretti and Adam Grimson also made the finals placing fourth, third and fourth respectively.
The Rip Curl New Zealand Junior Surfing Team also participated in the Olympic style parade of nations on the eve of the event.

The parade weaved through the streets of Peru's capital, Lima, before the 27 teams combined sand from each country in the Sands of the World ceremony.
The Kiwis got up on stage and performed the haka after adding their sand to the mix.
The Rip Curl New Zealand Junior Surfing Team includes surfers from six regions throughout New Zealand with the small surf town of Whangamata providing three surfers, Northland, Auckland, Raglan, Gisborne all providing two surfers a piece with one representative from Mount Maunganui.

Under 18 Boys Qualifying Round 1
Heat 6
1, 8.54, Todd Doyle, NZL, 2, 6.83, Akeem Taylor, JAM, 3, 6.10, Akito Matsuno, JPN

Heat 11
1, 8.83, Aoi Watanabe, JPN, 2, 8.24, Tane Wallis, NZL, 3, 4.50, Garren Pryce, JAM

Heat 23
1, 12.00, Ben Poulter, NZL, 2, 6.50, Kaiki Yamanaka, JPN, 3, 2.70, Vasco Fragoso, GER

Heat 26 (yet to be surfed)
Joe Moretti, NZL, Kanato Ohmori, JPN, Oshane Uaher, JAM

Under 16 Boys Qualifying Round 1
Heat 7
1, 11.26, Mihimana Braye, TAH, 2, 10.33, Derek Gomez, VEN, 3, 4.67, Elliot Paerata-Reid, NZL, 4, 3.00, Jorge Soto, CHI

Heat 11
1, 12.10, Mateia Hiquily, TAH, 2, 7.17, Paul Moretti, NZL, 3, 5.73, Cristopher Herold, CHI, 4, 5.27, Franwil Vento, VEN

Heat 15
1, 15.26, Keoni Yan, TAH, 2, 9.37, Dune Kennings, NZL, 3, 6.14, Alejandro Diaz, CHI

4, 6.10, Kleiver Izquiel, VEN

Heat 19
1, 12.80, Ariihoe Tefaafana, TAH, 2, 6.87, Adam Grimson, NZL, 3, 6.60, Yossis Delgado, VEN

4, 4.37, Danilo Cerda, CHI

Under 18 Girls Qualifying Round 1 (yet to be surfed)
Heat 11
Ella Williams, NZL, Jayda Martin-Fitzharris, NZL, Noella Llufin, CHI, Emer Mc Hugh, IRE

Heat 15
Grace Spiers, NZL, Alexis C. Poulter, NZL, Chelsea Tuach, BAR, Chelsea Roett, BAR

Day two schedule (NZ time)
Podium One
12:00am - Under 18 Girls Qualifying Round 1
3:20am - Heat 11 with Ella Williams and Jayda Martin - Fitzharris
4:40am - Heat 15 with Grace Spiers and Alexis Poulter

Podium Two
12:00am - Under 18 Boys Qualifying Round 1 Heats 25-32
12:40am - Heat 26 Joe Moretti
2:40am - Under 18 Boys Qualifying Round 2
3:40am - Heat 4 with Todd Doyle
4:20am - Heat 6 with Tane Wallis
6:00am - Heat 11 with Ben Poulter
6.40am or 7:00am - Heats 13 or 14 with Joe Moretti (should he progress through his first round)