Mount Maunganui surfer JC Susan is through to the next round of the 2011 Billabong ISA World Surfing Games being held at Playa Venao, Panama.

He is one of four Kiwis contesting the open men's division with the first heat held in challenging conditions. This meant big scores were at a premium.

Mount Maunganui surfer JC Susan finished second in his heat in the first round. Photo: Cory NZ Surfing Magazine.

All four of the Kiwis placed second in their heats with Tane Wallis from Piha top scoring thanks to a good early start in his heat and a late 6.0 point ride to finish off.
Tane's older brother, Zen, a first time New Zealand representative, also placed second after fighting it out in tough conditions to score an 8.43 point total.
The other Kiwi in the men's division is Ben Poulter.

In the men's longboard division it was Phil Morris from Auckland who shined through scoring 11.60 for an easy second placing behind day one stand out Taylor Jensen from America.

Auckland's Matt Cockayne also placed second in his heat to move through to the second round.
New Zealand's highest ranked professional surfer, Paige Hareb, won her first round match up convincingly, however, the win came at a cost as she injured her leg after showing full commitment ending a wave on the shallow sand shore-break.

'I finished my third turn on this wave and all of a sudden the beach was right there,” says Paige.

'So I stepped off my board on my left leg, I am not sure if I have torn a muscle or it was bad cramp but my leg just tightened up super tight.”
She already had a convincing lead scoring a 12.50 point total heat score on her first two waves.
Determined to get back out there she tried to catch another wave, but as soon as she stood up she knew she could not surf and exited the water with more than five minutes remaining in the 20 minute heat.

Paige received medical attention at the beach including an injection to ease the pain.

With a round two match up likely on day two, there is no way she will let the untimely mishap keep her out of the water.
'No way will I forfeit my next heat – there are too many heats to surf in the repechage rounds.”

The team endured an arduous three days of travel to get to Panama, but has relished the 30C heat and clean 1-1.5m waves in bath temperature water scattered along the coastline.

Open Men's Qualifying Round 1
Heat 7
1, 10.77, Chase Wilson, USA, 2, 9.83, Tane Wallis, NZL, 3, 6.87, Gefre Lima, GUA, 4, 3.40, Cyril Inauen, SWI
Heat 11
1, 9.60, Evan Thompson, USA, 2, 8.43, Zen Wallis, NZL, 3, 4.47, Mario Vega, GUA, 4, 1.23, Urs Emmenegger, SWI
Heat 15
1, 9.60, Matt Pagan, USA, 2, 8.23, JC Susan, NZL, 3, 5.67, Amos Rivera, GUA, 4, 4.53, Swen Zaugg, SWI
Heat 19
1, 12.83, Chris Waring, USA, 2, 7.37, Ben Poulter, NZL, 3, 5.90, Cristian Mendez, GUA, 4, 3.77, Stefan Vogel, SWI

Open Men's Qualifying Round 2 (Yet to be surfed)
Heat 4
Anthony Fillingim, CRI, Carlos Mario Zapata, PER, Llewellyn Wittaker, RSA, Tane Wallis, NZL
Heat 6
Israel Barona, ECU, Santiago Muniz, ARG, Rafael Pereira, VEN, Zen Wallis, NZL
Heat 8
Ruda Carvalho, BRA, Martin Passeri, ARG, Justin Mujica, VEN, JC Susan, NZL
Heat 10
Michael Rodrigues, BRA, Manuel Selman, CHI, Francisco Bellorin, VEN, Ben Poulter, NZL


Open Women's Qualifying Round 1
Heat 1
1, 11.34, Kaleigh Gilchrist, USA, 2, 4.70, Grace Spiers, NZL, 3, 3.73, Noemi Centeno, SAL, 4, 3.26, Virginia Bartolome, GUA
Heat 8
1, 12.50, Paige Hareb, NZL, 2, 5.63, Tal Saporta, ISR, 3, 4.57, Leah Oke, CAN, 4, 0.00, Lani Doherty, USA

Open Women's Qualifying Round 2 (Yet to be surfed)
Heat 2
Nikita Robb, RSA, Grace Spiers, NZL, Anali Gomez, PER, Leilani McGonagle, CRI
Heat 4
Silvana Lima, BRA, Pamela Verboonen, MEX, Paige Hareb, NZL, Tanika Hoffman, RSA


Men's Longboard Qualifying Round 1
Heat 1
1, 15.66, Toni Silvagni, USA, 2, 8.34, Matt Cockayne, NZL, 3, 7.06, Stefan Vogel, SWI, 4, 5.00, Henry Ortega, GUA
Heat 8
1, 14.94, Taylor Jensen, USA, 2, 11.60, Phil Morris, NZL, 3, 3.84, Michael Zaugg, SWI, 4, 3.10, Obed Rivera, GUA

Men's Longboard Qualifying Round 2 (Yet to be surfed)
Heat 2
Matthew Moir, RSA, Matt Cockayne, NZL, Martin Perez, ARG, Cristian Santamaria, CRI
Heat 3
Piccolo Clemente, PER, Anthony Flores, CRI, Justin Bing, RSA, Phil Morris, NZL

Day two will commence at 1:00am Tuesday (New Zealand time) with Open Men's and Women's heats first up followed by the Men's Longboard Division at approx 5.00am.