Intensity Rises as Tight Battles Define Day 7 of the 2025 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship

Brazil Maintains Rankings Lead Ahead of USA, Australia, Peru, and Spain

Confident Performances From Romeo Chavez (COL) and Taro Matsuno (JPN) Highlight Boys’ Standouts

Leia Millar (NZL) Locks Into Rhythm, While Ocea Green’s (CAN) Powerful Backhand Lights Up Punta Rocas

Punta Rocas, Peru – December 12, 2025

Competition heated up on day seven of the 2025 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship (WJSC), with intense battles going down to the final seconds. A less consistent two-to-three-feet of swell meant wave selection was crucial as surfers battled to be in the best position. Main Round 4 was completed across U/18 boys, U/18 girls, and U/16 girls, at the peak of Punta Rocas, while U/16 boys Main Round 3 was held at the inside left of El Bosque.

For the third day running, Brazil was able to maintain the sole lead in the rankings. Despite losing two surfers today, the two-time Team World Champions still hold a full team in U/16 boys, and two surfers across the remaining three divisions. Meanwhile, USA held two surfers across all four divisions to move into second place. Australia experienced their first of multiple eliminations in the opening heat of the day as a result of an interference — one of many that took place in the peaky conditions — but also carried two surfers in all divisions bar one.

Romeo Chavez (COL) Controls Stacked Heat With Confident Performance

A stacked U/18 boys Main Round 4 heat saw two former U/16 boys silver medalists, Lukas Skinner (ENG) and Inigo Madina (FRA), come up against Mitchell Peterson (AUS) and Romeo Chavez (COL). Taking control from the start, Chavez posted two solid scores before his competitors could find anything. After two low-scoring waves, Skinner managed to find an option that would allow him to open up, moving him into second, while Peterson and Madina struggled to break out of the 4-point range. Competing in his sixth WJSC, Chavez returns having missed out on a historic U/16 medal for Colombia by one place in 2024 and now continues strong as he moves forward in the draw in Peru.

“Before going into the water I listened to a lot of praise music and I was asking God for everything to go well, and that really put me at ease,” Chavez said. “I knew where the waves were. I knew I had to push the competitors a little further to the right so I could then drop in. Thank God the waves came right where I was looking and I was able to catch a good wave at the start, so it gave me peace of mind.”

Former medalists Dylan Donegan (ESP) and Thiago Passeri (ARG) also hung on in boy’s U/18 and U/16, respectively. While Donegan’s required number came late, it wasn’t quite as heart-stopping at Passeri’s, who found his best score of the heat in the final seconds.

Ocea Green’s (CAN) Powerful Backhand Lights Up Punta Rocas

After a tough loss in U/18 girls, Ocea Green (CAN) has continued to bounce back in a big way in the U/16 division. Posting the highest-single wave score of the day for the second time in the event, Green unleashed on her backhand, getting significant release on her tail to earn an 8.67. With a backup score of a 5.73, Green also collected the highest girls heat total of the day (14.40) to advance ahead of Zoey Kaina (HAW), who surfed a solid heat of her own.

“This has been one of my favorites for sure. I love these events with all the team because everybody’s doing all the adventures with you. It’s so much fun. All of these people surfing are all my really good friends, so it’s fun to all have an event together and just cheer everybody on. My biggest takeaway is that I need to keep catching waves. That was my biggest problem in my first few heats.”

Leia Millar (NZL) Locks Into Rhythm to Top U/18 Girls Numbers

One surfer who locked completely into rhythm with the ocean on a tricky day was Leia Millar (NZL), who collected a 13.64 heat total, the highest of the day for U/18 girls. Millar picked up her counting scores courtesy of two inside double-up rights that stood up perfectly for the 18-year-old to draw tight critical arcs. Appearing in her third and final WJSC, and for the first time in U/18 girls, Millar has already improved on her best ever finish.

“I’ve been watching it for the last hour and I kind of knew what I was looking for,” Millar said. “I was trusting that when I went out there I would see one that I knew was what I wanted, one that had a bit of a double-up on it.”

Directly following Millar’s heat, her teammate Lola Groube (NZL) secured the win in a tight heat that saw Jin Shuhan (CHN) draw an early interference. The team also picked up a convincing victory from Vitor Bauermann (NZL) in U/16 boys, seeing New Zealand maintain a place in the top 10 in the rankings.

Dynamic Showcase From Taro Matsuno (JPN) Sets the Day’s High Mark

Staying active in a slow ocean, Taro Matsuno (JPN) built across the duration of his U/16 boys heat with his speedy, aggressive backhand building momentum throughout. A 7.43 was joined by an 8.50 after the 15-year-old closed out a three-turn combo with an extremely critical end section hit. Matsuno’s 15.93 heat total was the highest of boy’s competition for the day, as was his single-wave score. Competing in his first ISA event, Matsuno was excited to move deeper in the draw.

“I’m super-stoked to make my heat, really happy,” Matsuno said. “I was so stoked to get an excellent score. As the heats keep progressing, my opponents get stronger too. So I am going to deliver my best surfing and then some and I am absolutely going to win.”

Lanea Mons (USA) Comes Out on Top in Clash of Former Medalists

A rough day for Japan saw many of their surfers experience narrow losses, but none quite as tough as U/18 girls Main Round 4, Heat 3. Featuring three former medalists, Lanea Mons (USA), Clémence Schorsch (FRA), and Mirai Ikeda (JPN), along with Yuna Takahashi (JPN), it was always going to be a tough heat. But with limited opportunities, Mons capitalized on the best waves, leaving the other three to find smaller inside options. A single turn from Schorsch on a larger wave proved to be the difference, with both Japanese surfers eliminated.

“All those girls are so good, I knew that going in, but you just have to understand that in surfing contests in every heat there can be good names, bad names, or whatever, but no matter what, you can never know what’s going to happen,” Mons said. “Anything could happen, like a 20-minute lull, or someone you’ve never heard of just drops a 9, or someone who’s insane chokes, or whatever. And I know that that can happen to me too. So just kind of staying humble, just being super energetic and assertive in heats and giving it all you can, knowing that you can’t really control what the other girls are doing, but you can try your best and control what you can control.”

Competition will resume tomorrow, Saturday, December 13, at 7:00 a.m. PET with U/18 boys Main Round 5 at Punta Rocas.