Punta Rocas Comes Alive as Competition Opens at 2025 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship

Olympian Siqi Yang (CHN) and Former Medalist Mirai Ikeda (JPN) Top Opening Day Performances
Defending Team Champion Australia Opens with Strong First Round Showing
Pol Huguet (PER) Earns Excellence, Sets the Pace for Peru

Punta Rocas, Peru – December 6, 2025

The opening day of competition in the 2025 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship (WJSC) saw big performances deliver high scores right from the start. At the main peak of Punta Rocas, a rising four-to-six-foot of swell provided powerful sections for the first 27 heats of U/18 girls Main Round 1, while further inside the point, El Bosque offered long lefts for the same number of heats to be completed in U/16 boys.

The first surfer to compete in the WJSC as a current Olympian, Siqi Yang (CHN), got straight to work, posting a 9.17 to take an emphatic Round 1 heat win. Yang stuck with pure commitment to the most critical sections on a long wall, finishing in style to claim the highest single-wave score of the event. Once again competing in both U/16 and U/18 divisions, the 16-year-old is feeling confident as she hopes to make even more history by claiming a first-ever ISA medal for China.

“I’m so happy to be here for the World Junior Championships,” Yang said. “The waves here are amazing. I love being at a right point. It’s my first time competing at this wave and everything is so good. I hope more people can come here to surf. The food here is also delicious.”

The patient, committed approach of Mirai Ikeda (JPN) proved effective as the 2022 U/16 girls bronze medalist posted the two highest scores of the U/18 girls division, an 8.67 and an 8.17 for an excellent 16.84 heat total. Now a WSL Challenger Series competitor, Ikeda returns to ISA competition as one of the most experienced in the field, ready to return to the podium.

“I’m feeling really good,” Ikeda said. “This morning the waves were a little bit slow, but now it’s much more consistent and so much fun. I was sad the heat was only 20 minutes, I wanted to keep surfing.”

Three other former medalists progressed today — Thiago Passeri (ARG), Lanea Mons (USA), and Louise Lepront (RSA) — while Clémence Schorsch (FRA) automatically moved forward after another surfer withdrew due to injury.

Defending Team Champion Australia Opens with Strong First Round Showing

Defending team champion Australia had a great return to competition, taking wins in the first two concurrent heats of the event courtesy of Isla Huppatz (AUS) and Max McGillivray (AUS). Meanwhile, returning U/16 gold medalist Ziggy Aloha Mackenzie (AUS) drew strong forehand carves in the rights of Punta Rocas to claim the win in her first heat in U/18, posting a 7.00 and 6.83 for a 13.83 heat total.

“It’s nice to be somewhere different. El Salvador was amazing, but the waves here suit where I live,” Mackenzie said. “I’m excited to get some reps out there and excited to hopefully back myself and back up what we did last year. We’ve got an amazing team this year. Everyone gets along so well and it’s really, really cool to be a part of such a cool group of people. Everyone’s backing each other and backing themselves. It’s honestly one of the strongest teams I think I’ve seen, ever. So the team camaraderie and everything is amazing and can’t wait to keep pushing each other and ourselves.”

Caden Francis (AUS) and Ocean Lancaster (AUS) also won their respective heats, while 2024 U/18 copper medalist Milla Coco Brown (AUS) was sent to repechage needing only a 0.94 to advance. Struggling to find a wave throughout the heat, Brown needed a 5.77 with two minutes left. The 18-year-old picked up a 5.33 but ran out of time to catch anything that would provide her with even a single point. Swiss teammates Marshanda Nikijuluw (SUI) and Célia Magras (SUI) advanced together ahead of the Australian.

Pol Huguet (PER) Earns Excellence, Sets the Pace for Peru

The host nation showed that they will be a force to be reckoned with in 2025. Having topped the podium the last time they hosted the WJSC in 2011, Peru are ready to reclaim the gold. Their three girls to compete today, Urpi Torres (PER), Camila Sanday (PER), and Valentina Escudero (PER) all progressed, along with two of the three boys in the U/16 division, Luca Chipoco (PER) and Pol Huguet (PER). Huguet set the pace for the team, posting a 16.00 two wave total, the first excellent heat total of the event. The 16-year-old’s local knowledge allowed him to find a long wall to attack on his backhand, earning an 8.83 for multiple critical hits.

“I feel pretty good,” Huguet said. “I’m at my home. I learned to surf at this wave. It’s incredible to be here with my family, with my team. I’m pretty grateful. We have an incredible team, so many good surfers. I feel incredible to be part of it.”

Competition will begin tomorrow, Sunday, December 7, at 7:00 a.m. PET with the continuation of U/18 girls Main Round 1 at Punta Rocas and U/16 boys Main Round 1 at El Bosque.