Following the success of the 2005 British Team at the World Junior Surf Games (WJSG), the Olympics of surfing, that took place in California in which the Brits burst into the top ten for the first time, the 2006 Surf Team has been selected and announced today.

                             >Tom Butler >Photo Estpix

The Team of youngsters who are all under eighteen years old have been working hard this winter to impress the selectors at trials and squad training sessions, current form and recent contest results were also considered. The team contains the spine of last years successful Team with Team captain Sam Birkett, from Swansea, and Bude ripper Reubyn Ash still able to compete in the under 18 division. They are joined by Newquay’s Tom Butler and Jayce Robinson from St. Ives, who step up from the under 16 age group. All four boys are training in warmer water this winter down under in Australia and Indonesia.

The Under 16 division sees Plymouths Matt Burner retain his place and he is joined by new caps from North Devon, Stuart Campbell (Woolacombe) and Lyndon Wake (Croyde). The fourth member of the cadet division is Tom Butler’s younger brother Jack (Newquay), who is back to top form after breaking a leg last spring in a skateboarding accident.

                                  >Sam Birkett >Photo Estpix

The girls division is once more dominated by the Swansea girls led by Beth Mason, who will be hoping to improve on her remarkable 22^nd place at the last WJSG. She is joined again by British under 18 champion Gwen Spurlock and new cap Kate Dendle. The only non Welsh girl is Holly Donnelly from Newquay, who is another new cap.

The 2006 WJSG are taking place in Brazil during May and between now and then the Team are knuckling down to some serious close season training under the watchful eye of fitness coach Glenn Eldridge. Paul Jeffrey (Newquay) will once again be Team Manager and Joel Gray (Newcastle) will be Team coach, the goal will be a top eight place out of an expected 30 teams who will compete.

The non travelling reserves are: Connor Spears (Croyde), Billy Norways (St. Ives), Lewis Clinton (Newquay), Seb Smart (Sennen), Kathleen Spears (Croyde) & Rhianon Davies (Swansea).

                          >Beth Mason >Photo Estpix

The Team are actively seeking sponsorship and receive no grants or aid from any government agency.  A study commissioned by Cornwall Enterprise and the Regional Development Agency has shown that surfing is Cornwall's biggest sports industry in terms of manufacturing and services (i.e. excluding retail and hospitality) - being worth £64m per year.

For more details contact:

Karen Walton, National Director, BSA, Fistral Beach, Newquay, Cornwall TR7 1HY