Surfing: Kehu Butler eyes Junior World Championship ahead of first full qualifying series

Kiwi surfer Kehu Butler has shown he can create scores in poor conditions. Photo / Ben Kennings

Kiwi surfer Kehu Butler is set for what shapes up to be the most testing year of his young career.

The year isn't even a week old, but the 17-year-old from Mt Maunganui was in Sydney preparing for the Junior World Championship, which gets underway on Thursday at Kiama's Bombo Beach.

It's a big event to kick the year off, but it's just the start of what could be a massive year for the young surfer.

Butler told the Herald he would "definitely do the full" World Surf League qualifying series (QS) this year and had been talking to fellow Kiwis Ricardo Christie and Billy Stairmand about how to prepare for a year on tour.

Both surfers have spent seven years on the QS, with Christie qualifying for the Championship Tour (CT) at the end of 2014.

"Billy and Ric are like uncles to me. They take me under their wing and have given me a heads up to what it's like doing the full tour," Butler said. "It's definitely something I'm looking forward to."

Gearing up for his debut year competing on the full QS, a good result at the Junior World Championship could give him some early confidence.

Of course, he's not thinking like that. Butler goes into the event as somewhat of an outsider, with proven opponents such as Australian Reef Heazlewood and South African Jake Elkington in the line up.

"I feel like a bit of an underdog, for sure," Butler said, "but I like that - there's less pressure on me. I can just go out and do my thing.

"I've been competing with these guys for a few years now so we know what each other are like in the water."

Butler had spent the past two weeks on the Gold Coast training for the event before heading to Kiama where he said the swell was looking "pretty grovelly."

"It benefits me (if it stays small). Coming from the Mount, I'm out in flat surf all the time so it'll definitely be in my favour if it stays like this.

"I've been working really hard on my training and technique, and been eating well and the body's feeling good."

Last year, Butler got his first taste of the event, being given a late wildcard. However, he wasn't able to make it out of his round-one heat.

The event as a reputation for providing an barometer of things to come, with past winners like Andy Irons, Joel Parkinson, Adriano de Souza and Gabriel Medina going on to CT glory.

Last year, Australian Ethan Ewing beat Griffin Colapinto of California in the final. Ewing competed in his rookie year on the CT in 2017, while Colapinto went on to win the men's QS and will compete in his rookie year on the CT in 2018.

The event window opens on January 4, with Butler against Hawaiian Finn McGill and France's Erwan Blouin in the opening round.

The last Kiwi to win a Junior World Championship title was Whangamata's Ella Williams, who took it out the women's crown in 2013.