Surfing: Hewitt off to world games

Matt Hewitt will lead the New Zealand team at the ISA World Surfing Games in Peru. PHOTO/COL@SURF2SURF.COM

Mount Maunganui's Matt Hewitt is one of six surfers selected by Surfing New Zealand to compete at the 2014 ISA World Surfing Games at Punta Negra, Peru, from October 24 to November 1.

The event celebrates the 50th anniversary of the International Surfing Association.

Hewitt is the most experienced surfer in the team, along with Sarah Mason (Gold Coast). They are joined by the Wallis brothers, Zen and Tane, of Piha, JC Susan from Mount Maunganui and Whangamata's Grace Spiers. All four surfers have represented New Zealand with Susan the most capped, having competed at this event in 2011 and 2013.

Hewitt will lead the Kiwi males into the event and has smelled success at ISA events in the past coming third in the under-16 boys' division of the world junior championships in 2007, a result he describes as one of the greatest surfing moments in his career.

This year, he will be combining the chance to compete as part of the team with more ASP qualifying events in Brazil once the team disperses.

"I have not had the best international results this year. It's been one of the toughest years just to get into ASP events let alone get past the first few heats," said Hewitt. "A lot of the world tour surfers are also contesting the few six star events there have been. So I am really trying to do as many of the qualifying series events I can before the year ends." A top-seven finish would see the New Zealand team qualify for the 2015 ISA China Cup in January next year. New Zealand has not been represented at the event in the past two years and will need to improve its ranking of 12th from the 2013 event.

Hewitt believes it is possible as long as the team believe that they can win, but he also suggests New Zealand needs to send the best possible team to the event. "Guys like Billy (Stairmand), Ric (Christie) and the other top guys in New Zealand should be representing Kiwis at the event."