Mangawhai longboarder Matt Cockayne has been named in the eight-strong team to represent New Zealand at the 2011 Billabong ISA World Surfing Games in Panama next month.
Surfing New Zealand named a relatively inexperienced line-up of surfers in terms of the World Surfing Games event.
Cockayne, along with fellow longboarder Phil Morris,
and Piha's Zen Wallis will represent New Zealand for the first time at the event.
Morris and Cockayne were standout performers on the 2011 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour finishing the year ranked third and fourth respectively.
Despite the new recruits, the team is balanced with Taranaki's Paige Hareb's experience. Hareb is New Zealand's most successful female surfer who, in her first outing at the event last year, placed runner-up.
Hareb sits alongside the best female surfers in the world ranked 12th on the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour and fifth on the ASP World Qualifying Series.
After her runner-up placing to Australia's Chelsea Hedges last year, Hareb will want to go that extra step to be the first Kiwi surfer to claim a gold medal at the event.
The team comprise surfers from five regions throughout New Zealand - Auckland, Waikato, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki - including several new members who have risen through the junior ranks, competing internationally.
Three such team members are currently in Peru contesting the 2011 World Junior Championship. Raglan's Ben Poulter, Piha's Tane Wallis and Whangamata's Grace Spiers commence their bid for gold medals at the event overnight tomorrow.
Mount Maunganui surfer JC Susan will compete in the Open Men's division for the first time after representing New Zealand at the World Junior Championships last year.
Last year, New Zealand placed seventh from 31 nations, the highest ranking the team has achieved in the past decade.
Panama hosted the 2010 ISA World Masters Championship which scored pumping waves throughout the event.
NEW ZEALAND SURFING TEAM
Open Men: Ben Poulter (Rag), JC Susan (Mount), Tane Wallis (Piha), Zen Wallis (Piha).
Open Women: Grace Spiers (WGM), Paige Hareb (Tara).
Men's Longboard: Phil Morris (Auck), Matt Cockayne (Mangawhai).
