Raglan surfer Alani Morse has claimed bronze at the 2026 ISA World Junior Surfing Championships in El Salvador, helping New Zealand to its best team result at the event in 16 years.
Alani finished third in the Under 16 Girls Division after reaching the final at La Bocana, where she posted an 8.37-point total in difficult one-metre waves affected by onshore winds.
Australian Lucy Darragh took gold, ahead of Zoe Panettiere of the USA, with Tahitian surfer Takihei Ellacott fourth.
The result was New Zealand’s best individual finish at the championships in 19 years.
For Alani, the medal carried added significance after the death of her grandmother two weeks before she left for El Salvador.
“She was my biggest supporter and my best friend. She inspired me to chase my dreams and gave me such a drive to go as far as I could in this event. I could feel her cheering me on this whole event,” Alani said.
She said the result had yet to fully sink in after months of visualising the possibility of reaching the podium.
“Honestly, I don’t think it’s gonna settle in for a few days. I’ve been mentally visualizing this moment for months, planning every step of the way from travelling to El Salvador to the closing ceremony. It’s hard not to think it’s just me daydreaming. I’ve always dreamed of being an ISA medallist, so it just doesn’t seem real yet.”
Alani had earlier progressed through the semifinals alongside Ellacott, with the pair eliminating highly rated Australian Talia Tebb.
She said the final did not quite unfold the way she had hoped, but she was still thrilled to make the podium.
“I didn’t really get the chance to fire up in the final like my semis but I definitely believe that I was capable of getting the win through the final. At the end of the day the waves just didn’t come and it just wasn’t in my favour. I was ok with that and I was just so freaking happy to be in the final and have a shot at the win anyway.”
Her run to the final also meant missing a scheduled flight to Brazil, where she was due to compete in a QS6000 event less than 24 hours after arriving.
“Of course it was extremely worth it,” Alani said.
She said she was treating the trip to Brazil as part of the celebration, despite having little time to rest before competing again.
“I think I’ll just be running off excitement and adrenaline for the next few days.”
New Zealand finished eighth overall with 4,542 points, improving on its 10th-place finish in Peru last year and recording its best team result since the championships were held in New Zealand in 2010.
Australia won the teams title ahead of the USA and Brazil.
Alexis Owen was the next-best Kiwi performer, finishing 10th in the Under 18 Boys Division. Poppy Arkle placed 13th in the Under 18 Girls, while Sol Fritchley finished 19th in the Under 16 Boys.
Raglan’s Van Camenzind finished 55th in the Under 18 Boys Division.
The 2026 championships featured 474 surfers from 56 countries across four divisions.
El Salvador will again host international competition next May, when it stages the first major Olympic qualification opportunity for New Zealand’s top surfers.
