Raglan surfers Alani Morse and Van Camenzind will represent New Zealand at the 2026 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in El Salvador next month.
They will be joined by Raglan coaches Daniel Kereopa and two-time Olympian Billy Stairmand when the New Zealand Junior Surfing Team competes against surfers from more than 50 countries from 4 to 13 September.
Alani, 16, will compete in the Under 16 Girls division and brings significant international experience to her fourth New Zealand junior campaign.
She recently recorded a career-best seventh-place finish at the WSL South Korea QS 6000 event, competing in the Open Women’s division against leading surfers from Australasia and Asia. Earlier this year, she also received a wildcard into the WSL New Zealand Pro at Manu Bay.
Alani will be looking to turn that experience into her best result yet at the world juniors. She is joined in the Under 16 Girls division by Pauanui’s Lola Groube and 13-year-old Zara Owen of Dunedin.
Van will make his New Zealand team debut in the Under 18 Boys division alongside Dunedin’s Alexis Owen and Piha surfer Sev Tolhurst.
“It’s pretty sick to be in the NZ team for the first time and I’m really stoked to get the opportunity to represent New Zealand in El Salvador,” Van says.
“My goals for the event are to surf my best, and get a good result for myself and the team.”
The in-form Raglan surfer is one of seven newcomers in this year’s 12-member team.
The surfers recently gathered in Raglan for a training camp ahead of the championships, supported by the Olympic Solidarity Fund and the New Zealand Olympic Committee.
Kereopa and Stairmand form part of an experienced coaching group led by team manager James Fowell. All three have previously represented New Zealand in international competition, with Stairmand having competed at both the Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games.
El Salvador has hosted the World Junior Surfing Championship several times and will provide familiar conditions for some of the returning team members. New Zealand placed 10th overall when the 2025 championship was held in Peru.
The Central American nation will also host the first major Olympic qualification opportunity for leading international surfers in May 2027, on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The 2026 championship features Under 18 and Under 16 divisions for boys and girls. New Zealand’s team includes a mixture of experienced international competitors and first-time representatives.
The event will be Alani’s fourth appearance for New Zealand, while Alexis Owen and Lola Groube have also represented the country at each of the past three championships.
Groube achieved New Zealand’s leading individual result in 2025, finishing seventh in the Under 18 Girls division despite surfing above her age group. She returns to the Under 16 division this year.
“It’s pretty cool to be in the New Zealand Team for the fourth year and I’m really stoked to be able to represent New Zealand again,” Groube says.
“For El Salvador, I just want to surf my best, enjoy it, and hopefully get some good results for the team.”
New Zealand’s Raglan representatives
• Alani Morse – Under 16 Girls
• Van Camenzind – Under 18 Boys
• Daniel Kereopa – coach
• Billy Stairmand – coach
