The Tribune

By JONATHAN BURROWS

Tribune Sports Reporter

jburrows@tribunemedia.net

ELIZA Denning’s run at the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships came to an end yesterday, but the young Bahamian leaves El Salvador with valuable experience from competing against some of the best junior surfers in the world.

Denning, the final Bahamian left in contention, finished fourth in Heat 9 of Round 2 at El Sunzal with a combined score of 2.04, including waves of 1.77 and 0.27.

Australia’s Stella Green won the heat with 8.86, narrowly holding off Italy’s Chiara Cuppone, who finished with 8.47. Puerto Rico’s Mya Kuzomovich was third with 7.50.

Denning had advanced from the repechage on Tuesday to keep The Bahamas’ campaign alive, but was unable to find the scores she needed to progress again.

Head coach Tom Glucksmann said the entire team showed the attitude the coaches wanted to see throughout the competition. “I was very proud of how everyone showed up for their heats with a determined can-do attitude. We pushed the ‘I think I can’ mantra to the team,” Glucksmann said. “They didn’t shy away from the high level of competition but tried to rise to it.”

The Bahamas team leaves the championships with lessons that Glucksmann believes can help build the sport at home.

“Really they gained everything, experience, a trip of a lifetime, and hopefully inspiration to put in the work to improve and progress,” he said.

Glucksmann believes competing more often will be critical if the young surfers are to continue developing.

“To compete at this level we number one have to surf more. We need better equipment and the time on it to progress,” he said. “Getting to smaller regional contests in places like Florida and the Dominican Republic for example will give us the experience surfing heats we need.”

The coach also wants the momentum created by the young team in El Salvador to translate into greater participation in surfing at home.

“It’s vital that the buzz we have created with this group of teenagers helps us recruit more young people to the sport,” Glucksmann said. “The ISA and Olympic Solidarity offers programmes for small countries like ours. We need to be ready, that is already at a higher level, when they come calling.”

Outside of local competitions, the Eleuthera Surf Club and its annual summer surf camp, Glucksmann said there is still plenty of room to expand The Bahamas’ surfing programmes.

“We need to expand our programmes, get a surfboard company to sponsor us and create surfers and at least a small surf culture,” he said.

Despite Denning’s elimination and The Bahamas’ competition coming to an end, Glucksmann said the performances of the young surfers give him reason to be encouraged. “What gives me the most confidence is the indomitable spirit these Bahamian teens showed in El Salvador,” he said.