The Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships

Some of the world's best young surfers will be riding the waves at Piha - on Auckland's wild west coast - when New Zealand plays host next January to the World Junior Surfing Champs.

The Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships - for surfers under 18-years-old - will take place from 20 - 28 January, 2010.

Described as the major event in junior surfing, the competition will bring about 250 surfers from 30 countries to New Zealand's most celebrated surfing precinct.

Piha - a rugged surf beach on Auckland's sprawling western boundary - is one of the city's natural jewels.

With reputedly some of the hardest waves to be found anywhere in the world, Piha is recognised as the birthplace of surfing in New Zealand.

It was at Piha beach - 50 years ago in 1959 - that two visiting American lifeguards, Rick Stoner and Bing Copeland, took to their boards to become the first to surf New Zealand's waves.