Special coverage presented by the International Surfing Association - Cover photo by Pablo Jimenez 

Tomorrow at 7am the first series of the ISA Junior World Championships will take to the water, the 2023 edition which will take place on Macumba Beach in Rio de Janeiro.

The numbers and keys of the tournament, according to the ISA in a press release, are as follows:

-Country record broken: 46 national teams will be present in Rio de Janeiro, surpassing the record of El Salvador 2022.

-Czech Republic, Hungary and Ukraine participating for the first time in a junior world championship, Romania will participate for the first time in an ISA.

-The record of athletes was not broken, there are a total of 365 men and women who will compete in the Under 16 and Under 18 categories.

-Hawaii is bidding to be the most successful country, as it wants to achieve Australia's seven. If it wins in Rio, the islanders will reach six.

-Interesting fact about the participants of this event and the Olympic Games: 33 of the 40 Tokyo 2020 Olympic surfers previously competed in the WJSC, with 16 medalling, including Olympic bronze medallist Owen Wright (AUS), Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and Gabriel Medina (BRA).

“Several surfers qualified for Paris 2024 have also made it onto the WJSC podium, including reigning WSL World Champions Caroline Marks (USA) and Filipe Toledo (BRA),” the ISA writes.

-Some current highlights from recent events: Silver medallist Íñigo Madina (FRA) and copper medallist Hans Odriozola (ESP) will once again challenge for the U16 World title, while 16 U2022 Junior World Champion Willis Droomer (AUS) will compete for the first time in the U18 men’s category.

Two of the four women’s medalists from the 16 WJSC U-2022 will also return. Bronze medalist Mirai Ikeda (JPN) and copper medalist Tya Zebrowski (FRA) will look to improve on their results in the women’s U-16 category.

Paris 2024 Olympic qualifier Sanoa Olin will represent Canada at her fifth WJSC when she competes in the U-18 women's category.

-Gender issue: A record 177 girls (44% of competitors) will compete and represent their nations at the 2023 WJSC. Since 2017, the ISA has offered equal quota places for men and women at all of its World Championships, promoting female participation and gender equality in surfing.

-ISA events in Brazil: “The WJSC will be organised by the Brazilian Surfing Confederation (CBSurf) with the strong support of the Brazilian Olympic Committee and the State of Rio de Janeiro. It will be the 19th edition of the WJSC and the second time the event is hosted in Brazil, after the 2006 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship was held in Maresias. Brazil has also hosted two historic editions of the ISA World Surfing Games, the first of which was in Rio de Janeiro in 1994,” writes the ISA.