The Billabong World Junior Championships kicked off today with 22 blistering heats run in sweltering conditions at North Narrabeen, NSW. This year thing’s are a little different, with two legs rather than the one title-deciding showdown of years gone by, so with the Oakley episode already run at Keramas in October today played out a little differently to first days of the past.

The remnants of a brave little ESE swell presented themselves at first light and with contest director Luke Egan adamant the show must get underway the girls hit the water as the final didgeridoo notes rang out from the traditional indigenous welcome. For those who were still asleep, 16-year-old Lakey Peterson took off on a two-foot runner and in a style reminiscent of her hero, Dane Reynolds, threw a huge, progressive grab-rail reverse that sure as hell woke the beach up. The Billabong World Juniors were off.

The favourites were the standouts today, with the higher seeded red jerseys claiming wins more often than not. Reputation seemed to count for something too, as Jack Freestone, Kolohe Andino, Granger Larsen, Nat Young, and defending champ Maxime Huscenot all put on commanding displays.

The local bluebottle community were also fearsome performers, putting the fear of God into the foreign contingent and, as Ty Watson admitted, “giving the Aussies an advantage, at least we’re used to getting nailed.” Hawaiian Keala Naihe got nailed, Peterson complained of sore glands, and Kolohe even had one of the suckers climb inside his wetty, leading to one of the more awkward one footers seen ridden in competition.In conditions that could be generously described as “contestable”, it was the surfing of the young ’uns that was of most note today. The competitors – both male and female – slid and ditched fins at will, launched over any section that presented and generally surfed in a manner that 10 years ago would have been considered far fetched. Air reverses were standard, and barely scored, big finners, grab-rail reverses and big, lofted straight punts were the order du jour, Mitch Crews even throwing a couple of supermen into the mix for good measure. Alongside the contest bank knee high kids you’ve never heard of pulled moves you’ve never seen before, laughing off the blueys and getting right royally slapped around by the sun. But that’s what you get at these junior contests. There’s no bailing back to hotels once you’ve surfed, you stay at the beach and support your mates and surf some more. Simple. And awesome.

We’ll be back tomorrow. The swell’s waning but there’ll be heats run at Narrabeen, so make sure you check out the webcast and tune in to the next generation, showing us the future.