Joel Christopherson and Rosie Moore represented Scotland at the prestigious 2025 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, taking place in Punta Rocas, Peru, from 5–14 December 2025. Here’s how they got on.
Rosie Moore (BHSC)
Two young Dunbar surfers, Joel (14) and Rosie (15), travelled to Lima, Peru in December 2025 with parents, Erica and Sam, to represent Scotland at the Junior ISA World Surfing Championships.
Training in Scotland’s Winter
Both are from Belhaven Surf Club and were keen to gain international experience. Head coach Sam created a six-week programme to prepare them. It included swimming for breath hold, stamina and speed; skateboarding with SPACE at the Mart; training at Lost Shore; local surfing in a range of conditions; a Thurso surf trip; and video analysis at Belhaven Surf Centre.
The local community, businesses and wider surf family were fantastic, helping through two big fundraising events: a pub quiz and a sauna and dip at Belhaven Surf Centre. Thanks to everyone who supported the kids.
Peru
The journey involved two flights, via Amsterdam, then a 12-hour flight to Lima. It was long but unforgettable. Joel was especially awestruck by the Amazon rainforest and then “the mountains in the clouds” as they crossed the Andes before descending into Lima.
At the airport they were welcomed by Latino bands and dancing, then stepped into the warm evening air for the drive to Punta Hermosa, where the traffic was literally insane.
Soon after arriving they met Juano, a super-energetic young Peruvian coach and world-class surfer who became their guide and helped coach the team. He knew everyone, and his warmth set the tone for the whole trip. Everyone has time for you in Peru.
It quickly became clear Peru is an epic surf destination. Punta Rocas offered world-class right and left waves breaking for hundreds of metres, and the training week exposed Rosie and Joel to everything from powerful lefts to playful reef breaks. The place had a dreamlike quality: low cloud in the mornings, sun later in the day, and stunning views of coves, cliffs, desert and the Andes.
Competition Preparation and Event
As teams arrived from all over the world, the standard became clear: incredible. Watching the Hawaiian, Spanish and Peruvian teams in the water was a privilege. Juano created a balanced training programme and both Rosie and Joel improved daily.
Peru was also alive with wildlife – crabs, fish, pelicans, sea lions and lizards – and the kids settled into the laid-back vibe and bigger surf. Then the swell jumped. Welcome to the World Championships.
Joel surfed first in the U16 boys and showed real promise, scoring 5.6 in a tough heat before moving into the repocharge. In huge surf over the next few days, he gave it everything, catching some of the biggest waves of his life. At just 14, and competing above his age, he showed he is not far away from this level.
Rosie also faced massive surf early on, but when the swell dropped on Day 4 she produced the heat of her life in the U16 repechage. Surfing with confidence, she scored 7.9 to progress to round two – one of the best ever results by a Scottish female junior at world championship level.
Rosie finished joint 49th out of more than 100 surfers in the U16 girls, becoming one of only three Scottish girls ever to make round two at Worlds.
Joel Christopherson (BHSC)
Joel surfed first in the U16 boys and showed real promise, scoring 5.6 in a tough heat before moving into the repocharge. In huge surf over the next few days, he gave it everything, catching some of the biggest waves of his life. On Day 4 Joel produced his best heat of his competition scoring 6.7 at U18yr pushing his older competitors all the way producing another excellent performance. At just 14, and competing above his age, he showed he is not far away from this level.
Both juniors did themselves proud, learned tonnes, and made new friends. For Scottish surfing, the trip showed real promise and the future looks exciting.
