The competition is the largest junior surfing event in the world, with the 2016 edition in the Azores breaking participation records for the second consecutive year with 371 athletes from 39 countries.

Taking place in Hyuga City, located in the Miyazaki prefecture of Kyushu Island, the 2017 event will be the first ISA competition to be held in Japan since the 1990 World Surfing Games were held on the Chiba peninsula.

The hosts will be looking to build on their historic performance at the 2016 VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in the Azores Islands of Portugal.

Team Japan claimed the Copper Medal, which was their first team medal in the history of the event.

“Bringing the world’s best junior surfers to Japan for the first time in over 25 years is an exciting development for our sport globally," said ISA President, Fernando Aguerre.

"It’s also an important affirmation of the growth and popularity of Surfing in Japan following the decision to include Surfing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“Japan has also shown great promise from a competitive point of view, producing many top surfers that are performing well at an international level.

"The outstanding Team Copper Medal performance by their junior surfers at the ISA World Championships in 2016 is a testimony to their dynamic progress.

“I am looking forward to seeing who will rise above the rest and claim their stake as the best junior surfers in the world.

"These very well could be the same athletes standing atop the podium in three years at the Tokyo 2020 Games.”

The event has proven to provide a glimpse of the future stars of the sport ever since legendary surfer Tom Curren won the Gold Medal at the inaugural edition in 1980.

Curren went on to become world champion three times, in 1985, 1986, 1990, and won 33 championship events in his professional career, 

VISSLA, an innovative surf lifestyle brand, has committed to sustain their role as title sponsor of the event, that started at the 2014 edition of the event in Ecuador.