Keisha Hill, Staff Reporter

Ackeam Phillips - file

Sixteen-year-old Ackeam Phillips, Jamaica's junior surf team member and the 2003, 2005 and 2006 national junior champion, is the lone competitor from Jamaica participating in the 2008 International Surfing Association (ISA)/Quiksilver World Junior Championships that began in Hossegor, France, on May 21.

For only the second time in its nine-year history, the Jamaica Surfing Association (JSA) only managed to send a single competitor.

"The reason we find ourselves in this unfortunate position is really a financial one," said Billy Wilmot, president of the JSA.

Wilmot stated that the JSA's fund-raising efforts did not produce the $3 million dollars that was needed to field a full team of 12 participants.

"We had already cut the team from 10 competitors to two and by the time we were able to cover travel expenses and applied for the necessary visas, the time was up," Wilmot explained.

"We were hoping to send our top two under-18 boys but we ran out of time to secure the French visa for Shane Simmonds and he will not be able to make the flight," he added.

Phillips departed the island on Thursday with manager Luke Williams and coach Icah Wilmot.

In addition to the individual World Junior Champions titles, participants will also be competing for the Junior Team World Champion. The current World Team champion is Australia, who won it last year in Costa de Caparica, Portugal.

The championships will be aired live on the internet at www.isasurf.org.

The championships end on June 1.