2005 Billabong Junior Series

Five event national surfing series
St Mikes, Durban, Cape Town, Victoria Bay & Jeffreys Bay
February – August 2005 

Heatdraw/Results/Photos

Locals rule in Cape Town leg of Billabong Junior Series

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 22 May, 2005 : - - Cape Town’s 20 year-old and younger surfers proved they rule in their home waters when they captured four of the five titles at stake when the third of five stops on the prestigious Billabong Junior Series was completed at Big Bay, Bloubergstrand on Sunday. 

Brandon Roberts made it two in a row by successfully defending his crown in the premier Pro Junior (U20) men’s event while fellow Fish Hoek resident Klee Strachan captured the U16 title and finished equal third in the U20’s, earning him the coveted Zigzag ‘Blowing Up’ award for the outstanding performance at the event. 

Brendon Gibbens from Bishopscourt stepped out of the shadows of his better know opponents by winning the U14’s, Benjamin Brand (Kommetjie) collected his second straight U12 win while Rosanne Hodge (East London) in the Pro Junior girls was the only non-Capetonian winner when she relegated Tarryn Chudleigh (Kommetjie) to the runner-up spot. 

After two days of outstanding beach break surf at Big Bay the finals were staged in wind blown one to 1.5 metre waves where Roberts defeated a game but outclassed Kyle Beach (Queensburgh, KZN) in the man-on-man U20 final. 

Roberts, who turns 18 next month, has proved virtually unbeatable on the Peninsula over the past two years, winning the U16 division in the Cape Town leg of the 2003 series before going on to pip Jordy Smith for U16 series title. That year he also became the youngest ever winner of an open event in the 18 year history of SA’s Pro Surf Tour (PST), defeating a field of the country’s top professionals in the Coldwater Classic at Witsands 

The third seed for this event, Roberts had earlier defeated the in form Brandon Jackson (Durban North) to reach the final despite finishing second behind his namesake in both round four and the quarter-finals. Beach overcame Strachan in their semi after the two U16 campaigners had caused the upset of the event by eliminating pre-contest favourite Ricky Basnett, winner of the previous two U20 events, in round three. 

Hodge’s wealth of international experience proved too strong for 15 year-old Chudleigh who will be making her first overseas trip to the USA as member of the national junior team in October. Tammy-Lee Smith (Salt Rock, KZN), who returned from Australia specifically to compete in the Billabong Junior Series, and Nikita Robb (East London), winner of an international event in Australia at Easter, placed third and fourth respectively. 

Strachan dominated the U16 final, scoring the highest combined total of all five finals and leaving fellow national junior team mates Chad du Toit (Durban) and the hugely talented Lungani Memani (Port Alfred) as well as third paced newcomer Jamie Laurence (St Francis Bay) trailing in his spray. Laurence and du Toit put paid to any hopes Kyle Lane (Umhlanga) may have had of making it three consecutive victories by consigning him to fourth place in their semi-final encounter. 

Gibbens was equally impressive in securing his first U14 event title, scoring the highest single ride total of the five finals – a respectable 7.0 out of a possible 10 points given the conditions. Having placed third and fourth in the previous two events this year, Gibbens defeated Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay), winner of the St Mikes event in February, with Nicholas Godfrey (Cape St Francis) and first time finalist Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga) taking third and fourth after eliminating Durban event winner Matthew Bromley (Kommetjie) in their semi-final match-up. 

In the U12’s it was again Benjamin who triumphed over older brother and St Mikes winner David to earn his second successive title. Michael February made it one, two and three for the Kommetjie based trio for the third time this year with Dane Staples (St Francis Bay) again taking fourth. ‘Occy’, as Benjamin is nicknamed due to his similar appearance and surfing style to the legendary Australian 1999 world surfing champ, also made the most entertaining victory speech, thanking his brother for all the waves he ‘gave’ him. 

Kyle Lane wrapped up the Von Zipper Air Show title by completing the most spectacular aerial manoeuvres after ‘boosting’ himself and his surfboard board out of the choppy wave faces while Kommetjie locals Bronwyn Chudleigh and Josh Salie added further proof that their town is the hotbed of surfing talent on the Peninsula by being awarded the Kustom Most Improved Surfer awards for girls and boys respectively. 

The next stop on the 2005 Billabong Junior Series will be Victoria Bay in the Southern Cape where four days have been allocated to the event – June 16 – 19 – due to the huge entry received from more than 150 surfers from virtually every town on the SA coastline.  

The 2005 series culminates in Jeffreys Bay in August when the series winners in all five divisions are crowned and the four Pro Junior men and top Pro Junior girl receive their invitations to the R280 000 Billabong World Junior Championships in Australia in January 2006. 

Billabong Junior Series
Event # 3, Big Bay, Bloubergstrand 

Event Results

U/20 Boys
Brandon Roberts (Fish Hoek)                     R3 000
Kyle Beach (Queensburgh, KZN)                R2 000
=3rd Brandon Jackson (Durban North)                R1 250
=3rd Klee Strachan (Fish Hoek)                          R1 250
=5th Dave Richards (Kommetjie)                        R   800
=5th Shaun Payne (St Francis Bay)                    R   800
=7th Keegan Nel (East London)                          R   650
=7th Devon Mundow (Kloof, KZN)                       R   650 

U/20 Girls
Rosanne Hodge (East London)                  R2 000
Tarryn Chudleigh (Kommetjie)                     R   900
Tammy-Lee Smith (Salt Rock, KZN)          R   600
Nikita Robb (East London)                          R   500  

U/16 Boys
Klee Strachan (Fish Hoek)                          R2 000
Chad du Toit (Durban)                                  R1 000
Jamie Laurence (St Francis Bay)               R   750
Lungani Memani (Port Alfred)                     R   550  

U/14 Boys
Brendon Gibbens (Bishopscourt, CT)        R1 500
Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay)                       R   850
Nicholas Godfrey (Cape St Francis)          R   550
Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga)                      R   350  

U/12 Boys
Benjamin Brand (Kommetjie)                      R1 000
David Brand (Kommetjie)                            R   750
Michael February (Kommetjie)                   R   500
Dane Staples (St Francis Bay)                   R   350  

Von Zipper Air Show
Kyle Lane (Umhlanga)                                 R1 800  

Zigzag ‘Blowing Up’ Award
1.  Klee Strachan (Fish Hoek)                       R1 000 

Kustom Awards for Best Local Surfers
Boys – Josh Salie (Kommetjie)
Girls – Bronwyn Chudleigh (Kommetjie)

For full results and heat sheets from the Pro Junior men and women’s divisions go to www.aspafrica.co.za

The 2005 Billabong Junior Series started at St Mikes on the KZN South Coast in February with the second stop in Durban at the beginning of April. The next event is at Victoria Bay in the Southern Cape (16-19 June) and the series concludes in Jeffreys Bay over the period 5-8 August where the series champions in all divisions will be crowned for the ninth successive year.

Day 1: Ricky Basnett upset in Billabong Junior Series Cape Town

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