ASP Pro Junior Event New Pier, Dairy Beach, Durban 30 March - 2 April 2006
Great start to Day 2 of Billabong Junior Series in Durban
Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 31 March, 2006 : - - The young guns of South African surfing reveled in the one metre (3 foot) clean offshore waves at the New Pier in Durban this morning as the second day of the Billabong Junior Series event got underway with round three of the premier Pro Junior (U20) division.
Matthew Bromley (Kommetjie) and reigning U14 series champ Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay), both 14 and members of the recently announced national junior surfing team, won their respective Pro Junior heats to advance into the last 32 of this division and will also be competing in the U16 category in today’s busy schedule.
Others to shine before the wind started to turn onshore included Port Alfred’s Kyle Jacobs who won his heat and advanced along with second placed Dale Staples (St Francis Bay), another of the precocious 14 year-olds who represent the future of South African surfing.
Today’s program sees the U16 division contest their first three rounds while the U12’s and U14’s complete two rounds each and the day ends with the trials round for the Pro Junior girls as the organisers start to whittle down the huge entry of 171 competitors from the length and breadth of the SA coastline.
The second of five Billabong Junior Series events continues at the New Pier on Dairy Beach on Saturday, when the top seeds in the Pro Junior boys and girls enter the fray for the first time with the finals in the five divisions scheduled for Sunday.
Brandon Jackson (Durban North) is the top seed in the Pro Junior boys, followed by Keegan Nel (East London) and Capetonians Brandon Roberts (Sun Valley) and Dave Richards (Kommetjie) while former Kommetjie resident, Damien Fahrenfort, now living in Durban and the runner-up in the first series event St Mikes in February, received a wildcard to this event along with Klee Strachan (Amanzimtoti, KZN).
Rosanne Hodge (East London) heads the record breaking 37 person Pro Junior girls division ahead of Tarryn Chudleigh (Scarborough, CT), reigning series champ Tammy-Lee Smith (Salt Rock, KZN) and Nikita Robb (East London) respectively.
More than R30 000 in prize-money is at stake in the event, along with ratings points counting towards the series titles. Sunday will also see the Von Zipper Airshow with a winner-takes-all R1 800 on offer for the best aerial manoeuvre, the R1 000 Zigzag Blowing Up award for the best performance during the event and the Best Kustomised Manoeuvre that rewards the most innovative manoeuvre by a local boy and girl with R500 and a pair of Kustom purpose built footwear.
The Billabong Junior Series is sanctioned by Surfing South Africa (SSA), the national controlling body for the sport. The U20 boys and girls’ divisions are also sanctioned by ASP Africa.
The series is proudly supported by First National Bank, who contribute 50% of the prize-pool and cover the travel costs of the four Pro Junior boys and top girl to Australia each January; Red Bull whose Bette mobile music centre, Wigwam and Energy Centre are highly appreciated by the competitors; Mentos sweets; Capri Sun juices for U14’s; Mrs Palmers surf wax, Drench hair-care products for the girls; Salt Water Girl magazine and Blackfoot Productions who record, produce and flight the 30 minute television show on SuperSport covering each of the five events.
The 2006 Billabong Junior Series started in St Mikes on the KZN South Coast (February 23-26) and, after Durban (March 30-April 2), moves to Cape Town (May 18-21), Victoria Bay in the Southern Cape (June 15-18) and wraps up in Jeffreys Bay (August 5-8) where the 10th annual series champions will be crowned.
For further information on the series and a host of other interesting aspects of South African surfing visit www.billabong.com/africa where entry forms can be found for the events and top performers are profiled.
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