2006 Billabong Junior Series

Surfing South Africa
St Mikes, Durban, Cape Town, Victoria Bay & Jeffreys Bay
February - August 2006

Fast Facts For The Contest In Cape Town This Weekend

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 17 May, 2006 : - - The third  of five events on the 2006 Billabong Junior Series, which celebrates its tenth anniversary as the country’s premier series of surfing events for competitors in age divisions ranging from U/12 to U/20 for boys and U/20 for girls.  

WHEN:  Thursday to Sunday, May 18 – 21, 2006 

WHERE: Tableview in Cape Town. The venue is near the new traffic circle and offers a multiple peak beach break with both left and right breaking waves. If conditions are not suitable then the event can be moved to any spot between Big Bay and Melkbosstrand. Call the WP Surfing Info Line on 082 233 4001 after 7.30am each morning for the venue.

WHO:  Reigning series champ Brandon Jackson, Keegan Nel and Brandon Roberts retain the top three seeded positions in the premier Pro Junior (U20) boys division with Rudy Palmboom and Dave Richards swapping places in 4th and 5th spots. Wesley Grey moves up to 6th while Rory Beach and Clinton Gravett fill out the top eight. The winners of the first two events, Jordy Smith and Damien Fahrenfort respectively, have been allocated the wildcards into the top 16.

Pro Junior Boys Seeds

1.  Brandon Jackson            Durban North
2.  Keegan Nel                      East London
3.  Brandon Roberts             Sun Valley, CT
4.  Rudy Palmboom              Bluff, KZN
5.  Dave Richards                 Kommetjie, CT 
6.  Wesley Grey                     Kommetjie, CT
7.  Rory Beach                       Durban
8.  Clinton Gravett                East London

Wildcards:

1.  Jordy Smith                      Durban
2.  Damien Fahrenfort          Kommetjie, CT 

In the Pro Junior girls, ASP Africa champ Rosanne Hodge heads the seeding followed by national junior team members Tarryn Chudleigh and Nikita Robb with reigning Billabong Junior Series champ Tammy-Lee Smith in 4th spot in the 35 girl field. 

Pro Junior Girls Seeds

1.  Rosanne Hodge               East London
2.  Tarryn Chudleigh             Scarborough, CT
3.  Tammy-Lee Smith           Salt Rock, KZN
4.  Nikita Robb                      East London 

Chad du Toit retains his top seeding in the U16 boys division followed by Dale Staples, Shawn Dennis and Matt Bromley with Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay), who placed 3rd in the ISA world junior champs in Brazil last weekend, the fifth seed. There are 37 entries in the U16’s 

U16 Boys Seeds

1.  Chad Du Toit                    Berea, Durban
2.  Dale Staples                    St Francis Bay
3.  Shawn Dennis                  Scottburgh, KZN
4.  Matthew Bromley             Kommetjie, CT

St Mikes U14 winner Tyde Gatcke retains the top seeding for Cape Town with Durban winner Michael February moving into second ahead of Beyrick de Vries and Ryan Klynsmith. Last year’s U12 champ Davy Brand (Kommetjie) makes his first appearance this year after spending the last six months in Hawaii with his family. 31 have entered the U14 division, including 5 girls. 

U14 Boys Seeds

1.  Tyde Gatcke                     East London
2.  Michael February             Kommetjie, CT
3.  Beyrick De Vries             Umhlanga Rocks
4.  Ryan Klynsmith                 Winkelspruit 

Max Armstrong heads the U12 seeds after two events, with Durban winner Michael Venter exchanging places with Josh Smit in 2nd and 3rd spots. Steven Sawyer moves into 4th place ahead of Jarred Veldhuis (Sun Valley) in a division strengthened by the return of Benji Brand, back from Hawaii. The Cape Town event features 17 in the U12 division, including top Athlone Park, KZN, based girl Sarah Baum. 

U12 Boys Seeds

1.  Max Armstrong                 Kommetjie, CT
2.  Michael Venter                 Warner Beach, KZN
3.  Josh Smit                          Athlone Park, KZN
4.  Steven Sawyer                 Jeffreys Bay 

FORMAT:  All heats consist of four surfers with the top two in each heat advancing to the next round until four remain to contest the final in each division, except the premier Pro Junior (U20) boys’ category where the last four compete in two man-on-man semifinals and a man-on-man final

The finals in all divisions will be staged on Sunday May 21

Each event also features a Von Zipper Air Show on the Sunday, enabling the region’s top performers to demonstrate their skills in this innovative form of surfing. Competitors are judged on the manoeuvres they perform in the air after launching (boosting or punting) off the wave instead of for traditional surfing manoeuvres performed on the face of the wave.

STATUS:  The premier U20 boys and U20 girls divisions are sanctioned by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Africa office with the points earned at each event also counting towards the respective annual Pro Surf Tour (PST) Pro Junior titles 

The best four accumulated results from the five events determine the series champions in each division as well as the four Pro Junior boys and top Pro Junior girl who are invited to compete in the annual Billabong ASP World Junior Championships in Australia in January.

Surfing South Africa (SSA), the national controlling body for surfing, sanctions the balance of the age categories.

PRIZE-MONEY:  There is a total of more than R30 000 in prize-money on offer at each of the five events in the series. This is shared by the top 8 finishers in the U/20 boys and girls divisions along with the top four in each of the other three divisions 

There is an additional R35 000 in prize-pool payouts shared by the top three finishers in each division at the end of the series. Half this amount is generously provided by First National Bank who takes the opportunity to enhance the juniors’ awareness of banking facilities by placing their winnings in six-month fixed deposit accounts. FNB also cover the travel costs of the four boys and the girl who earn invitations to the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships in Australia annually. 

The Von Zipper Air Show offers an R1 800 winner-takes-all purse at each event for the best successfully completed aerial manoeuvre 

The Best Kustomised Manoeuvre rewards the most innovative manoeuvre during each event by a local boy and girl with R500 each and a pair of Kustom shoes. 

The Zigzag Performance Award, comprising R1 000 and a replica hand grenade trophy, is awarded to the surfer who ‘blows up’ through an outstanding performance during each event  

SPONSORS: Billabong South Africa, the manufacturers and distributors of Billabong apparel and accessories, sponsor the series.  

The 2006 Billabong Junior Series is proudly supported by First National Bank, Von Zipper eyewear, Kustom Purpose Built Footwear, Red Bull, Mentos, Zigzag and Saltwater Girl surf magazines and the Designer Group’s range of Drench hair-care products. 

PRODUCTION: The third event in the 2006 Billabong Junior Series is produced by Billabong SA and Western Province Surfing. Laureen Payne of Billabong is the executive producer and Cyril Nel from East London the contest director 

The 26 minute television documentary on each event, with multiple broadcasts on SuperSport, is produced by Pieter & Debbie Cilliers of Blackfoot Productions 

MEDIA:  Media liaison by Life’s a Beach Communications. Paul Botha is the communications manager for the series

www.billabong.com

Previous reports:
# 1 : Record entry for Billabong Junior Series in Cape Town
# 2 : Coming soon
# 3 : Coming soon
# 4 : Coming soon  

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Billabong South Africa
E. laureen@billabong.co.za

Life's a Beach Communications

Junior Contests - Surfersvillage