2006 Billabong Junior Series

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

Wintery conditions for Billabong Junior Series in Cape Town

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 19 May, 2006 : - - Leaden skies, pouring rain, onshore SW winds, temperatures in the low teens and small half metre crumbling waves gave the teenaged contestants a taste of winter on the second day of the Billabong Junior Series event at Tableview in Cape Town on Friday. 

The day’s program comprised the first three rounds of the U16 and U14 boys’ events along with opening two rounds of the U12’s and despite the inclement conditions, the 76 competitors took to the surf with enthusiasm, displaying the incredible depth of surfing talent emerging in this country. 

The outstanding performances in the U16 boys again came from SA junior team member Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay), a bronze medalist in last week’s ISA world surfing champs in Brazil, teammate Matthew Bromley and fellow Kommetjie residents Brendon Gibbens and Daniel Mace, KZN’s current ratings leader Chad du Toit (Berea) and third seed Shawn Dennis (Scottburgh) along with the Eastern Cape’s Dale Staples (St Francis Bay), the second seed here, and Nick Godfrey (Cape St Francis). 

West Coast locals also showed they have plenty of future surf stars in the making with Melkbosstrand’s Justin Torode, Adriaan de Kock and JJ Rattey all qualifying for places in the quarter-finals of this division. 

The early rounds of the U14’s saw Jeandre Blignaut (Melkbos), Sam Moore (Muizenberg), Daniel Wilson (Tokai) and Bianca Buitendag (George) qualify for round three. There they encountered the likes of James Lowe (Kommetjie), Heidi Palmboom (Bluff), Scott Leferve (Durban) and Jean du Plessis (East London) with the top eight seeds only entering the fray on Saturday. 

The U12 division produced the biggest first round upsets when the third and sixth seeds, Josh Smit and Sarah Baum (both Athlone Park, KZN) were relegated to the repecharge round by Kommetjie’s Benji Brand, who returned last week from a six month stay in Hawaii with his family, and newcomer Diran Zakarian (Melkbos). However the seeds successfully advanced out of the repo’s to join the likes of top seed Max Armstrong (Kommetjie), Durban event winner Michael Venter (Warner Beach, KZN) and fourth seed Steven Sawyer (Jeffreys Bay) in the last 16 of this, the youngest division in the event. 

Sanctioned by Surfing South Africa (SSA), the national controlling body for the sport, with the Pro Junior (U20) boys and girls’ divisions also sanctioned by ASP Africa, the third Billabong Junior Series event of 2006 is scheduled to continue until Sunday. 

Even more testing conditions are forecast for Saturday when a strong ‘black Southeaster’ wind is predicted to blow all the cold and wet weather back across the Peninsula while the swell is expected to rise. 

Saturday’s program sees the U20 boys and girls, the U16’s and U12’s reduced to the last eight with the U14’s down to the last 16. The day’s action starts at 8am with the likes of international stars Jordy Smith (Umbilo, Durban), the runner-up in the U18 boys’ division at the ISA world junior champs in Brazil, fellow full-time world tour campaigner Damien Fahrenfort, series champ Brandon Jackson (Durban North) and a host of top SA standouts in action in the last 32 of the Pro Junior boys. 

Sunday features the semi-finals and finals in all divisions along with the popular Von Zipper Air Show with its winner-takes-all R1 800 payout for the surfer successfully executing the best aerial manoeuvre after boosting himself and his surfboard off the face of the wave and into the air.

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 19 May, 2006 : - - The third event in the 2006 Billabong Junior Series got underway in difficult one mete (3 foot) onshore waves at Tableview in Cape Town today with organisers opting to run the first three rounds of premier 70 strong Pro Junior (U20) boys division.

SA national junior team captain Klee Strachan (Amanzimtoti) and teammate Shaun Joubert (Mossel bay), who placed third in the ISA world surfing champs U16 division in Brazil last Sunday, were the standouts of the day, recording excellent rides in the tricky conditions. 

Having only moved to KwaZulu-Natal last year after growing up on the Cape Peninsula, Strachan was accustomed to the conditions and showed his class to advance through two rounds to the reach the last 32 in the Pro Junior boys where he will meet top 16 seeds Rudy Palmboom (Bluff) and Josch Schmeltzer (Westville) along with fellow qualifier Brendon Gibbens (Kommetjie) on Saturday.

Joubert, a future international surf star in the making, was equally dominant. Seeded to the third round, the 2005 Billabong Junior Series U14 champ displayed maturity beyond his years to overcome a slow start to his 20 minute heat and was rewarded with an outstanding 7.0 points (out of a possible 10) for a manoeuvre packed ride after his first four rides were scored one point each.

Locals to feature included reigning WP Open champion and SA U20 runner-up Josh Salie and fellow Kommetjie residents Brett Shearer, Gibbens and Luke Christie-Smith. Peder Christensen (Strand) advanced through two rounds as did Jamie Lawrence (Cape St Francis) and Dane Monks (Umhlanga Rocks) while U16 second seed Dale Staples (St Francis Bay) and U14 third seed Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga) also qualified for the last 32 in the U20 event.

A full day of hi-performance surfing is expected at Tableview on Friday starting at 8am with three rounds of the U16 and U14 divisions, plus two rounds of u12’s scheduled to be completed as the huge field stake their claims for the more than R30 000 in prize-money at stake, along with the invaluable ratings points that count towards the crowning of the series champions at Jeffreys Bay in August.

The Cape Town event in the popular and prestigious national circuit for surfers 20 years-old and younger has attracted a 2006 series record 190 entries and requires a full four days of competition to crown champions in the Pro Junior boys and girls, U12, U14 and U16 divisions. The finals in all categories, along with the coveted Von Zipper Airshow, will be staged on Sunday.

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 FNB, who contribute 50% of the prize-pool and cover the travel costs of the four Pro Junior boys and top girl who are invited to compete in the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships in Australia each January; Mentos sweets; Mrs Palmers surf wax, Drench hair-care products for the girls; Salt Water Girl and Zigzag magazines 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) followed by Durban (March 30-April 2). After Cape Town the series moves to 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.

www.billabong.com

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

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