2006 Billabong Junior Series

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

Upsets as seeds eliminated at Billabong Junior Series in Cape Town

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 20 May, 2006 : - - Their were upsets aplenty as the top seeds in the Pro Junior (U20) boys division were sent packing by a host of emerging surf stars on Saturday, the third day of the Billabong Junior Series event being held at Tableview in Cape Town. 

In half metre (1-2 foot) choppy waves and a strong SE wind that brought clear skies but hordes of kite-surfers, seven of the top 10 seeds in the premier division did not qualify for the final day of competition, including top seed Brandon Jackson (Durban North) and third to sixth seeds, Brandon Roberts (Sun Valley, CT), Rudy Palmboom (Bluff, KZN), Dave Richards and Wesley Grey (both Kommetjie). 

Current #2 Keegan Nel (East London) is now the highest seed remaining in contention for the U20 boys title at the third series event of the 2006, followed by seventh seed Rory Beach (Durban), today’s top points scorer in the division with 13.25 out of a possible 20 points. 

Both the wildcards, Damien Fahrenfort and Jordy Smith (both Durban), winners of the first two events of the year, advanced to the last eight. However, Smith, the runner-up in the ISA world junior champs in Brazil last weekend, was extremely lucky as he needed a five point ride in the final minute of his heat before Brandon Roberts incurred an interference penalty in that dropped the Capetonian from second to fourth place, allowing Smith to progress in second place behind Beach. 

The day’s overall top scorer was again diminutive, dread-locked 10 year-old Max Armstrong (Kommetjie) who amassed a heat winning total of 14.5 to reach the last eight of the U12 division. All of the top six seeds advanced in the youngest age category of the popular five-event national series, with unseeded Benji Brand posing a threat to the seeds in his first event of the 2006 series. 

The third round of the U14’s resulted in Heidi Palmboom (Bluff) and Tanika Hoffman (Kirstenhof) upstaging their male opponents to reach the quarter-finals where they will come up against the top seeds in the division that will be first in the water on Sunday. Also through to the last 16 are Melkbos locals JC Susan and newcomers Jeandre Blignaut and Gerhard Jordaan, along with Kommetjie’s James Lowe and Davy Brand and Muizenberg’s Sam Moore.  

The first of Sunday’s U16 semi-finals will pit Billabong team riders Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay), Matthew Bromley (Kommetjie) and top seed Chad du Toit (Berea, Durban) against Nick Godfrey (Cape St Francis) with the top two advancing to the four-man final. The second semi features Dale Staples (St Francis Bay), Kyle Galloway (East London), Brendon Gibbens (Kommetjie) and Shawn Dennis (Scottburgh) in what is arguably the most competitive of the five divisions in the series. 

Top seed Rosanne Hodge (East London) and current #4 Tammy-Lee Smith (Salt Rock, KZN) are through to the semi-finals of the of the Pro Junior (U20) girls, along with Lisa Mace (Kommetjie) and Sara Baum (Athlone Park, KZN) who is also in the semis of the U12 boys division. 

The semi-finals and finals in all five divisions of the Billabong Junior Series will be completed on Sunday when it is predicted to be windless but still overcast and very little increase in the size of the waves. There will also be 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. 

The awards ceremony, where the more than R30 000 in prize-money at stake will be handed over to the top eight in the Pro Junior boys and girls’ divisions and top four in the other divisions, will be staged immediately after the event at the contest venue on Tableview beachfront 

The Billabong Junior 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; Red Bull, Capri Sun juices for those under 14; 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. 

For further information on the series and a host of other interesting aspects of South African surfing visit www.billabong.com/africa where top performers are profiled.

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 : Billabong Junior Series gets underway in Cape Town,,, 
# 4 : Coming soon  

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