2006 Billabong Junior Series

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

Fahrenfort and Joubert star in Billabong Junior Series in Cape Town

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 21 May, 2006 : - - Damien Fahrenfort consolidated his lead at the top of the premier Pro Junior rankings in the 2006 Billabong Junior Series when he won his second straight title at Tableview on Sunday where Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay) clinched the U16 boys crown and claimed a string of event scoring records. 

Nikita Robb (East London) took the Pro Junior girls’ event with Devin Lane (Umhlanga) triumphant in the U14 boys and Benji Brand (Kommetjie) showing the benefit of spending six months in Hawaii by winning the U12 boys. 

Fahrenfort (19), who is based in Durban while campaigning on the ASP world tour but maintains that growing up in Kommetjie makes him a Capetonian, displayed the form that has taken him to three event victories and three runner-up spots already this year. In a top class field comprising 70 of the top U20 competitors in the country, the lanky wildcard somehow managed to generate plenty of power and speed in the half metre (1-2 foot) glassy waves. 

With the sun shining and the wind dropping after three days of wintery Cape weather, Fahrenfort overcame the challenge of Rory Beach in the man-on-man final, recording 8.0 and 5.40 point rides to leave the Durbanite needing a sizeable 7.41 for the victory. Klee Strachan, another former Capetonian who now lives in Amanzimtoti and SA U20 champ Keegan Nel (East London) finished equal third after losing their semi-final encounters to Fahrenfort and Beach respectively. 

Joubert, the SA junior team member who claimed the bronze medal at the ISA world junior champs in Brazil last Sunday, grabbed a last minute victory in the U16 final, finding a wave that enabled him to perform his patented repertoire of high performance manoeuvres. This was rewarded with 9.0 out of a possible 10, the highest scoring ride of the entire four day event, and a heat total of 14.65, also the highest recorded in the contest. 

Dale Staples (St Francis Bay), another of the event standouts, was relegated to the runner-up berth, with Brendon Gibbens and fellow Kommetjie local Matthew Bromley taking third and fourth places in an U16 final consisting entirely of surfers who were U14 last year. Staples, who also finished equal ninth in the U20 division (where Joubert placed equal 17th), earned the coveted Zigzag Performance Award of R1 000 and a replica hand grenade trophy for ‘blowing up’ during the event. 

Nikita Robb confirmed her growing status as one of the country’s top girls by defeating 2005 series champ Tammy-Lee Smith (Salt Rock, KZN) and top seed Rosanne Hodge (East London), who are currently rated 10th and 12th respectively on the ASP women’s World Qualifying Series (WQS) but placed second and fourth at Tableview, as well as Melkbosstrand local and fellow SA junior teammate Chantelle Rautenbach, who placed third. 

The stocky East Londoner, a winner of two international events last year, recorded the highest heat tally and single ride score of the girls’ division – 13.25 and 8.0 respectively – on her way to a comfortable victory over her more experienced opponents. 

The U14 final saw Devin Lane clinch the title thanks to a last minute 6.1 point ride that took him past Melkbos local and first time series finalist JC Susan who had led from the start. A consistent Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga) added another third place to the second and third places he secured in the first two events of 2006 while Michael February (Kommetjie), the U14 winner in Durban, had to settle for fourth this time when the waves with high scoring potential eluded him. 

Billabong team riders again took the first three positions in the U12 final when Benji Brand’s, competing in his first event of the 2006 series, scored two 5.0 point rides that gave him victory over Steve Sawyer (Jeffreys Bay) and St Mike’s winner Max Armstrong (Kommetjie), who repeated their second and third places in Durban. Josh Smit (Athlone Park, KZN), who came through the repecharge round, was again fourth overall. 

The Von Zipper Air Show’s R1 800 winner-takes-all prize-purse went to Brandon Jackson (Durban North). The 2005 Pro Junior series champion boosted himself high into the air and landed riding fins-first towards the beach, which impressed the judges sufficiently to oust Klee Strachan who had been leading the standings with a similar aerial manoeuvre in the entertaining 30 minute expression session of progressive surfing. 

The Best Kustomised Manoeuvre awards of R500 and a pair of Kustom shoes went to Kommetjie’s Lisa Mace and Davey Brand. All competitors also received a custom event T-shirt and Mrs Palmers surfboard wax, Mentos sweets and while all competitors over 14 also received Red Bull. 

The Billabong Junior Series is sanctioned by Surfing South Africa (SSA), the national controlling body for the sport, with the Pro Junior boys and girls’ divisions also sanctioned by ASP Africa. The Cape Town event was efficiently hosted by Western Province Surfing under the chairmanship of Mark Hoffman. 

The 2006 series started at St Mikes on the KwaZulu-Natal South coast in February followed by Durban in April. The fourth event is scheduled for Victoria Bay in the Southern Cape (June 15-18) before the series 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. 

Billabong Junior Series

Event # 3, Tableview, Cape Town, Event Results 

U/20 Boys
1.  Damien Fahrenfort (Kommetjie, CT)                 R3 500
2.  Rory Beach (Durban)                                      R2 500
=3rd     Keegan Nel (East London)                       R1 650
=3rd     Klee Strachan (Amanzimtoti)                    R1 650 

U/20 Girls
1.  Nikita Robb (East London)                                R2 000
2.  Tammy-Lee Smith (Salt Rock, KZN)                  R   900
3.  Chantelle Rautenbach (Melkbosstrand)            R   600
4.  Rosanne Hodge (East London)                         R   500 

U/16 Boys
1.  Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay)                             R2 000
2.  Dale Staples (St Francis Bay)                           R1 000
3.  Brendon Gibbens (Kommetjie)                           R   750
4.  Matthew Bromley (Kommetjie)                           R   550

U/14 Boys
1.  Devin Lane (Umhlanga, KZN)                            R1 500
2.  JC Susan (Melkbosstrand)                                R   850
3.  Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga, KZN)                    R   550
4.  Michael February (Kommetjie, CT)                     R   350 

U/12 Boys
1.  Benji Brand (Kommetjie)                                     R1 000
2.  Steve Sawyer (Jeffreys Bay)                           R   750
3.  Max Armstrong (Kommetjie)                               R   500
4.  Josh Smit (Athlone Park, KZN)                           R   350 

Von Zipper Air Show
Brandon Jackson (Durban North)                          R1 800 

Zigzag Performance Award
Dale Staples (St Francis Bay)                                 R1 000 

Best Kustomised Manoeuvre
Boys – Davey Brand (Kommetjie)                          R500 + Kustom Shoes
Girls – Lisa Mace (Kommetjie)                                R500 + Kustom Shoes

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 : Upsets as seeds eliminated at Billabong Junior Series  

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