2006 Billabong Junior Series J-Bay

Surfing South Africa
Jeffreys Bay
5 - 8 August 2006

Billabong Junior Series Champs to be Crowned at Jeffreys Bay

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 3 August, 2006 : - - For the tenth successive year the South African surf mecca of Jeffreys Bay will be the venue for the crowning of the Billabong Junior Series champions, most of whom have gone on to become the country’s current crop of world beating surfers. 

The fifth and final event of the 2006 series runs from Saturday to Tuesday, 5-8 August, and has attracted nearly 200 competitors along with their families, friends and supporters to the bustling Eastern Cape seaside town. 

Entrants in five age categories ranging from Pro Junior (U20) boys and girls to mixed U12, U14 and U16 divisions will be chasing the coveted series titles along with more than R35 000 in event prize-money. 

There is an additional R35 000 in the series prize-pool, half of which is sponsored by First National Bank in the form of 6 month fixed deposit accounts, which is shared by the top three rated competitors in each division 

The absence of the current top three rated Pro Junior boys - Damien Fahrenfort (Kommetjie), Keegan Nel (East London) and Jordy Smith (Durban) respectively – all of whom are competing on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) in Europe, opens the way for the likes of reigning series champ Brandon Jackson, fellow Durbanite Rory Beach, Clinton Gravett (EL) and Klee Strachan (Amanzimtoti) to pocket substantial earnings. 

With the prize-money in this division upped to R20 000 and its ASP Africa rating rising to 4A, the winner will earn an invaluable 1 300 points, which gives all of the current top 20 in the rankings a mathematical chance of grabbing one of the four sought after invitations to the US $45 000 (approx R300 000) Billabong ASP World Junior Championships in Australia next January. 

Nikita Robb holds pole position for the Pro Junior girls’ title and the single world championship invitation that goes with it. The 17 year-old East Londoner, who has been a star on both the national and international stage over the past 15 months, will have to finish fourth in her first heat to give reigning series champ Tammy-Lee Smith (Salt Rock) a mathematical chance of clinching a second title. 

Nevertheless, the status of the Billabong Junior Series title sees Smith jetting back from her international campaign after an early exit in the Newquay WQS event to mount her challenge for a second crown. 

Similarly in the U16 division, ratings leader Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay) is prepared to fly back from Capbreton in France, where he and fourth ranked fellow Billabong team rider Matthew Bromley (Kommetjie) are competing in the international King of the Groms event, to try and add the U16 title to the U14 and U12 series titles he has earned in the past. 

Should Joubert not make it back in time, Chad du Toit (Durban) needs to place third or better and J-Bay local Dale Staples (St Francis Bay) needs to win the final event to overtake Joubert while Brendan Gibbens (Kommetjie) can still force his way into the top three and a share of the U16 series prize-pool with a victory at Jeffreys Bay. 

The U14 division will go down to the wire with Michael February (Kommetjie), winner of the U12 event at J-Bay last year, needing to finish first or second this year to ensure himself of a first series title. Umhlanga’s Beyrick de Vries, who has been training in Jeffreys Bay since the middle of July, can clinch the crown by winning the season ending event with February out of the top two. 

And all of Devin Lane (Umhlanga), Tyde Gatcke (EL) and Ryan Klynsmith (Winkelspruit) are in contention for the series runner-up spot if de Vries does not reach the final of this event. Kommetjie’s Max Armstrong, 11, has built up an unassailable lead in the U12 division with two victories and two thirds in the first four events and is set to be crowned the 2006 series champ.  

Mikey Venter (Warner Beach), J-Bay local Steven Sawyer, Josh Smit (Athlone Park, KZN) and Benji Brand (Kommetjie), who has only competed in two events, finishing first and third, are all still in contention for the runner-up spot, while Jarred Veldhuis (Sun Valley), currently fifth, can grab third spot in the yearend rankings by winning the final event. 

The Billabong Junior Series champions will be crowned at an awards ceremony on the evening of Tuesday 8 August at a venue to be determined. 

Each event in the series also features a Von Zipper Air Show where the surfer completing the most innovative aerial manoeuvre pockets R1 800; the Zigzag Performance award of R1 000 and a replica hand grenade trophy for the competitor who ‘blows up’ with an outstanding display during the event and the Best Kustomised Manoeuvre awards of R500 and a pair of Kustom Purpose Built Footwear for the local boy and girl who complete the best manoeuvre in the contest. 

The series is proudly supported by FNB, who also cover the travel costs of the four Pro Junior boys and top girl invited to compete in the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships in Australia in January.

Red Bull whose Bette mobile music centre, Wigwam and Energy Centre are highly appreciated by the competitors; Mentos sweets; Capri Sun juices for those 14 and younger; 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. 

Sanctioned by Surfing South Africa (SSA), the Pro Junior boys and girls divisions are also sanctioned by ASP Africa with the ratings points earned counting towards the annual Pro Surf Tour (PST) Pro Junior titles. 

The 2006 Billabong Junior Series started in St Mikes on the KZN South Coast (February 23-26) followed by Durban (March 30-April 2); Cape Town (18-21 May) and Victoria Bay (June 15-18). It wraps up in Jeffreys Bay (August 5-8) where the 10th annual series champions will be crowned.

www.billabong.com
www.billabong.com/africa

Previous reports:
# 1 : Coming soon
# 2 : Coming soon
# 3 : Coming soon
# 4 : Coming soon  

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