12th annual Billabong Junior Series

SSA
St Michaels-on-Sea KZN South Africa
21 - 24 February 2008

Epic conditions at St Mikes for Day 3 of Billabong Junior Series

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 23 February, 2008 : - -The right hand point break at St Michaels-on-Sea justified its reputation as one of the prime surfing venues on the KZN South Coast on Saturday as the country’s best junior surfers went ballistic in the one to 1.5 metre waves on Day 3 of the first Billabong Junior Series event of 2008.

The crowded beach was treated phenomenal displays of world class surfing including epic tube rides and searing combinations of futuristic manoeuvres on the overhead waves peeling perfectly past the tidal pool and into the bay.

Klee Strachan was again a standout, the former Capetonian demonstrating his range of skills by performing a variety of manoeuvres that included carves, rail grabs and throwing sheets of spray as he kicked the tail of his surfboard out on top turns.

After dominating his Round of 16 heat in the Pro Junior division, Strachan scorched his way in the last four of the premier division by combo’ing Chad du Toit (Durban) in their man-on-man quarterfinal with 9.5 (out of 10) and 7.5 point rides.

Davey Band : photo Clinton Theron/Silverbullet

Top seed Rudy Palmboom Jnr (Bluff) also stayed on track for the event title with a comfortable quarterfinal victory over Umhlanga’s Kyle Lane while Casey Grant from Scottburgh showed the value of local knowledge by riding just three waves for 8.75, 6.5 and a throwaway 1.35 in defeating Brendon Gibbens (Kommetjie).

The first of the quarters was held over to Sunday when Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga) cut his ear while winning the first Round of 16 heat of the day. The well traveled 15 year-old successfully completed one of the tube rides of the day before having 10 stitches inserted in his ear at the local hospital.

The first two quarters of the U16 division were also postponed to the final day when de Vries, JC Susan (Melkbosstrand) and Dane Staples (St Francis Bay) were unable to take their places. Susan spent Friday night in hospital with suspected food poisoning and Staples had to have stitches in his foot reinserted.

Heats three and four of the U16’s produced four semifinalists when Devin Lane (Umhlanga) and Davey Brand (Kommetjie) grabbed the wins. They advanced along with runners-up David van Zyl (Durban) and Tyde Gatcke (East London) who overtook Jacob Mellish (Somerset West) for second place in the last minute of their encounter.

The U12 Round 2 heat gave the competitors in the youngest division the chance to enjoy the prime conditions. Ten-year-old local Simo Mkize took full advantage to emerge victorious and progress to the semifinals with Ethan Fletcher, 8, from Hout Bay who finished second.

A cyclone off Madagascar is producing a solid Easterly swell all along the coastline of KwaZulu-Natal and event organisers are expecting overhead waves and light winds for Sunday when the semis and finals of all four divisions will be completed and the event champions crowned.

The Billabong Junior Series is sanctioned by Surfing South Africa (SSA), the national controlling body for the sport, and the ratings points earned also count towards the annual SSA Pro Surf Tour (PST) rankings.

The series is proudly supported by First National Bank, Palmers, Kustom and Von Zipper.

Previous reports:
# 1 : Gravett shines opening day of Billabong Junior St Mikes
# 2 : Strachan, Du Toit star on Day #2 of Billabong Jr St. Mikes
# 3 : Coming soon
# 4 : Coming soon  

www.billabong.com
www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za

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