Billabong Junior Series

Surfing South Africa
Scottburgh, South Africa
8 - 11 April 2009 

Bianca Buitendag wins Pro Junior girls title at Billabong Junior Series in Scottburgh

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 10 April, 2009 : - - Bianca Buitendag stamped her authority on the Pro Junior (U20) girls surfing in South Africa by winning the U20 girls title in the first Billabong Junior Series event of 2009 and denting a few male egos by advancing to the last eight in the U16 boys division on a dramatic Day 3 at Scottburgh on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast on Friday.

Competing in excellent offshore waves that grew from one metre to a board-breaking two metres during the day, Buitendag, 15, from Victoria Bay, beat SA junior teammate Kirsty Delport (Durban) by 12.75 points to 8.25 in a one-sided final with Delport, still competing on borrowed equipment after her surfboards were lost in transit returning from last week’s ISA World Junior Championships in Ecuador, needing an 8.26 point ride for victory at the end of the heat.

Finishing equal third in the girl’s event were Faye Zoetmulder (Port Elizabeth), who lost out to Buitendag in their one-on-one semifinal, and Chantelle Rautenbach (Melkbosstrand) who was ousted by Delport at the same stage. The victory sees Buitendag, who was SA’s highest placed U18 girl (11th) in Ecuador, taking the early lead in Pro Junior girls’ rankings for the Billabong Junior Series and on the Surfing South Africa (SSA) Pro Surf Tour (PST)

As the waves got bigger the surfing became more radical and by the end of the day three surfboards and two leashes had been broken. The U16 boys were slammed by a giant rogue set as they prepared to jump off the rocks for the Von Zipper Air Show in the last heat of the day, causing cuts, bruises and damaged surfboards with Davey Brand requiring attention from the lifeguards for his injuries.

Once the heat got underway it was Mikey Venter (Warner Beach) who punted the best aerial of the session to earn a spot in tomorrow’s VZ Air Show final.

Earlier the U16 boys quarterfinals saw Davey Brand (Kommetjie) explode into action in Heat 1, posting scores of 6.90 and 8.25 in the first six minutes. The 15 year-old ISA World No. 3 didn’t let up and added scores of 6.5 and 7.0 to win the encounter with a heat tally of 15.25 out of 20 to advance to the semis along with runner-up and fellow Kommetjie shredder Jarred Veldhuis. Mikey February, the top seed and another from Kommetjie, racked up 7.75 and 7.1 to progress from Q2 along with local Brendan Fijac.

Daniel Wilson (Tokai) repeated his feat of yesterday, identifying the left bowl in the middle of the beach and putting his goofy-foot tactics to good use to win Q3 where Bianca Buitendag stunned Chad Coullie (Warner Beach) and Kane Bennewith (Durban) by grabbing second spot and a place in the U16 boys semis. The fourth quarter was won by David van Zyl (Durban) with Reunion Islander Jordann Couzinet the runner-up.

In the premier ASP Grade 1, R50 000 Pro Junior (U20) boys event, all of the top 16 seeds except for Devyn Lane (Umhlanga) advanced from the Round of 32 earlier in the day and, in the bigger surf, South Africa’s best 20-and-under surfers put on a tremendous display of high performance surfing in the Round of 16.

The first heat was fast and furious with all four competitors holding the lead at some time before Brendon Gibbens (Kommetjie) pulled away to win with a pair of 7.25 pointers and Chad du Toit (Durban) posted a 7.25 and a 7.0 before using competitive tactics to sit on third placed Chris Leppan and deny him another ride.

Jaco Steyn (Melkbosstrand), who denied Devyn Lane a place in the last 16, continued his giant-killing act by winning Heat 2 ahead of Devyn’s brother Kyle as the two caused the upset of the day by eliminating top seed Nick Godfrey (Cape St Francis). Scottburgh locals Haydn MacNicol and Casey Grant won the Heats 3 and 4 to advance to the man-on-man quarterfinals along with respective runners-up Kyle Beach (Queensburgh) and Matt Bromley (Kommetjie).

Saturday’s final day will kick-off with the quarters of ASP rated Pro Juniors followed by the semis of U14 and U16 boys and the Pro Juniors. Before the finals there will be a 20 minute break for a paddle out to honour the memory of Aaron Moore, a highly rated competitive surfer who passed away tragically last month. After the final the spectacular Von Zipper Air Show will reward the surfer who completes the best aerial manoeuvre with a winner-takes-all R2 000 prize-purse.

Video footage, images, results and news are updated daily during the event at billabong.com. A TV documentary produced by Silver Bullet Productions after the event will be broadcast on the various channels of SuperSport.

The PST events in the Billabong Junior Series are sanctioned by Surfing South Africa (SSA), the national controlling body for the sport, while the internationally rated Pro Junior boys event is sanctioned by ASP Africa, the regional office for Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) International.

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

Online entries for the PST events can be made at billabong.com while the ASP events must be entered via aspafrica.com. Billabong Events & Contest Coordinator Laureen Payne can be contacted for queries at 042 200 2600 or laureen.payne@billabong.co.za

The 2009 Billabong Junior Series starts in Scottburgh (8-11 April) and continues with the inaugural Occy Grom Comp for U12 to U16 boys in Jeffreys Bay (9-15 July) before the series concludes at Victoria Bay (23-26 September) where the series champions will be crowned for the 13th time.

Previous reports:
# 1 : Brand bros star on Day 2 of Billabong Junior Scottbrugh
# 2 : Coming soon
# 3 : Coming soon
# 4 : Coming soon  

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