Team Updates

Beyrick de Vries moves into last 16 at Billabong World Junior Surfing Championships

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 26 January, 2012 : - - Beyrick de Vries kept the South African flag flying at the Billabong World Surfing Championships in Australia with a hard fought Round 3 victory over sixth ranked Andrew Doheny (USA) to move into the last 16 in the third and final event on the ASP World Junior Tour.

After yesterday’s lay day due to the windy and rainy conditions, the remaining 32 competitors in the men’s event were sent out in messy one to 1.5 metre waves and chocolate brown water at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast this morning and given jetski assistance to ferry them back out to the line-up after each ride.

De Vries chose to sit on the outside bank at the break and was rewarded early on in the heat when he earned a score of 7.33 out of a possible 10 for a ride that consisted of just two manoeuvres, albeit on a larger wave. Doheny answered back with rides of 4.67 and 7.43 on the inside before de Vries regained the lead with 5.40 and then went on to close out the victory with a 6.67 on another outside wave.

The 19 year-old from Umhlanga is the only member of the ASP Africa squad still in contention after compatriots David van Zyl (Glenashley, Durban) and Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay) were eliminated in their respective Round 3 match-ups. Van Zyl was ousted by Kaito Ohashi (JAP) in a low-scoring encounter while Lightfoot could not match the aerial ability of Felipe Toledo (BRA), who will de Vries’ opponent in Round 4.

The Aussie surfers were buoyed up by today’s Australia Day celebrations with third ranked Garret Parkes and defending ASP World Junior Champion, Jack Freestone, both posting big victories. Wildcard Wade Carmichael did his compatriots a huge favour by eliminating current rankings leader Caio Ibelli (BRA), while Nathan Carvalho (HAW) sidelined fourth ranked Marco Fernandez (BRA, blowing the title-race wide open.

Dale Staples (St Francis Bay) and Michael February (Kommetjie), the other two Saffas in the men’s event, were eliminated in Round 2 earlier this week. Sarah Baum (Athlone Park, Durban), who posted the highest heat total of the entire event to date in Round 1 of the women’s event on Sunday, and Bianca Buitendag (George), winner of last year’s Billabong Women’s World Championships, will resume their challenge for the title when women’s Round 3 takes to the water.

A call will be made at 7.30am local time tomorrow (11.30pm Friday SA time) to decide on whether to get the competition underway. When Round 3 of women’s competition does resume, Baum will be up against Maud Le Car (FRA) and Buitendag takes on Nage Melamed (HAW) for a place in the quarterfinals.

The Billabong World Junior Championships Gold Coast runs until 29 January and all the action will be webcast live via billabongpro.com. For more information, log onto aspworldtour.com.

UPCOMING BILLABONG WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS GOLD COAST ROUND 4 MATCH-UPS:
HEAT 1: Mateia Hiquily (PYF) vs. Medi Veminardi (REU)
HEAT 2: Arashi Kato (JPN) vs. Jack Freestone (AUS)
HEAT 3: Conner Coffin (USA) vs. Ian Gouveia (BRA)
HEAT 4: Vasco Riberio (PRT) vs. Wade Carmichael (AUS)
HEAT 5: Garrett Parkes (AUS) vs. Kaito Ohashi (JPN)
HEAT 6: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Beyrick De Vries (ZAF)
HEAT 7: Nathan Carvalho (HAW) vs. Evan Thompson (USA)
HEAT 8: Soli Bailey (AUS) vs. Dean Bowen (AUS)

www.aspworldtour.com

Team: Surfersvillage