Top seed Shane Sykes from Salt Rock faces a strong South African and international field in the second stop on the 2014/2015 Billabong Junior Series presented by BOS. The contest starts Monday, July 13 at at Magnatubes in Jeffreys Bay.
A World Surf League (WSL) Junior Qualifying Series (JQS) 1,000-rated event, the Billabong Junior Series offers R20000 in prize money and coveted ranking points towards the WSL Africa Junior title and the selection of the Africa regional squad for the WSL Junior Championships in January 2016.
Sykes, winner of the first event in the series at Seal Point in October last year, will have to produce his best form to overcome the challenge of fellow South Africans Slade Prestwich (Scottburgh), winner of the JBU Supertrials and currently competing in the J-Bay Open CT event; Jeffreys Bay local Dylan Lightfoot, an established QS surfer who won the coveted wildcard into the 2014 J-Bay Open, and a host of other top competitors including SA junior champions Matt McGillivray (Jeffreys Bay), Adin Masencamp (Strand) and Michael Monk (East London) in the five-day contest.
The strong international challenge includes the likes of Ethan Ewing (AUS), winner of the Carve Pro Junior in Sydney in January; Seth Moniz (HAW), who clinched the Sunset Beach Pro Junior title in Hawaii earlier this year and Miguel Blanco (PRT), the Caparica Primavera Surf Fest winner, along with half a dozen other highly rated competitors from Australia, the USA and Hawaii.
With the reeling righthanders at Magnatubes being used as a contest venue for the first time, an exceptionally talented field of competitors and five days in which to choose the best conditions for the three days of competition required to produce the champions, the Billabong Junior Series event is set to deliver a feast of spectacular surfing.
"Our thanks to Billabong and BOS for their continued involvement in Pro Junior surfing in the Africa region," said Colin Fitch, Operations Manager for WSL Africa. "They have been and continue to be the foundation for the future South Africa stars on the World Surf League."
The Billabong Junior Series, which also features Surfing South Africa (SSA) Pro Surf Tour (PST) rated events for boys in Under 12 and boys and girls in U14 and U16 age categories, is the world's most prestigious and longest-running junior surfing series.
Started in 1997, the series has hosted 51 individual events over its illustrious history and has paid over R1.3 million in prize money, making it South Africa's richest junior surfing series. All of the country's top international performers, including CT members Jordy Smith, Travis Logie, Ricky Basnett, David Weare and Royden Bryson, have honed their skills by competing in series events.
The Billabong Junior Series presented by BOS at Magnatubes forms part of the J-Bay Winterfest, a multi-sport and music festival in Jeffreys Bay from July 8 - 19. More details at www.jbaywinterfest.com
Sykes Leads Field at J-Bay Billabong Junior Series Event
WSL
Top seed Shane Sykes from Salt Rock faces a strong South African and international field in the second stop on the 2014/2015 Billabong Junior Series presented by BOS. The contest starts Monday, July 13 at at Magnatubes in Jeffreys Bay.
A World Surf League (WSL) Junior Qualifying Series (JQS) 1,000-rated event, the Billabong Junior Series offers R20000 in prize money and coveted ranking points towards the WSL Africa Junior title and the selection of the Africa regional squad for the WSL Junior Championships in January 2016.
Sykes, winner of the first event in the series at Seal Point in October last year, will have to produce his best form to overcome the challenge of fellow South Africans Slade Prestwich (Scottburgh), winner of the JBU Supertrials and currently competing in the J-Bay Open CT event; Jeffreys Bay local Dylan Lightfoot, an established QS surfer who won the coveted wildcard into the 2014 J-Bay Open, and a host of other top competitors including SA junior champions Matt McGillivray (Jeffreys Bay), Adin Masencamp (Strand) and Michael Monk (East London) in the five-day contest.
The strong international challenge includes the likes of Ethan Ewing (AUS), winner of the Carve Pro Junior in Sydney in January; Seth Moniz (HAW), who clinched the Sunset Beach Pro Junior title in Hawaii earlier this year and Miguel Blanco (PRT), the Caparica Primavera Surf Fest winner, along with half a dozen other highly rated competitors from Australia, the USA and Hawaii.
With the reeling righthanders at Magnatubes being used as a contest venue for the first time, an exceptionally talented field of competitors and five days in which to choose the best conditions for the three days of competition required to produce the champions, the Billabong Junior Series event is set to deliver a feast of spectacular surfing.
"Our thanks to Billabong and BOS for their continued involvement in Pro Junior surfing in the Africa region," said Colin Fitch, Operations Manager for WSL Africa. "They have been and continue to be the foundation for the future South Africa stars on the World Surf League."
The Billabong Junior Series, which also features Surfing South Africa (SSA) Pro Surf Tour (PST) rated events for boys in Under 12 and boys and girls in U14 and U16 age categories, is the world's most prestigious and longest-running junior surfing series.
Started in 1997, the series has hosted 51 individual events over its illustrious history and has paid over R1.3 million in prize money, making it South Africa's richest junior surfing series. All of the country's top international performers, including CT members Jordy Smith, Travis Logie, Ricky Basnett, David Weare and Royden Bryson, have honed their skills by competing in series events.
The Billabong Junior Series presented by BOS at Magnatubes forms part of the J-Bay Winterfest, a multi-sport and music festival in Jeffreys Bay from July 8 - 19. More details at www.jbaywinterfest.com
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