The opening rounds of the Billabong Junior Series Seal Point presented by All Aboard Travel were completed in inconsistent but clean one metre waves fanned by strengthening offshore winds at Seal Point in Cape St Francis on Friday.
The fourth and final event in the 20th annual edition of the world's longest running surf series for surfers 18-and-under will crown event and series champions in seven divisions, as well as the men's and women's WSL Africa junior champions and also determine who will represent the region at the WSL World Junior Championship in Australia In January.
Current Billabong Junior Series and WSL Africa junior rankings leader Jake Elkington (Kommetjie) had to play catch-up in the first heat of the JQS1,000 men's event, when Bryce Du Preez (East London) opened his account with a 6.50 and then added a 4.60. But Elkington showed the form that has earned him three event victories already this year to secure second place and advanced to Round 2 alongside du Preez.
There was a major upset in Heat 3 when Angelo Faulkner (Jeffreys Bay) was eliminated by Saxton Randall (Durban) and 14 year-old Mitch Du Preez (East London). Faulkner had his sights set on victory at Seal Point, which would have seen him clinch a place in the WSL Africa squad for the World Junior Champs, but the J-Bay resident could only muster 10.17 points and was ousted when he placed third in the heat.
The JQS1,000 women's event also produced an upset when Daniella Finlayson (Jeffreys Bay) grabbed victory ahead of second seed Taghiti Gericke (Wilderness). But the balance of the opening round went according to form as top seed Tayla De Coning (East London), Kai Woolf (Jeffreys Bay) and Summer Sutton (Kommetjie) comfortably won their heats and advanced to Round 2.
The semi-finals of all divisions will be run on Saturday in what is expected by slightly bigger surf and light winds.
The Billabong Junior Series pres. by All Aboard Travel runs until Sunday when all the event and series champions will crowned at the awards ceremony on the beach. The U18 boys' and girls' series champions have the added incentive of winning a coveted trip to the tropical surfing paradise of Bali thanks to All Aboard Travel, while the exciting VonZipper Airshow rewards the surfer landing the best aerial manoeuvre with a winner-takes-all R2,000 prize purse.
See results, images and news at www.worldsurfleague.com.
The Billabong Junior Series pres. by All Aboard Travel is supported by BOS, VonZipper, Zigzag, Surfing South Africa and the World Surf League.
Seal Point Delivers for Opening Rounds of Billabong Junior Series pres. by All Aboard Travel
Paul Botha
The opening rounds of the Billabong Junior Series Seal Point presented by All Aboard Travel were completed in inconsistent but clean one metre waves fanned by strengthening offshore winds at Seal Point in Cape St Francis on Friday.
The fourth and final event in the 20th annual edition of the world's longest running surf series for surfers 18-and-under will crown event and series champions in seven divisions, as well as the men's and women's WSL Africa junior champions and also determine who will represent the region at the WSL World Junior Championship in Australia In January.
Current Billabong Junior Series and WSL Africa junior rankings leader Jake Elkington (Kommetjie) had to play catch-up in the first heat of the JQS1,000 men's event, when Bryce Du Preez (East London) opened his account with a 6.50 and then added a 4.60. But Elkington showed the form that has earned him three event victories already this year to secure second place and advanced to Round 2 alongside du Preez.
There was a major upset in Heat 3 when Angelo Faulkner (Jeffreys Bay) was eliminated by Saxton Randall (Durban) and 14 year-old Mitch Du Preez (East London). Faulkner had his sights set on victory at Seal Point, which would have seen him clinch a place in the WSL Africa squad for the World Junior Champs, but the J-Bay resident could only muster 10.17 points and was ousted when he placed third in the heat.
The JQS1,000 women's event also produced an upset when Daniella Finlayson (Jeffreys Bay) grabbed victory ahead of second seed Taghiti Gericke (Wilderness). But the balance of the opening round went according to form as top seed Tayla De Coning (East London), Kai Woolf (Jeffreys Bay) and Summer Sutton (Kommetjie) comfortably won their heats and advanced to Round 2.
The semi-finals of all divisions will be run on Saturday in what is expected by slightly bigger surf and light winds.
The Billabong Junior Series pres. by All Aboard Travel runs until Sunday when all the event and series champions will crowned at the awards ceremony on the beach. The U18 boys' and girls' series champions have the added incentive of winning a coveted trip to the tropical surfing paradise of Bali thanks to All Aboard Travel, while the exciting VonZipper Airshow rewards the surfer landing the best aerial manoeuvre with a winner-takes-all R2,000 prize purse.
See results, images and news at www.worldsurfleague.com.
The Billabong Junior Series pres. by All Aboard Travel is supported by BOS, VonZipper, Zigzag, Surfing South Africa and the World Surf League.
Mitch Du Preez
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