Monday
Well, it’s Monday again. If you’re staring out an office or classroom window, take comfort in the waves being utterly kak this morning. From Port Alfred to Cape St. Francis, you can rest assure that this stiff North Easterly wind is making choppy pea soup of all the regular surf spots. There is the nature reserve and the wild side, which might be worth taking a look at in this wind, but I’ve heard no one banging cymbals about the sand banks out there at the moment.
The barometer has dropped a bit, so the wind could change by later this afternoon. If that happens there might be some waves at the low tide spots across the board.
Well, it’s Monday again. If you’re staring out an office or classroom window, take comfort in the waves being utterly kak this morning. From Port Alfred to Cape St. Francis, you can rest assure that this stiff North Easterly wind is making choppy pea soup of all the regular surf spots. There is the nature reserve and the wild side, which might be worth taking a look at in this wind, but I’ve heard no one banging cymbals about the sand banks out there at the moment.
The barometer has dropped a bit, so the wind could change by later this afternoon. If that happens there might be some waves at the low tide spots across the board.
Speaking of change, anyone feel a bit weird about not having a president today?
Little Ninjas
It’s been a while since I’ve watched a live surfing contest (with the exception of secretly watching WCT contest feeds on my office computer in London). But this weekend I managed to catch the final event of the Billabong Junior Series, held in Jefferies Bay.
At a glace, what struck me initially was the new support behind the series. A lot has changed since 1997, when it was sponsored by Billabong and Polar Ice, and the official contest office was a buggered EP Surfing caravan.
There were FNB, Von Zipper, Palmers, Kustom and Billabong banners up on the grassy hill at the Point parking lot, as well as a big contest marquee for officials and competitors AND judging tower. It looked like a fully fledged professional event. Live scores were announced as the heat progressed, which adds to the spectators experience, as well as the surfers in the water.
And then there was the surfing itself. My dad and I almost simultaneously chocked on our hake burgers during the Pro Junior Boys semi final. “Holy Mustard!” I yelled over my blaring ipod ear phones, as Dale Staples caned the roof of a mushy set wave. “Jussos! That was awesome!” My dad replied. We both felt like vaalies wearing pink rash vests and Speedos.
On Saturday, when the conditions were a lot more J-Bay-esque, everyone, from the Under 12 division up, including the Girls division (which was also on a new level), was throwing down powerful turns and carving the place up like little ninjas. The waves got a lot worse on Sunday afternoon for the final rounds. The wind started blowing onshore and the swell dropped, but it was really impressive to see everyone adjust their surfing accordingly. When the waves changed, everyone started bring a more progressive approach to the smaller, more play conditions.
Some impressive performances came from Dylan Lightfoot and Steven Sawyer (both well supported J-Bay Locals) in the under 14 boys final. To point out the blatantly obvious, they both looked confident and well practiced at the break. I don’t mean this to take anything away from their surfing, which was absolutely unbelievable. Lightfoot’s forehand reverse (on his last wave) was a particularly stylish way to end the heat.
Here are the official results, as well as photo (up top) of Dale Staples braining the socks of a small Point wave. For more details, photos and news on the series check out www.billabong.com/za or http://www.zigzag.co.za/.
Pro Junior Boys
1. Dale Staples (St Francis Bay)
2. Rudy Palmboom (Bluff)
3. Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay)
3. Chris Leppan (Umhlanga)
5. Klee Strachan (Winkelspruit)
5. Dane Staples (St Francis Bay)
5. Brendon Gibbens (Kommetjie)
5. Nick Godfrey (Cape St Francis)
Pro Junior Girls (Specialty event)
1. Sarah Baum (Athlone Park)
2. Bianca Buitendag (George)
3. Nikita Robb (East London)
3. Tarryn Chudleigh (Kommetjie)
U16 Boys
1. Jacob Mellish (Somerset West)
2. Davey Brand (Kommetjie)
3. Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga)
4. David van Zyl (Glenashley)
U14 Boys
1. Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay)
2. Steven Sawyer (Jeffreys Bay)
3. Sarah Baum (Athlone Park)
4. Daniel Buitendag (George)
U12 Boys
1. Max Armstrong (Kommetjie)
2. Jason JJ Harris (Scottburgh)
3. Benji Brand (Kommetjie)
4. Jordy Maree (Kalk Bay)
Von Zipper Air Show
Casey Grant (Scottburgh)
2008 Billabong Junior Series
Final Series ratings
(Best 4 out of 5 results)
Pro Junior boys
1. Klee Strachan (Winkelspruit) 3893 pts R4 000
2. Dale Staples (St Francis Bay) 3290 pts R2 000
3. Nicholas Godfrey (Cape St Francis) 3215 pts R1 000
4. Chad du Toit (Berea)
5. Brendon Gibbens (Kommetjie)
U16 Boys
1. Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga) 3730 pts R4 000
2. Davey Brand (Kommetjie) 3310 pts R2 000
3. Jacob Mellish (Somerset West) 2970 pts R1 000
U/14 Boys
1. Slade Prestwich (Park Rynie 3590 pts R4 000
2. Steven Sawyer (Jeffreys Bay) 3330 pts R2 000
3. Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay) 3260 pts R1 000
U/12 Boys
1. Benji Brand (Kommetjie) 3730 pts R4 000
2. Max Armstrong (Kommetjie) 3720 pts R2 000
3. Jordy Maree (Kalk Bay) 2800 pts R1 000
Little Ninjas
It’s been a while since I’ve watched a live surfing contest (with the exception of secretly watching WCT contest feeds on my office computer in London). But this weekend I managed to catch the final event of the Billabong Junior Series, held in Jefferies Bay.
At a glace, what struck me initially was the new support behind the series. A lot has changed since 1997, when it was sponsored by Billabong and Polar Ice, and the official contest office was a buggered EP Surfing caravan.
There were FNB, Von Zipper, Palmers, Kustom and Billabong banners up on the grassy hill at the Point parking lot, as well as a big contest marquee for officials and competitors AND judging tower. It looked like a fully fledged professional event. Live scores were announced as the heat progressed, which adds to the spectators experience, as well as the surfers in the water.
And then there was the surfing itself. My dad and I almost simultaneously chocked on our hake burgers during the Pro Junior Boys semi final. “Holy Mustard!” I yelled over my blaring ipod ear phones, as Dale Staples caned the roof of a mushy set wave. “Jussos! That was awesome!” My dad replied. We both felt like vaalies wearing pink rash vests and Speedos.
On Saturday, when the conditions were a lot more J-Bay-esque, everyone, from the Under 12 division up, including the Girls division (which was also on a new level), was throwing down powerful turns and carving the place up like little ninjas. The waves got a lot worse on Sunday afternoon for the final rounds. The wind started blowing onshore and the swell dropped, but it was really impressive to see everyone adjust their surfing accordingly. When the waves changed, everyone started bring a more progressive approach to the smaller, more play conditions.
Some impressive performances came from Dylan Lightfoot and Steven Sawyer (both well supported J-Bay Locals) in the under 14 boys final. To point out the blatantly obvious, they both looked confident and well practiced at the break. I don’t mean this to take anything away from their surfing, which was absolutely unbelievable. Lightfoot’s forehand reverse (on his last wave) was a particularly stylish way to end the heat.
Here are the official results, as well as photo (up top) of Dale Staples braining the socks of a small Point wave. For more details, photos and news on the series check out www.billabong.com/za or http://www.zigzag.co.za/.
Pro Junior Boys
1. Dale Staples (St Francis Bay)
2. Rudy Palmboom (Bluff)
3. Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay)
3. Chris Leppan (Umhlanga)
5. Klee Strachan (Winkelspruit)
5. Dane Staples (St Francis Bay)
5. Brendon Gibbens (Kommetjie)
5. Nick Godfrey (Cape St Francis)
Pro Junior Girls (Specialty event)
1. Sarah Baum (Athlone Park)
2. Bianca Buitendag (George)
3. Nikita Robb (East London)
3. Tarryn Chudleigh (Kommetjie)
U16 Boys
1. Jacob Mellish (Somerset West)
2. Davey Brand (Kommetjie)
3. Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga)
4. David van Zyl (Glenashley)
U14 Boys
1. Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay)
2. Steven Sawyer (Jeffreys Bay)
3. Sarah Baum (Athlone Park)
4. Daniel Buitendag (George)
U12 Boys
1. Max Armstrong (Kommetjie)
2. Jason JJ Harris (Scottburgh)
3. Benji Brand (Kommetjie)
4. Jordy Maree (Kalk Bay)
Von Zipper Air Show
Casey Grant (Scottburgh)
2008 Billabong Junior Series
Final Series ratings
(Best 4 out of 5 results)
Pro Junior boys
1. Klee Strachan (Winkelspruit) 3893 pts R4 000
2. Dale Staples (St Francis Bay) 3290 pts R2 000
3. Nicholas Godfrey (Cape St Francis) 3215 pts R1 000
4. Chad du Toit (Berea)
5. Brendon Gibbens (Kommetjie)
U16 Boys
1. Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga) 3730 pts R4 000
2. Davey Brand (Kommetjie) 3310 pts R2 000
3. Jacob Mellish (Somerset West) 2970 pts R1 000
U/14 Boys
1. Slade Prestwich (Park Rynie 3590 pts R4 000
2. Steven Sawyer (Jeffreys Bay) 3330 pts R2 000
3. Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay) 3260 pts R1 000
U/12 Boys
1. Benji Brand (Kommetjie) 3730 pts R4 000
2. Max Armstrong (Kommetjie) 3720 pts R2 000
3. Jordy Maree (Kalk Bay) 2800 pts R1 000
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