SA U15 champion Crystal Hulett of St Francis Bay was outstanding in the U16 girls division on Day 2 of the RVCA Junior Surf Series, convincingly winning her quarter-final with rides of 6.5 and 5.75 yesterday, 23 March.
Crystal, one of the Eastern Cape’s rising surf stars, has progressed through to the semis where she will be challenged by the likes of Anoush Zakarian (Melkbosstrand), Cana Foster (Umdloti) and Teal Hogg (Umhlanga) today at Jeffreys Bay. The finals in all seven divisions will be run today to decide the winners of more than R100 000 in cash, prizes and special awards at stake.
Nearly 100 of the country’s best young surfers have been strutting their stuff in the surf and enjoying a host of activities on the beach. Yesterday competitors in the RVCA Junior Series tore into the waves peeling down the fabled point at Jeffreys Bay on Saturday, posting outstanding rides and high scores. (see video links below)
As the wind dropped and one metre waves swept into the bay, the U14 boys went ballistic with Adin Masencamp (Strand), 13, recording the highest heat tally of the event, 16.5 out of a possible 20, while Sebastian Williams (Mexico), 12, flew through the best aerial manoeuvre seen so far.
The day’s action got off to a delayed start as organisers waited for the tide to fill in and the opening round of the U20 boys were given 25 minute heats. Most of the seeded surfers advanced with the likes of Slade Prestwich (Durban North), Mikey February (Kommetjie), Jeffreys Bay locals Steven Sawyer and Dylan Lightfoot and Max Armstrong (Scarborough) delivering impressive heat victories in the small waves and strong offshore wind.
Emma Smith (J-Bay) was the standout in the U20 girls, racking up rides of 8.25 and 7.0, each out of 10, to take the early lead in the chase for the highest heat total and was joined in the semi-finals by fellow heat winners Nicole Pallet (La Lucia), Tahra Uren (J-Bay) and surprise package Roxy Giles (George), along with their respective runners-up.
There were upsets galore in the U16 boys with the J-Bay trio of Jerry van Wyk, Tim Baard and Bernard Pretorious, along with Simo Mhkise (Umzumbe), ousted by U14 stars Masencamp, Williams, Ethan Fletcher (Kommetjie) and Jake Elkington (Hout Bay). The younger contingent was joined in the semis by heat winners Steff Burrows (Stellenbosch) and Alex van Rijswick (Port Elizabeth) and second placed Jordy Maree (Kalk Bay) and Michael Monk (East London).
Masencamp, one of the front-runners for the ‘On Fire’ awards, and Williams, whose air-reverse leads the standings for the ‘Fly-Away’ award, are pitted against each other and the Kom duo of Fletcher and Brage Jorgenson in the first of the U14 semi-finals.
The second semi is made up of Koby Oberholzer (Warner Beach), Ford Van Jaarsveldt (Kommetjie) and J-Bay’s Rewaldo Abersalie and Arnold Vermaak.
The U12 semis include Kommetjie’s York van Jaarsveldt and Manoa Robb, J-Bay’s Angelo Faulkner and Jannick Bouwer, Saxton Randall (Durban), Max Elkington (Hout Bay), Julian Zens (Melkbos) and Karl Steen (Morningside).
The U10 final will be contested by Alex Townsend (Cape Town), Christian Venter (Melkbos), James Ribbink (Durban North) and Viviers Strydom (George).
Alongside the stunning performances in the surf, competitors and spectators alike followed legendary artist Steven Bibb’s lead by spray painting Plascon graphics onto the graffiti wall on the beach, and often on each other, using the table tennis table and exercise bikes or test riding the selection of Firewire demonstration surfboards.
(edited)
(Photos of Crystal to follow)
Video of Day 2 at RVCA Junior Series at Jeffreys Bay, 23 March 2013:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX_ad3gdaiE&feature=youtu.be
Video of Day 1 at RVCA Junior Series at Jeffreys Bay, 22 March 2013:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX_ad3gdaiE&feature=youtu.be
All articles edited or written, all photos taken plus all adverts designed by the Editor and printed in the St Francis Chronicle are protected by the law of Copyright ©. Reproduction or copying of any part of the contents of this newspaper and its concept and design can only be done with the Editor’s written permission.
St Francis Chronicle 