A JBU Super Trial presented by RVCA is set to take place prior to the J-Bay Open ASP World Championship Tour contest in Jeffreys Bay this winter.
The JBU Super Trial will occur during the JBay Winterfest. It is a trials-format surfing event that will be run prior to the international JBay Open ASP World Championship Tour surfing event that will be held from 10 – 21 July 2014.
It was announced earlier this year that the World Championship Tour (WCT) event with a prize pool of US$500,000 (R5,250,000) is to return to South Africa and Jeffreys Bay after being absent since 2011. The JBU trial will produce one wild card enabling a surfer to have a chance of surfing in the main event.
There will be 16 surfers invited to surf in the Super Trial and their names are to be announced over 4 press releases, with this being the first release. The first four surfers invited to surf in the JBU Super Trial presented by RVCA are Greg Emslie, Shaun Joubert, Jose Faulkner and the RVCA Junior Challenge (#RVCAjunior) U20 winner.
East London’s Greg Emslie was a seasoned World Championship Tour campaigner and one of the most successful professional surfers from South Africa of all time. He won the JBay Open last year and is always a major stand-out at Supertubes.
Shaun Joubert from Mossel Bay is always one of the top performers at Supertubes, whether in a contest situation or just free surfing, and an ex WQS campaigner. “I’m very honoured to get a spot in the Super Trial,” said Shaun on hearing the news. “JBay is my favourite wave in the world and to get a chance to surf out there when it’s pumping is a privilege. Thanks to JBU and RVCA for the opportunity!”
Jose Faulkner comes from Pellsrus in Jeffreys Bay and is a surfer who has come through the Eastern Province and Surfing South Africa transformation and development surfing program. He recently placed 6th in the ISA World Games and has a very bright future ahead of him.
The fourth surfer will be the RVCA Wildcard, awarded to the winner of the U20 division in the RVCA Junior Challenge, an event that draws the top junior surfers in the country.
The other 12 surfers are still to be announced, but they will be handpicked from the best surfers across the country. The JBU Super Trial will have a waiting period of the whole month of June, with the contest running on the best day of waves during that period.
The 16 surfers will get a chance to pit their skills in what will hopefully be good Supertubes conditions, and a great warm-up for the World Tour event.
“The JBU Surf Club are excited about this event, and look forward to some great surfing from the invited surfers,” said JBU chairman Arthur Joubert. “We’re also stoked to be working with RVCA on this event.”
(edited)
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