Jeffery’s Bay - Jeffrey's Bay will play host to the inaugural Quiksilver and Roxy J-Bay Junior Pro's taking place during J-Bay Winterfest in July this year.
These events will attract the best junior surfers, both male and female, that South Africa has to offer. Winterfest, which has been building massive momentum over the years, will once again feature an array of sporting events including the J-Bay Open of Surfing, mountain biking, Oakley's X-Over Championships, swimming events, fishing, music events and more.
The festival will run from July 6-17 with thousands of eager spectators expected to converge upon the coastal town of Jeffrey's Bay. The Quiksilver and Roxy J-Bay Junior Pro events have proven to be popular fixtures on the Surfing South Africa calendar with entries full to the brim with more than two weeks before the events kick off.
“We are very excited about staging an event in J-Bay again, it's such an awesome venue for the young surfers, we expect to see a very high calibre of surfing. The fact that competitors also get to watch the world's best at the J-Bay Open at the infamous Supertubes is a huge bonus,” said Quiksilver's Dane Patterson.
The highly anticipated junior event will run from Friday July 8 until Sunday July 10 and will cater for surfers in the Under-18, Under-16, Under-14 and Under 12 divisions. There is a 3A PST Surfing South Africa rating attached to the events and a total of R22 000 in prize money as well as some amazing prizes on offer.
In the premier Under-18 boys division competition will be fierce with the likes of Jordy Maree (Kalk Bay), Adin Masencamp (Strand), Bevan Willis (Salt Rock) and Jeffreys Bay local Joshe Faulkner all capable of taking the title.
Sebastian Williams (Durban) and Koby Oberholzer (Warner Beach) have both been in good form and remain two of the favourites in the boys Under-16 division while the Kommetjie duo of Travis Pearce and Manoa Robb as well as Mitch Du Preez (East London) seem to be the form U14 surfers tipped to win.
Christiaan Venter (Melkbosstrand) and Luke Thompson (Durban) are two surfers in the Under-12 division that have been very consistent in 2016 and are both looking to stake their claim and impress in Jeffreys Bay.
In the Roxy Junior Pro Under-18 division, favourites include Sophie Bell (Salt Rock), Teal Hogg (Umhlanga Rocks), Taghiti Gericke (Southern Cape) and Chrystal Hulett (St Francis Bay). Other Roxy Junior Pro divisions include Under-16 and Under-14 age groups.
Surfing gets underway on the Friday at 8am with the finals expected to take place on Sunday June 10 around 2m. The Quiksilver and Roxy J-Bay Junior Pro events are supported by Skullcandy, Neff, Red Bull, DC Shoes, Gunslinger and Surfing South Africa. For more information about J-Bay Winterfest go to: http://www.jbaywinterfest.com.
African News Agency