Top junior surfers heading for J-Bay

JEFFREYS Bay’s Magnatubes will play host to the inaugural Quiksilver and Roxy J-Bay Junior Pros taking place during the J-Bay Winterfest next month.

These events will attract the best junior surfers, both male and female, South Africa has to offer.

The Winterfest, which has been building massive momentum over the years, will again feature an array of sporting events.

These include the J-Bay Open of Surfing, mountain-biking, Oakley’s X-Over Championships, swimming events and fishing. The festival will run from July 6 to 17. The Junior Pro events have attracted a full entry more than two weeks before the events kick off.

It will run from July 8 to 10 and will cater for surfers in the U18, U16, U14 and U12 divisions.

A Surfing South Africa rating is attached to the events and a total of R22 000 in prize money is on offer.

In the premier U18 boys’ division, competition will be fierce, with the likes of Jordy Maree (Kalk Bay), Adin Masencamp (Strand), Bevan Willis (Salt Rock) and Jeffreys Bay’s 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’ U16 division.

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.

In the girls’ junior pro U18 division, favourites include Sophie Bell (Salt Rock), Teal Hogg (Umhlanga Rocks) and Chrystal Hulett (St Francis Bay).

The final will be on July 10.