McGillivray takes U20 title at Jeffreys Bay

LOCAL favourite Matt McGillivray won the U20 boys division of the RVCA Junior Challenge in Jeffreys Bay yesterday.

The premier division carries a 2A PST rating and McGillivray outclassed Cape Town’s Jordy Maree, Bevan Willis and 16-year-old goofyfooter Luke Malherbe to claim the title.

McGillivray, fittingly, rode the last wave of the event, putting together a consummate performance of smooth power surfing and progressive aerial manoeuvres for a score of 8.83 (out of a possible 10) to back up his 8.43 from earlier in the final.

If McGillivray was the big story of the day, then the tale of the event was optimised by Luke Malherbe, who got knocked out of his own division (U16) but made the final of a division above (U20 boys).

Ford van Jaarsveldt, Joshe Faulkner, Sebastian Williams, Danica Stockigt, Olivia Izzard and Kai Woolf all competed in divisions above their own.

Nicole Pallet (La Lucia) won the U20 girls division in impressive fashion, beating Crystal Hulett, local favourite Kai Woolf and Robyn van der Merwe.

Strand’s Adin Masencamp prevailed in the U16 boys, scoring a 7.03 in the dying seconds of what was a nail-biting affair.

Local knowledge shone in the U16 girls, where Kai Woolf was unmatched throughout the event; and in the U14 boys where Ryan Lightfoot lead from start to finish for a heat total of 15.93 (out of a possible 20). “So stoked to win in my backyard,” he said afterward.

A nail-biter of an U12 boys final was Mitch du Preez getting a 7.4 in the dying seconds to take the win from 10-year old Daniel Emslie, who had an impressive 8.83 in the bank.

The U10 boys final was completed on Saturday and it was Kyra Bennie who took the win.