​Facebook:
Billabong South Africa
www.facebook.com/Billabong
Billabong Women’s South Africa: www.facebook.com/BillabongWomens
 
Twitter:
Billabong South Africa
twitter.com/@billabongsa
Billabong Women’s South Africa
twitter.com/@bbwomens_za
 
Instagram:
Billabong South Africa  - @BillabongSA
Billabong Women’s South Africa - @Billabongwomens_za

​In a surprise announcement today, the event organisers of the JBU Supertrial presented by RVCA have opened up the trial to four additional and well-respected surfers.

“We had a relook at the invited surfers list, and came to the conclusion that there were a few more very worthy surfers who we felt needed to be included. We then made a decision to include four more top South African surfers into the event,” said contest organizer Koffie Jacobs. “By implementing a second set of seeded surfers, we made room for these extra competitors and are happy to include them in the contest.”

These four surfers are JBay local Remi Peterson, Port Elizabeth powerhouse and consistent Supers stand-out Dylan Stone, talented Durban goofy-footer Dan Redman and one of South Africa’s most under-rated surfers Simon Fish from Cape St Francis.   

Peterson is an excellent tube rider at Supers and will utilize his local knowledge out there in the Supers line-up, garnered from years of surfing out there in his back yard.

Stone is a powerful natural-footer who’s rail-surfing approach perfectly suits the long, clean walls of Supers and could easily cause an upset out there when it gets solid.
​
Fish, recognized by Zigzag Magazine as one of the most underrated surfers in the country, is also a consistent performer at Supers, making the short trip from Cape St Francis to Supers whenever the surf is happening at the best right-hand point in the country.

​Dan Redman from Durban has a remarkable list of surfing credentials behind his name, and has long been known as one of the best goofy-footers in the country. His performances in previous events at Supers have always impressed spectators and peers alike.
​
“The original invitee list was no joke with so many excellent surfers on it, so to crack a late call up and be part of the list now is pretty incredible,” said a very stoked Redman when he got the call. “Especially thinking back on the amazing waves we had last year for the event and some of the special performances that went down. I’m looking forward to hanging out and competing with South Africa’s best surfers at our country’s favourite wave.”

​There is still no official alternate list, but should a slot become available, it could be open to anyone who is present on the day and who really wants to surf. The contest organisers will make the decisions on the day as to which of these surfers possibly get a chance to surf in the tournament.

The waiting period for the JBU Supertrial presented by RVCA is 1-12 June, with one full day needed to surf the event to completion.

The JBU Supertrial forms part of the JBay Winterfest, the sporting and music festival that will take place in Jeffreys Bay from 6-17 July.

The JBU Supertrial is presented by RVCA. Co-sponsors include Monster Energy, Stance, and Oakley.
Event hash tags #RVCASupertrial   #JBU   #JBayWinterfest

Wavescape is the media partner. 
There is a Facebook Event Page
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The JBU Supertrial is sanctioned by Surfing South Africa, the recognised governing body for the sport in South Africa.
SSA is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA).
The JBU Supertrial also is sanctioned by the World Surf League (WSL).
About the World Surf League
The World Surf League (WSL), formerly the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), is dedicated to celebrating the world’s best surfing on the world’s best waves through a variety of best-in-class audience platforms. The League, headquartered in Santa Monica, is a truly global sport with regional offices in Australasia, Africa, North America, South America, Hawaii, Japan and Europe.
​
For more information contact the event organiser
Koffie Jacobs
[email protected]

​WSL Holdings, the parent company of the World Surf League (WSL), today announced an agreement in principle to acquire a majority stake in the Kelly Slater Wave Company (KSWC).The partnership between the WSL and KSWC will be dedicated to promoting the growth of high-performance surfing around the world. KSWC’s revolutionary technology creates a number of possibilities for the future of the sport.The WSL and the KSWC envision the build-out of a global network of WSL-branded high-performance training centers utilizing this wave technology.

For Kelly Slater, the 11-time world champion, the creation of this wave technology is the realization of a lifelong dream and a 10-year project, and today’s announcement brings his two worlds together. “While surfing for me will always be about adventure, travel and the ocean, this wave brings a new opportunity to the sport without taking away the soulfulness that attracted many of us to surfing in first place,” said Slater. “Surfing great waves in a controlled environment adds a new dimension, as there is no hassling for waves, no stress over who got the best wave – they are all good. Everyone can relax, have fun and focus on improving their surfing.”

“It’s beyond my dreams that this wave will be a canvas for the global advancement of this great sport in partnership with the WSL,” he added. “It will democratize surfing and provide incredible training opportunities for athletes as well as aspirational surfers in areas with no ocean waves.”

The WSL sanctions and organizes the highest-level professional surfing competitions for men, women, big wave, longboarders and juniors.

“The WSL proudly represents the best in men’s and women’s competitive surfing globally, and the amazing man-made wave technology developed by Kelly Slater and his team is a revolutionary innovation that has the power to dramatically enhance every aspect of our sport,” said Paul Speaker, CEO of the WSL. “We share the same vision and passion for growing high-performance surfing, and are beyond excited to work together under one roof to bring the sport to levels and places never before possible.”

KSWC technology creates an opportunity for surfers to practice and develop ever-higher levels of performance in a repeating environment, with unprecedented opportunities for surrounding camera and sensor arrays providing immediate and perfectly accurate feedback on their progress.  This is the first repeatable man-made wave that convincingly delivers the power and shape of ocean waves most sought after by accomplished surfers, including a hollow barrel allowing for long tube rides.  While high-performance surfing is the core mission of both the WSL and the KSWC, the wave technology is flexible and can also create variable waves for beginner and intermediate surfers. 

WSL Commissioner Kieren Perrow recently visited the first KSWC site, and said the wave surpassed his expectations. “Up until a few weeks ago, I had never ridden Kelly’s Wave, and when I did, I was blown away by the experience,” Perrow said. “It is incredible to see this wave in action — it has more energy and power than I expected and this technology holds a lot of potential for the future development of surfers just starting out and those already competing on our Championship Tour." 
 
While competition in a man-made environment will offer previously impossible opportunities such as the creation of surrounding spectator environments, as well as certainty of scheduling, WSL CEO Speaker emphasized that nothing could ever replace the magic and mystery of world-class competition in the ocean. “We do believe that all stakeholders – athletes, fans, broadcast and corporate partners – will be super energized by the advent of Championship Tour-level competition with man-made waves,” he said, “but the ocean will always be our home, and the great waves on our tour will always remain the backbone of our competitive schedule.”

Speaker added: “No firm plans have been made for the inclusion of a man-made wave-based competition. We will be evaluating all the possibilities in the coming months with the Commissioners’ Office and the WSL athletes.”

WSL Holdings is the parent company of the World Surf League (WSL). The transaction is subject to the negotiation of mutually agreeable definitive documentation, among other customary conditions.  Both WSL and KSWC will continue to operate independently as separate entities following the closing of a transaction. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.
 
For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com and KSWaveCo.com
 
About the Kelly Slater Wave Company
Kelly Slater Wave Company (KSWC) is an innovative wave technology company. KSWC is the first company to develop a formula that combines cutting edge science, engineering and design to create the longest, open-barrel, high-performance wave in existence.  The wave system can mimic the power, speed and experience found in the best ocean waves. As envisioned by 11-time world champion Kelly Slater, KSWC was created to evolve the sport of surfing by making it more accessible. The company is creating world-class, high-performance training centers where top athletes can perfect their talent. In addition, the company is looking at development applications for surfers of any level to enjoy the best man-made waves.

​Yoh, that was close! Nelson Mandela Bay Surfriders got pipped by the smallest of margins at the SA Masters Champs at Seals, being nudged into 2nd spot by Border by only a coupla hundred points - 26485 vs 26239.

Awesome surfing by the whole team, but special congrats to Alan Byram who won the Over 60's division, and is SA Champ. Andre Venter (over 55), Greg Smith (Over 50) and Clinton Fraser (Over 35) got 2nd spots.

NMBS's Mickey Lindsay won the Surfer of the Day award on the first day - with his awesome heat score of 18.5 - which would even beat Medina on some days!

Over 200 surfers paddled out on Saturday in remembrance of surf legend Dave Fish, who has passed away suddenly last week. Dave was the Chairman of the Seal Point Boardriders Club, and it was his initiative to get Seal Point as the host of the 2016 SA Masters Championships. RIP Dave. May it be 6ft & cooking up there.

Shot to Mervyn Goddard and Andre Venter for hosting the event on behalf of NMBS - well done to the ou's and their team. The board raffle raised R9k for NMBS, and was won by Gary van Wieringen from UGU. 

​TEAM WINNERS
1st Buffalo City Surfriders 26,485
2nd Nelson Mandela Bay Surfriders 26,239
3rd Ugu Surfriders 25,561
4th Uthungulu Surfriders 22,477
5th Cape Town Surfriders 22,162
6th Ethekweni Surfriders 21,966
7th Eden Surfriders 21,338
8th Cape Winelands Surfriders 20,586
9th Invitation Team In Memory Of Dave Fish 4,570

​BARRA DA TIJUCA, Rio de Janeiro/Brazil (Thursday, May 19, 2016) – John John Florence (HAW) has claimed victory today at the Oi Rio Pro, Stop No. 4 of 11 on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour, besting rookie Jack Freestone (AUS)in punchy four-to-six foot (1.5 - 2 metre) waves at Postinho.“I love coming back here to Rio,” Florence said. “This is where I won my first World Championship Tour event. The waves are really similar to Hawaii with their power. Everyone here in Brazil has been so supportive. If it was not for everyone’s support on the beach cheering us on every wave, I do not know if I would have been as stoked. Thank you to everyone.”
Today’s emphatic victory vaults Florence from 13th to 3rd on the WSL Jeep Leaderboard, well within striking distance of the frontrunner position. Florence previously defeated Adriano de Souza (BRA) and Dusty Payne (HAW) en route to the Final today.
“Obviously I want to try to win a World Title, but I am going to take it heat by heat, event by event,” continued Florence. “Hopefully I will come out on top, but we will see. The waves have been challenging and everyone has been surfing so well, so I am stoked to be here and win this event.”
Today’s win marks the Hawaiian’s third elite tour victory, having previously finished atop the field here in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 and in France in 2014.
The Final got off to an exciting start with an exchange that saw Florence deliver an aggressive two-turn combination for a solid 7.00, while Freestone failed to complete his ride, earning a 3.17. Florence continued to heat up, posting more excellent scores. With only ten minutes into the Final, Florence threw up a near-perfect 9.70 by locking in a dynamic two-turn combination. The Hawaiian proved to be unstoppable, finishing with an impressive 18.97 heat total by landing a massive air to earn another near-perfect score, a 9.27, putting the Australian in an impossible combination situation.
Freestone, who suffered an injury after the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, returned to Rio in full force after a two-event absence. Today marks Freestone’s first Final appearance and highest career finish on the Championship Tour. To reach the Final, the rookie previously dispatched 2014 WSL Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA) and Miguel Pupo (BRA). Freestone’s second place result will move him from 37th to 19th on the Jeep Leaderboard.
“I am very happy,” Freestone said. “It was a long week and I just had to take it heat by heat. To come back from an injury and get second place is amazing, and I am over the moon. I would just like to thank everyone here in Brazil for all of their support. I would like to congratulate John on a crazy win. It was a great time here in Rio.”
Freestone upset the competition by eliminating Medina in Semifinal 2. Medina, the crowd-favorite who previously posted two perfect 10-point rides in the event, was poised to make a Finals appearance, but the rookie threw down an aggressive performance to advance. Medina secured a near-perfect 9.07 with his backside full rotation air, but Freestone continued to chip away with his two-turn combinations. Freestone hammered down a 7.83 and 8.67, forcing Medina to chase a 7.43. Medina was not able to find the waves to combat Freestone’s lead and will walk away with a 3rd place finish, his best of 2016. Today’s results see Medina move up nine places from 18th to 9th on the Jeep Rankings.
“I am stoked to get this result,” Medina said. “I feel like I am back and last year was a great year for me because I was fighting for the Title. I wish I was in the Final against John because that would be sick, but I am so happy with my finish. Hopefully I can keep doing well. I am excited for Fiji and the great waves. I love that place.”
Semifinal 1 witnessed Florence eliminate Adriano de Souza (BRA), reigning WSL Champion. With eight previous match-ups between the two former event winners, this heat adds a sixth win to Florence’s tally. Florence got an early lead by tying together barrels and aggressive railwork, putting pressure on De Souza to post high-scoring rides. Florence furthered his lead with a huge combination maneuver to earn a near-perfect 9.80 and backed that up with an 8.93. De Souza, with only a 12.66 heat score, was caught in a combination that he wasn’t able to escape.
After a slow start on the Australian leg, today was De Souza’s first Semifinal appearance of the year. De Souza’s 3rd place finish will move him up to 6th place on the Jeep Leaderboard heading into Fiji.
“This is a good result,” De Souza said. “I’ve been working so hard to be in a Final, but it was not enough. I think John has the best rhythm with the ocean and his talent is unbeatable. I am happy with my performance from the start of the event to the Semifinal. It was great to have all the support of my family and friends here in Brazil, as well as all the fans. I wish so much to be in the final, but I am happy.”

De Souza previously dispatched 2016 WSL Rookie Davey Cathels (AUS) in the second heat of the Quarterfinals. Cathels put out a solid effort to knock out the reigning World Champion, but fell short by only 2.97 points. Cathels will walk away with a 5th place finish, his highest on the CT.
Florence eliminated Dusty Payne (HAW), injury replacement and former CT charger, in the opening Quarterfinal match-up. Florence found his way out of two deep barrels to earn a 15.17 two-wave score. Payne, with an 8.50 heat total, was not able to find the near-perfect 9.67 he needed to defeat Florence.
Highlights from the Oi Rio Pro will be webcast LIVE at WorldSurfLeague.com
High Res Images from this event available for editorial use via Reuters

The next stop on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour will be the Fiji Women’s Pro from May 29 - June 3 followed by the Fiji Men’s Pro from June 5 - 17, 2016.
For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com
Oi Rio Pro Men’s Final Results:
1 - John John Florence (HAW) 18.97
2 - Jack Freestone (AUS) 16.13
Oi Rio Pro Men’s Semifinal Results:
SF 1: John John Florence (HAW) 18.73 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.66
SF 2: Jack Freestone (AUS) 16.50 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.67
Oi Rio Pro Men’s Quarterfinal Results:
QF 1: John John Florence (HAW) 15.17 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 8.50
QF 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.97 def. Davey Cathels (AUS) 10.00
QF 3: Jack Freestone (AUS) 12.50 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 11.60
QF 4: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.77 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 6.00
Oi Rio Pro Men’s Remaining Round 5 Results:
Heat 4: Adam Melling (AUS) 10.80 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 10.00
2016 Samsung Galaxy Top 5 (after Oi Rio Pro):

1. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 24,500 pts
2. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 18,750 pts
   
3. John John Florence (HAW) 18,700 pts
   
4. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 17,500 pts
   
5. Caio Ibelli (BRA) 17,200 pts
   

Some kiff waves for Day 1 of the SA Masters Champs at Seal Point. NMBS ou's did well - with Mickey Lindsay hooking the top heat score of the day with a 9.5 and a 9, giving a heat total of 18.5. Pretty ace.

Other NMBS guys who won their heats were Trevor Orelsky, Etienne Potgieter, Pieter-Ben van Rijn, with Josh Enslin hooking a second, and Dennis Ellis and JP Degamoius having a repo round mission.

Check out the rest of Stan Blumberg's Day 1 shots here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.498621440341748.1073741919.156640497873179

BARRA DA TIJUCA, Rio de Janeiro/Brazil (Saturday, May 14, 2016) – The Oi Rio Pro continued to witness outstanding performances with the completion of men’s Round 2 and the opening two heats of women’s Round 4. The fourth stop on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour, the Oi Rio Pro, saw the world’s best compete to avoid elimination from the event in solid 4 to 6 foot (1 - 2 metre) waves at Postinho.

Event wildcard Deivid Silva (BRA) upset the competition as he eliminated Matt Wilkinson (AUS), current World No. 1 on the Jeep Leaderboard, in Round 2 Heat 2. Wilkinson opened up with a solid 7.67 to take an early lead and improved it with a 6.83. Silva relentlessly chipped away at Wilkinson’s scores with his crisp backhand snaps, but it was his alley-oop air rotation that jump started his comeback attack. Silva need an 8.07 to take the lead. In the dying seconds of the heat, Silva completed another air-rotation, hitting the critical section followed by clean carves. Silva’s ride was awarded an 8.30, to give Silva the 14.73 heat score over Wilkinson’s 14.50. Wilkinson will walk away with a 25th place finish.

“I am very very happy to get this far,” Silva said. “The surfing in the match was so good. It is the people here in Brazil that make the win that much better. Thank you WSL for giving me the wildcard in this event. I am stoked.”
“That was a tough one to swallow,” said Wilkinson. “I felt like I surfed a smart heat and I gave Silva two 4s that he turned into a 6 and an 8. I was right there on that last wave he took off on, and I had to make a decision. I was not going to use priority on a 4, just in case a good wave was behind it. The wave I took off on right before the hooter was a lot better than the one I gave away. That air he did was sick and if I made that decision ten times, it was probably the right decision eight times out of ten. It is a tough loss, but I am excited for Fiji and to get myself some barrels.”

Gabriel Medina (BRA), 2014 WSL Champion, showcased an incredible performance in Round 2 Heat 4 by landing the first-ever backflip rotation in competition to earn a perfect 10. Medina also landed a frontside air reverse for a 9.40 to post a near-perfect 19.40 heat score. Alex Ribeiro (BRA), 2016 WSL Rookie, took to the air to combat Medina but was not able to find big enough scores to defeat the CT heavyweight.
“I had to believe and I am feeling good,” Medina said. “It is good to be home after a long leg in Australia. I am stoked to make it through. I have been learning a lot, even when I am losing. Australia was pretty tough for me. Every event I am thinking positively. I know I need to take it one event at a time and if it did not come in Australia, then hopefully it will here, and if not here then the next one. Today I had a fun heat and tomorrow is another day.”

Adriano de Souza (BRA), reigning WSL Champion, flew through the opening heat of Round 2 against replacement surfer Bino Lopes (BRA). De Souza found two solid 6-point rides to give him a healthy lead over Lopes, who was left searching for a near-perfect 9.17. Lopes was not able to complete his air-rotation maneuvers to combat the defending World Champion and was eliminated from the competition.

“I am so glad to make this heat,” De Souza said. “Basically I am just doing my thing and my local knowledge helps here. For the last five years, I have been training here. I think I had an advantage from this perspective, but I am happy to continue in the event. I got to compete against my good friend Lucas Silveira, who beat me in Round 1, and I cannot wait for the next battle. It is a wonderful feeling to return to this country with the World Title.”

2016 WSL Rookies Jack Freestone (AUS), Caio Ibelli (BRA) and Kanoa Igarashi (USA) will all continue to Round 3 after eliminating Jeremy Flores (FRA), Jadson Andre (BRA) and Josh Kerr (AUS), respectively.
Following the completion of men’s Round 2, the women’s Round 4 completed the opening two heats before conditions deteriorated and event organizers called competition off for the day.

Malia Manuel (HAW) and 2016 WSL Rookie Keely Andrew (AUS) battled wave for wave in Round 4 Heat 1 for the opportunity to advance to the Quarterfinals. Manuel and Andrew posted over ten waves each to secure control of the heat and Manuel, with a 13.10 heat score, edged out Andrew by only 1.60 points. Manuel will face Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) in the Quarterfinals.

“I had two peaks that I was playing around with,” Manuel said. “The conditions slightly changed from this morning so I was surfing with an open mind. I knew with this wind coming up and the tide going out that I did not have high expectations and it would be a battle of 6 point rides. Luckily, I had a good backup score. I was trying to hunt for waves and get into that beach break rhythm.”

Round 4 Heat 2 saw a close match-up between Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW), 2015 WSL Rookie of the Year, and Sage Erickson (USA). Erickson was off to a quick start to secure the lead with a solid 6.17, but Weston-Webb fought back with a 7.67. The Hawaiian locked up a second 5.57 to earn a 13.24 heat score, leaving Erickson only 0.24 points behind. With the time winding down, Erickson was not able to find the second score to eliminate Weston-Webb who will advance to the Quarterfinals where she will face current Jeep Rankings’ Leader Courtney Conlogue (USA).

“It was definitely a really tough heat against Sage,” Weston-Webb said. “I felt like she kept lucking out with all the good waves. Until that last one I was definitely stressing out. When it came through, I knew I had to give it my all. I’m stoked to have made that one because Sage has been surfing incredible. The fans here are just insane!”
Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 6:30am local time for a possible 7am start.
​
Highlights from the Oi Rio Pro will be webcast LIVE at WorldSurfLeague.com.
High Res Images from this event available for editorial use via Reuters.
For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com.


Oi Rio Pro Men’s Round 2 Results:
Heat 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.00 def. Bino Lopes (BRA) 4.96
Heat 2: Deivid Silva (BRA) 14.73 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS)  14.50
Heat 3: Dusty Payne (HAW) 13.93 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 11.34
Heat 4: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 19.40 def. Alex Ribeiro (BRA) 7.90
Heat 5: Jack Freestone (AUS) 14.57 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 11.77
Heat 6: Matt Banting (AUS) 14.76 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 14.66
Heat 7: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 14.33 def. Keanu Asing (HAW) 11.86
Heat 8: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 10.73 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 10.27
Heat 9: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 13.30 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 11.73
Heat 10: Stuart Kennedy (AUS) 14.17 def. Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 11.44
Heat 11: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 15.33 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 13.27
Heat 12: Michel Bourez (PYF) 13.50 def. Conner Coffin (USA) 11.74
Oi Rio Pro Men’s Round 3 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
Heat 2: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Heat 3: Nat Young (USA) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 4: Caio Ibelli (BRA) vs. Ryan Callinan (AUS)
Heat 5: Stuart Kennedy (AUS) vs. Davey Cathels (AUS)  
Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Lucas Silveira (BRA)
Heat 7: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Marco Fernandez (BRA)
Heat 8: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 9: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 10: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Jack Freestone (HAW)
Heat 11: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Matt Banting (AUS)
Heat 12: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Deivid Silva (BRA)

It has been a good start to the season in Jeffreys Bay, with some early cold fronts resulting in a few great sessions for locals and visitors alike. The JBU Supertrial event organisers have used this time to carefully consider the rest of the invitee list for the JBU Supertrial presented by RVCA. 

Selecting the final 5 surfers for the JBU Supertrial presented by RVCA was still a challenge, and after much consideration the following surfers have been chosen. They are Brandon Jackson, Warren Dean, Greg Emslie, Steven Sawyer, and Matt Bromley.
Brandon Jackson from Durban is a consistent performer at Supertubes, and has proven himself out there many times. A runner-up place in 2013 (to Greg Emslie) has ensured that he is always on the event organisers’ radar. The powerful natural-footer has often named Supers as one of his favourite waves and is always a fierce competitor.

Supertubes local Warren Dean needs very little introduction when it comes to surfing performances at Supertubes. A former Billabong Challenge finalist, along with multiple results and highly charged performances on his home turf, Warren knows the wave like few others, and his local knowledge gives him a strong advantage over many competitors.

East London’s most successful competitive surfer Greg Emslie is also a perennial standout at Supers, winning the event in 2013, and posting a number of good results out there in professional as well as amateur events throughout the years. With his hard-earned experience at Championship Tour level surfing, Greg is a focused surfer and savvy competitor.
​
“The JBU Supertrial is a very special event, and I always look forward to it,” said Emslie. “I haven’t had a good run the last two years and I’m really hoping that this year is my year. The thing about surfing a contest at Supers is that you can’t rush things out there. There is a lot of rhythm at play, and you can’t force the issue. All the guys in the event are really good surfers too, so you cannot catch the poor waves if you want to advance. The only way to surf at Supers is to relax and wait for the good ones.”

Local JBay goofy-footer Steven Sawyer is always a standout when Supers is firing, and is a solid and confident backhand tube rider. He has a great repertoire of moves on his backhand, and is also a strong and determined competitor.

Matt Bromley from Cape Town is often in JBay chasing swells, and knows the Supers lineup well. A skilled tube rider, Bromley likes it when the waves get solid.

The contest organisers have decided not to name an alternate list, but to leave it to the day. Should a slot become available, it could be open to anyone who is present on the day and who really wants to surf. The contest organisers will make the decisions on the day as to which of these surfers possibly get a chance to surf
JBU Supertrial presented by RVCA invited surfers: Ricky Basnett, Calvin Goor, Mikey February, Slade Prestwich, Ryan Payne, Shaun Payne, Matt McGillivray, Dylan Lightfoot, Davey Van Zyl, Sean Holmes, Dale Staples, Beyrick De Vries, Shane Sykes, Sebastian Williams, Joshe Faulkner, Brandon Jackson, Warren Dean, Greg Emslie, Matt Bromley and Steven Sawyer.. 

The waiting period for the JBU Supertrial presented by RVCA is 1-12 June, with one full day needed to surf the event to completion.

The JBU Supertrial forms part of the JBay Winterfest, the sporting and music festival that will take place in Jeffreys Bay from 6-17 July.
​
The JBU Supertrial is presented by RVCA. Co-sponsors include Monster Energy, Stance, and Oakley.
Event hash tags #RVCASupertrial   #JBU   #JBayWinterfest
Wavescape is the media partner. 
The Facebook Event Page

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The JBU Supertrial is sanctioned by Surfing South Africa, the recognised governing body for the sport in South Africa.
SSA is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA).
The JBU Supertrial also is sanctioned by the World Surf League (WSL).
About the World Surf League
The World Surf League (WSL), formerly the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), is dedicated to celebrating the world’s best surfing on the world’s best waves through a variety of best-in-class audience platforms. The League, headquartered in Santa Monica, is a truly global sport with regional offices in Australasia, Africa, North America, South America, Hawaii, Japan and Europe.
For more information contact the event organiser
Koffie Jacobs
[email protected] 

​The 2016 South African Masters Surfing Championships presented by the Cape St Francis Resort to take place at Seal Point in Cape St Francis

A full field of 144 contestants from eight Districts will be in action at Seal Point from next Thursday to Sunday when the 2016 South African Masters Championships presented by the Cape St Francis Resort takes place.
 
The 11th edition of this annual event will take place at Seal Point for the first time and the iconic surf spot will see five World Champions, numerous National, Provincial and District Champions and a host of International, National and Provincial surfers in action over the four days of competition.
 
The tournament gets under way with an Opening Function at the Cape St Francis Resort at 7pm on Wednesday May 18 and the first rounds of competition start at 8am on Thursday May 19.
Al the Semi finals and Finals in the eight divisions will take place on Sunday May 22.
 
Some of the surfers who will be in action over the four days of competition include current ISA World Champions, Greg Emslie (Buffalo City) and Chris Knutsen (eThekweni),former ISA World Champions, Andrew Banks and Heather Clark (both Ugu), former World Pro/Am Champion David Malherbe (Buffalo City), fifteen surfers who have represented South Africa in international competition and a host of current and former South African champions will be in action over the four days.
 
All seven age group champions from last year’s event in Richards Bay will be representing their respective Districts at this year’s event. The 2015 Champions were Tasha Mentasti from Eden, Manfred Adrio (over 35) from eThekweni, Wayne Monk (over 40) from Buffalo City, Rob Moore – Boyle (over 45) from eThekweni, David Malherbe (over 50) from Buffalo City, Chris Knutsen (over 55) from eThekweni and Dave Fish (over 60) from Buffalo City. Devyn Mattheys of Buffalo City, who won the over 30 Division title in 2014 when this division was last held will be back to defend it this year.
 
The Buffalo City Team from East London are the defending champions and eight time winners of the Masters Cup which is awarded to the team with the highest total points and they will be going all out for an incredible ninth victory in this unique event which celebrates the competitive longevity of the sport of surfing.
 
Buffalo City will face tough competition from 2015 runners up eThekweni, hosts Nelson Mandela Bay, Ugu and 2015 hosts uThungulu. The Cape Town Surfriders Team, who were runners up in 2014, have put together a solid group of surfers while Cape Winelands and the Garden Route based Eden District will be bringing full teams to Seal Point and could challenge the front runners.
 
The 2016 SA Masters Championships will decide eight individual champions and determine the top District team. Each team member’s points will count towards the Masters Cup, which was won by Ugu in 2006 and 2007 and by Buffalo City in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
 
The 2016 South African Masters Championships is presented by the Cape St Francis Resort, supported by Skullcandy and hosted by the Nelson Mandela Surfriders. Red Bull will provide the energy.
 
Heats and the provisional format are posted on www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za and each day's results will be available from 8pm on this website.
 
Surfing South Africa
Surfing South Africa is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association as is recognised as the governing body for the sport by the Department of Sport and Recreation South Africa.

SSA coordinates and runs National Surfing Championships, selects National teams, sanctions and presents events on the annual Domestic Surf Tour, and is responsible for the general administration of the sport

If you'd like to advertise in the event brochure, please give Merv Goddard a holler on [email protected]

The Oi Rio Pro, the fourth stop on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour, kicked off today with Round 1 of the men’s and women’s events in punchy four-to-six foot (1.5 - 2 metre) waves at Grumari Beach.Host country to back-to-back WSL Champions Gabriel Medina (2014) and Adriano de Souza (2015) as well as 10 countrymen within the WSL elite Top 34, Brazil has firmly established itself as the new superpower in the surfing world. Additionally, in a year where results have signalled a tectonic shifting within the elite guard, the Oi Rio Pro will prove pivotal to the 2016 WSL Title race as well as the emergence of a new class of global elite.

Today’s Round 1 further ensconced the unpredictable nature of the sport, and this season in particular, with the Brazilian establishment, wildcards, rookies and replacements dominating the opening day’s affairs.
Filipe Toledo (BRA), the defending event Champion, is back in competition after suffering an injury on the opening stop of the 2016 Championship Tour. After a two-event absence Toledo came out the gates charging in his Round 1 heat to defeat 2016 WSL Rookie Kanoa Igarashi (USA) and injury replacement Dusty Payne (HAW). Toledo will advance directly to Round 3 and avoid the heated two-man match-ups of Round 2.

“It definitely feels so good to be back and to put a jersey on,” said Toledo. “It was hard for me to be away for more than forty-five days. I didn’t know if those days would be enough time to heal and feel one-hundred percent. I am still feeling something, but I am happy to be back in Rio to defend my Title.”

Italo Ferreira (BRA), the 2015 WSL Rookie of the Year, set the bar high in his heat by landing a massive throw-tail reverse on his opening wave and earning the day’s top single-wave score, an excellent 9 points. Ferreira continued to improve his score with a 7.50 against Miguel Pupo (BRA) and Bino Lopes (BRA) for a 16.50 two-wave heat total. Pupo threw down an 8.43, but could not find the second score he needed to challenge Ferreira. Pupo and Lopes will battle in Round 2 to stay alive in the competition.

“I have great support here in Brazil and I am so happy to be back,” Ferreira said. “I am feeling really good. My board feels amazing. On my first wave I scored 9 points and that gave me a lot of confidence.”

Matt Wilkinson (AUS), current Jeep Ratings Leader, was not able to hold the lead against Marco Fernandez (BRA) and Jadson Andre (BRA) in Round 1 Heat 5. Fernandez, who gained a wildcard entry into the event after winning the Local Trials, won the heat with a 13.43 two-wave combined score, while Andre secured the second-place position with an 11.57 heat total. Wilkinson, who sat with an 8.73 two-wave total, was not able to find the 8.83 required to challenge Fernandez. Wilkinson and Andre will be sent to Round 2, where they will battle to remain in the competition.

“This has been a good year for me,” Fernandez said. “I started early and went to Australia January 1st then I have been surfing the Qualifying Series events, and now I am here on the World Tour. I am so happy. I was out here for the Trials yesterday where I knew I had to do my best, and it worked. Today I just won the first heat and it is a good day for me.”

Adriano de Souza (BRA), reigning WSL Champion, fell short of taking the heat win against reigning WSL Junior Champion and injury replacement Lucas Silveira (BRA) in Heat 6. Silveira and De Souza started strong with 7-point rides, but it was Silveira who separated himself with an 8.67 to give him a 15.84 two-wave combined score. De Souza fought to close the 2.04 point gap, but could not find the score on his closing ride.Keanu Asing (BRA) trailed closely behind De Souza by only 0.06 points. Asing and De Souza will surf again in elimination Round 2.

“I tried to keep calm, but I was very nervous when I started the heat,” Silveira said. “I got some good ones at the beginning, but these were not really the waves I wanted. I got two good scores and then I became more relaxed. I was waiting for the good one, and then one came where I got a high 8-point ride. I am pretty stoked.”

Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), replacement surfer in the Oi Rio Pro, fought through his heat against CT superstar Gabriel Medina (BRA) and injury replacement Stuart Kennedy (AUS) to advance directly to Round 3. Fioravanti held the lead for the majority of the heat, but was challenged in the last two minutes by Medina and Kennedy. The Australian locked in a 7.10 point ride to take the lead away from the Italian, but Fioravanti answered back to regain the top spot. Medina, needing a big score to take the lead, pulled off a clean aerial maneuver, but it was not enough to beat Fioravanti.

“It was hard to find the good waves, but luckily I got a good one right from the start,” Fioravanti said. “Throughout the heat I was trying to back it up. I let Stuart go on a good one, which I thought was a bit of a mistake, but luckily I got back in the lead. These guys on Tour have pressure, whether it is win a World Title or stay on tour.  I am here to have fun, make heats and show I can surf well.”​

Event organizers will convene tomorrow at 6:30am local time for a possible 7am start.
Highlights from the Oi Rio Pro will be webcast LIVE at  WorldSurfLeague.com.

High Res Images from this event available for editorial use via Reuters.

For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com.

Oi Rio Pro Men’s Round 1 Results:

Heat 1: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 13.77, Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 11.60, Dusty Payne (HAW) 11.30
Heat 2: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 14.30, Stuart Kennedy (AUS) 12.93, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 11.80
Heat 3: Davey Cathels (AUS) 12.00, Julian Wilson (AUS) 9.24, Deivid Silva (BRA) 7.43
Heat 4: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 16.50, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 10.86, Bino Lopes (BRA) 8.66
Heat 5: Marco Fernandez (BRA) 13.43, Jadson Andre (BRA) 11.57, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 8.73
Heat 6: Lucas Silveira (BRA) 15.84, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.80, Keanu Asing (BRA) 13.74
Heat 7: Nat Young (USA) 15.04, Michel Bourez (PYF) 9.37, Alex Ribeiro (BRA) 5.83
Heat 8: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 12.37, Conner Coffin (USA) 10.83, Jack Freestone (AUS) 10.70
Heat 9: Adam Melling (AUS) 15.23, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 15.13, Josh Kerr (AUS) 15.04
Heat 10: Ryan Callinan (AUS) 15.53, Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 13.44, Kolohe Andino (USA) 7.67
Heat 11: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 13.50, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 13.46, Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 12.77
Heat 12: John John Florence (HAW) 11.34, Caio Ibelli (BRA) 10.84, Matt Banting (AUS) 6.34

Oi Rio Pro Men’s Round 2 Match-Ups:

​Heat 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Bino Lopes (BRA)
Heat 2: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Deivid Silva (BRA)
Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 4: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Alex Ribeiro (BRA)
Heat 5: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Jack Freestone (AUS)
Heat 6: Kolohe Andino (USA) vs. Matt Banting (AUS)
Heat 7: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) vs. Keanu Asing (BRA)
Heat 8: Caio Ibelli (BRA) vs. Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 9: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 10: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) vs. Stuart Kennedy (AUS)
Heat 11: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Kanoa Igarashi (USA)
Heat 12: Conner Coffin (USA) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)