Perfect surf peeled off all day for the opening day of the Billabong Junior Series presented by BOS Event 1 at Magntubes, and the best junior surfers in South Africa as well as an international contingent, took to the water in earnest.
The contest organisers had a quick reshuffle of heats, as the excellent but solid conditions were more suited to some of the older boys divisions. The U16 Boys were the first to hit the water, and stand-outs included Joshe Faulkner from JBay and Ford Van Jaarsveldt from Kommetjie as well as Ethan Fletcher from Cape Town. The first round of the U20 Pro division was next, and Griffin Colapinto from USA threw down the first ten-point ride of the event, for a perfect wave that reeled through from the outside and that saw him perform multiple high-risk turns all the way through to the inside. In the first U20 Men’s Round 2 heat 1, the international surfers Ethan Osborne from USA as well as Colapinto provided a massive dual upset by defeating both Shane Sykes and Slade Prestwich in perfect four-foot Magnatubes. “That was the gnarliest heat I’ve ever been in," said Osborne. "I didn’t think I was going to make it at all. I mean, Slade Prestwich was surfing in the WSL event earlier. But then I got that one wave, and made it, and was so stoked. This is my first time to South Africa, and this is my third day here and the waves are some of the best I’ve ever surfed.” Another heat that saw some dramatic action was the U20 Men’s Round 2 Heat 2. In the dying minutes of the heat, local surfer Matt McGillivray launched into a massive do-or-die full rotation air reverse to sneak into second place behind Ethan Ewing, but ahead of Adin Masencamp and Seth Moniz. “That was so stressful,” said an elated McGillivray. “I hadn’t really had a good wave until that last one. The wave didn’t offer me much so I knew I just had to throw it out there.” “That was a great day of surfing,” said Billabong South Africa Marketing Manager Chad D’Arcy. “The waves were so good for the competitors. High performance walls all day, and the junior surfers really raised the bar in their performances today. It looks like another good morning tomorrow, so we’re looking at an early start again in the morning.” The Billabong Junior Series Presented By BOS is part of the JBay Winterfest - www.jbaywinterfest.com - a multi-sports and music festival in Jeffreys Bay.
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After two lay days competition resumed today at the J-Bay Open, stop No. 6 on the Samsung Galaxy World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), will a full day of exciting action. The world’s best battled to avoid early elimination as the contest ran through Round 2 and the opening four heats of Round 3 in clean, building four-to-six foot (1.5 metre) surf at Jeffreys Bay. The day saw a return to form for the ‘Brazilian Storm’ after disappointing results in Round 1. Jeep rankings leaders Adriano de Souza and Filipe Toledo along with reigning WSL Champion Gabriel Medina, rookie Wiggolly Dantas and wildcard Alejo Muniz all won through their heats to remain in the contest. The day also delivered its share of upsets with former event winners Taj Burrow (AUS) and Jordy Smith (ZAF) losing out to Muniz and Adam Melling (AUS) respectively while world no. 3 Owen Wright (AUS) was eliminated by Adrian Buchan (AUS). Two-time event winner Joel Parkinson (AUS) and rookie Ricardo Christie (NZL) delivered the heat of the day in Round 2. The pair traded big scores to wow the crowds but it was Parkinson, the 2012 World Champion, who used his experience to lay down a series of huge open-face carves and a quick barrel for a near perfect 9.77. Christie fought back with some classic power surfing in the final minute but it wasn’t enough, and the rookie left the contest in equal 25th place despite an impressive 18.13 heat total. “That’s the heat you just dream of at J-Bay,” said Parkinson. “I’ve got a couple of throw away results but I won’t give up. I’m happy where I am and I’ve been surfing well. I just started quite bad but I feel like I’m not the only one who started slow. It will be a race to see who finishes strong. I feel like after the last event I started getting some flow and this could be a good result for me.” Fellow Australian Kai Otton (AUS) was another standout performers. Otton dispatched Jadson Andre (BRA) after a high-scoring Round 2 battle and defeated rookie Italo Ferreira (BRA) in Round 3. Jeep Leaderboard no. 1 Adriano de Souza (BRA) took on local wildcard Slade Prestwich (ZAF) in the opening heat of the day. A close battle between the pair saw the South African hold the edge through the opening half of the heat but De Souza came back with a long ride down the point to net an excellent 8.33 and take the lead. The Brazilian backed it up with a 6.00 for a win and a place in Round 3 where he will face Dane Reynolds (USA) while Prestwich left his first CT event in equal 25th place. “It was a tough heat and I know that Slade (Prestwich) is a great surfer,” said Adriano. “He showed that on his first wave of the heat when he got the lead. I realized I just needed one wave to advance and just one opportunity. I couldn’t find it and I lost a little bit of my faith but I caught the wave and I made it happen. My feet were frozen, I couldn’t even feel a little bit, but it was enough to make this heat and hopefully the next one I’ll be warmer and be more patient as well.” “Adriano (de Souza) is a good guy and he knows what he’s doing in a heat,” said Prestwich. “At J-Bay you just have to find the best waves and he got them. I’m just bummed there wasn’t another set that came through, but well done to De Souza. He can win a world title right now, he’s in the running for it so it was cool to surf against him. It’s just really cool to hang around with the pro’s, see them surf and just to be in J-Bay.” Last-minute replacement Michael February (ZAF) was also eliminated today at the hands of young Brazilian Filipe Toledo (BRA). An early 8-point ride from Toledo was enough to dominate the heat and send February home in 25th place. “It’s really tough to be in Round 2,” said Toledo. “I was kind of nervous for sure because Michael (February) knows the wave pretty well. I’m stoked to get a good result and make it to Round 3. It’s really hard to come from Fiji where it’s really warm, with lefts. It’s all different here - it’s cold, you surf rights and it’s really windy, so it’s tough. I was stoked we had some lay days because it was good to figure out everything.” “To be honest it didn’t go that good,” said February. “Being a CT event I didn’t have anything to lose but at the same time everyone is behind you. I wanted to get my best performance out there but there weren’t too many opportunities and my positioning wasn’t that good. It’s a pity because it’s a huge opportunity for me but I enjoyed the experience and I’m going to try my best to get back here. Getting the call up so soon for this event was pretty overwhelming and definitely now that I’ve got the taste for it I want to get back here because I feel like I haven’t shown what I have to offer.” Reigning WSL Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA) came into Round 2 looking to improve on his results this season and move up the rankings after a disappointing first half of the year. After a slow start the Brazilian seemed to find his form, surfing tight in the pocket, getting vertical and throwing spray in his bout against Glenn Hall (IRL). A broken board ended Hall’s chances and he was eliminated from the competition in 25th place, while a series of backhand snaps from Medina for a 9.07 secured his victory. “I’m really stoked to make it through,” Medina said. “The waves are pretty fun and I’m stoked to get the win. That was a good heat. I tried to be relaxed and just tried to get my waves and surf. It’s been tough to find a good board. It’s really cold here and I’ve been waking up really early to practice. I’ve been working hard so it feels good to make it through and be in Round 3.” The first upset of the day came when injury replacement Alejo Muniz (BRA) took down World No. 5 Taj Burrow (AUS). Muniz, who is surfing in his fourth consecutive CT event of 2015, reached the Quarterfinals at the J-Bay Open last year. An exciting back-and-forth battle unfolded between the pair and Burrow, former event winner, was left in need of a 7.94 in the final minutes. Impressive railwork combined with power and speed netted Muniz an excellent 9.30 and a place in Round 3, sending Burrow home with his worst result of the year. “Taj Burrow is my favorite surfer ever,” Muniz said. I’ve been watching him since I was a little kid. I’m just really happy to make it through this heat, it felt amazing. Winning a big competition like Ballito gives you a lot of confidence for the next event. I’m really focused for this event and I want to do well in the World Tour events. I've had three chances already and kind of missed it, so hopefully I can do it better. I feel a lot more relaxed now because I feel like the job I needed to do on the QS (Qualifying Series) is done already, so I’m just trying to enjoy myself and get better with my surfing.” Adam Melling (AUS) was next to deliver an upset, sending home two-time event winner Jordy Smith (ZAF) in Round 2. A pair of seven-point rides were enough for the Australian to clinch victory while Smith was left searching the lineup as the clock ran down. The South African was eliminated from the J-Bay Open in 25th place for the first time in his career while Melling moved onto Round 3 where he was defeated by Nat Young (USA). Young previously delivered an impressive performance against Brett Simpson (USA) in Round 2. Currently ranked 7th on the Jeep Leaderboard, Young’s precise backhand surfing in the pocket earned him a 17.10 heat total and the win. “It’s obviously a difficult wave on your backhand because it slows down and speeds up and it’s kind of hard to read,” said Young. “I do feel comfortable on my backhand though. I grew up surfing waves not quite this good but similar so I’m excited to surf out here.” The shock exits continued in Round 3 when World No. 30 Adrian Buchan (AUS) defeated World No. 3 Owen Wright (AUS) in a narrow last-minute victory. The win is the first time Buchan has beaten Wright in man-on-man heats and is his best result of the season, improving on his 13th place finish in Jeffreys Bay last year. Wright, who previously defeated replacement surfer Tomas Hermes (BRA) in Round 2, was eliminated in equal 13th place and will have to set his sights on the next event in Tahiti. “I feel like I’m surfing really well and I felt like I was going to get the score at the end,” Buchan said. “I’m really stoked to have one of those close heats go my way. It’s amazing, this place is super special to me and every time I come back here it’s a really special experience. You just can’t take your eyes off the waves.” “It’s not the result I wanted but I felt good and like I was surfing well,” Wright said. “It was a close heat and a good goofy battle. I’m really looking forward to Tahiti, I love that place. Results are just results and the main thing that matters is that you can go through the year feeling good and with a smile on your face, and I’m doing that.” The J-Bay Open is webcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com. The world's best surfing is also broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports in Australia, MCS Extreme in France, EDGE Sports in China, South Korea, Malaysia and other territories and on Globo TV in Brazil. The J-Bay Open is the showcase event at the J-Bay Winterfest, a multi-sport and music festival in Jeffreys Bay from July 8 - 19. More details at www.jbaywinterfest.com. J-Bay Open Round 2 Results:
Heat 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.33 def. Slade Prestwich (ZAF) 13.04 Heat 2: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 12.00 def. Michael February (ZAF) 8.00 Heat 3: Owen Wright (AUS) 16.17 def. Tomas Hermes (BRA) 13.77 Heat 4: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 18.13 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.83 Heat 5: Nat Young (USA) 17.10 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 12.10 Heat 6: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 15.96 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 15.16 Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.00 def. Glenn Hall (IRL) 10.44 Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 18.84 def. Ricardo Christie (NZL) 18.13 Heat 9: Adam Melling (AUS) 14.90 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 8.03 Heat 10: Kai Otton (AUS) 18.10 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 17.07 Heat 11: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 17.77 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 15.23 Heat 12: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 14.80 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 13.93 J-Bay Open Round 3 Results: Heat 1: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 15.50 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 15.40 Heat 2: Kai Otton (AUS) 15.50 def. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 12.83 Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) 17.94 def. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 8.40 Heat 4: Nat Young (USA) 16.87 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 8.03 J-Bay Open Round 3 Upcoming Match-Ups: Heat 5: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Dane Reynolds (USA) Heat 7: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. C.J. Hobgood (USA) Heat 8: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) Heat 9: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA) Heat 10: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Keanu Asing (HAW) Heat 11: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF) Heat 12: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA) Competition got underway today at the J-Bay Open, stop No. 6 on the 2015 Samsung Galaxy World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT). An exciting opening day saw action and upsets at Jeffreys Bay as the world's best surfers ran through Round 1 in challenging four-to-six foot surf and recommence this season’s hotly contested title race. The top three surfers on the Jeep Leaderboard, Adriano de Souza (BRA), Filipe Toledo (BRA) and Owen Wright (AUS), all suffered defeat while defending champion Mick Fanning (AUS) and four-time event winner Kelly Slater (USA) sailed through to advance directly to Round 3. Three-time WSL Champion Fanning (AUS) claimed a solid win with a 15.67 heat total. Fanning attacked the lineup with power and strength, showcasing his trademark smooth, polished lines. The Australian matched-up against replacement surfers Tomas Hermes (BRA) and Michael February (ZAF). February, trials runner-up, took his place in the competition as a replacement for rookie Matt Banting (AUS) who withdrew from the competition today after injuring his knee during a freesurf. “It was a little tricky out there but I was lucky to get the job done,” said Fanning. “It’s really unfortunate for Matt (Banting). He’s just starting to get on a bit of a roll on Tour and having a rookie year and an injury is pretty devastating so I feel for him. I hope he heals soon. Michael (February) is a great surfer, I love his unique style. I became aware of him last year, he was flying down the point doing great turns so I’m excited to see what else he can do out here. 11-time World Champion Slater (USA) posted an impressive 8.17 out of the gates with a full rotation for an early lead. Gliding effortlessly down the line Slater found a quick cover up for another big score, an excellent 8.83 and the highest single-wave score of the day. Slater first won the contest in 1996 and continued to dominate today against rivals Matt Wilkinson (AUS) and Glenn Hall (IRL), putting them both in a combination situation and taking the win with a 17.00 heat total. “I feel really good and I took a lot of time off this week,” said Slater. “I didn’t chase that last swell and I just took some time for myself. I also felt really good in my freesurf yesterday. I just felt really calm and I watched it a couple hours beforehand to see where to sit and which waves to catch and who’s doing what. I don’t feel like anyone’s been able to stand out today. I’ve got to do something, you know? Got to keep these guys on their toes while I’m here. I need good points right now” A close battle unfolded between Kolohe Andino (USA), Jeep ratings leader De Souza (BRA) and wildcard Slade Prestwich (ZAF) in Heat 6. The World No. 1 held the lead through much of the 30-minute bout, but a big frontside air reverse in the final seconds from Andino was enough to turn the heat. The American stole his first Round 1 heat win on the CT this year with a 7.93, upsetting De Souza and Prestwich, who will both surf again in elimination Round 2. “For some reason I’ve been really nervous this whole year and that heat I wasn’t nervous at all,” said Andino. “That’s the best way you can be going into a heat, that’s when you surf your best and I was stoked on that. It’s fun out there, I got big sections but it’s just not classic J-Bay and I think that’s what everyone wants.” Wildcard Dane Reynolds (USA) delivered another major upset in Heat 4 of Round 1, taking out World No. 2 Toledo (BRA) and Adam Melling (AUS). Reynolds unloaded power turns in the tricky conditions to take the win, sending his opponents to elimination Round 2. “Two 6’s isn’t an amazing heat score but in these conditions it’s really hard to surf out there,” Reynolds said. “I felt like I was out of rhythm on every wave but just luckily I got through them and got 6’s. That ended up winning the heat because sometimes it does.” C.J. Hobgood (USA) earned his first heat win of 2015 today after defeating Australians Kai Otton (AUS) and World No. 3 Owen Wright (AUS) in Heat 3. Hobgood snatched victory from Wright in the dying moments to secure his place in Round 3 and claim his best result of the season. “I just want to surf good and it was kind of a slow heat and Owen (Wright) has been going hard out there,” said Hobgood. “Owen’s surfing is so smooth. His turns look a lot bigger than mine so I know I have to catch bigger waves than him. Owen turns so hard in the pocket and he’s such a big guy, and his technique off the bottom and off the top, I honestly try to mirror that.” The lone South African on the CT, Jordy Smith (ZAF), returned to competition today after missing the Fiji Pro due to a knee injury. The two-time event winner took to the water in front of his home-town crowd in Heat 11 of Round 1 where he faced Bede Durbidge (AUS) and rookie Ricardo Christie (NZL). Smith struggled to post any scores of significance, complaining of a back injury after the end of the heat, while Durbidge dominated, opening strong and taking the win with a 14.00 heat total. “It’s totally a different ballgame from this morning and there weren’t many opportunities,” said Durbidge. “Jordy (Smith) didn’t really get a chance and Ricardo (Christie) neither. It was a tough one and hopefully we’ll get some better waves later on in the event. I love J-Bay, it’s definitely one of my favorite spots on tour. It’s a great spot and great vibe, and one of the best right-handers in the world.” The final heat of the day saw defending WSL Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA) take on two-time J-Bay Open winner Joel Parkinson (AUS) and Keanu Asing (HAW). It was the Hawaiian rookie that ran away with the lead, leaving his more experienced opponents searching for excellent scores to get back in the heat. Parkinson threw everything at his final wave on the buzzer, delivering three major maneuvers on a solid wave, needing an 8.76. The Australian was awarded 8.10 and will have to surf again in Round 2 alongside Medina.
“Having Gabriel (Medina) and Joel (Parkinson) in that heat was tough, those are two world champions and that was a world-class heat,” said Asing. “When I get those type of people in my heat it really brings the best surfing out in me. I’m just glad to say I can surf against these guys and I’m lucky enough to put up good scores against them and put up a good fight. I’m really enjoying my rookie year and this is better than what I dreamed of.” The J-Bay Open is webcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com. The world's best surfing is also broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports in Australia, MCS Extreme in France, EDGE Sports in China, South Korea, Malaysia and other territories and on Globo TV in Brazil. The J-Bay Open is the showcase event at the J-Bay Winterfest, a multi-sport and music festival in Jeffreys Bay from July 8 - 19. More details at www.jbaywinterfest.com. J-Bay Open Round 1 Results: Heat 1: Michel Bourez (PYF) 12.00, Brett Simpson (USA) 7.84, Taj Burrow (AUS) 5.26 Heat 2: Julian Wilson (AUS) 13.93, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 12.27, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 5.60 Heat 3: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 13.70, Owen Wright (AUS )12.86, Kai Otton (AUS) 9.73 Heat 4: Dane Reynolds (USA) 13.33, Adam Melling (AUS) 7.00, Filipe Toledo (BRA) 5.33 Heat 5: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.67, Michael February (ZAF) 11.33, Tomas Hermes (BRA) 7.66 Heat 6: Kolohe Andino (USA) 14.03, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.24, Slade Prestwich (ZAF) 10.33 Heat 7: Josh Kerr (AUS) 12.94, Dusty Payne (HAW) 10.14, Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 7.74 Heat 8: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.00, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 9.33, Glenn Hall (IRL) 5.40 Heat 9: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.60, Nat Young (USA) 10.00, Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 8.87 Heat 10: Fredrick Patacchia (USA) 14.90, Jadson Andre (BRA) 14.60, Italo Ferreira (BRA) 10.53 Heat 11: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 14.00, Ricardo Christie (NZL) 6.70, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 5.17 Heat 12: Keanu Asing (HAW) 13.93, Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.27, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 9.00 J-Bay Open Round 2 Match-Ups: Heat 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Slade Prestwich (ZAF) Heat 2: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Michael February (ZAF) Heat 3: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Tomas Hermes (BRA) Heat 4: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA) Heat 5: Nat Young (USA) vs. Brett Simpson (USA) Heat 6: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW) Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Glenn Hall (IRL) Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Ricardo Christie (NZL) Heat 9: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Adam Melling (AUS) Heat 10: Jadson Andre (BRA) vs. Kai Otton (AUS) Heat 11: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA) Heat 12: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) The biggest show in town is upon us. The JBay Open's waiting period has officially begun, but a lay day was called thanks to teeny swell (by JBay standards!) and pomping wind. There are 2 Saffa's in the event, with wildcard Slade Prestwich coming up in heat 6 and Jordy in heat 11. Jord's reckon's his knee is feeling better after an injury to it saw him miss Fiji. Both John John Florence and Jeremy Flores are outta the event. John's ankle's still stuffed, and Jeremy did a seri-ass face plant into the reef recently which fractured his face in a few spots. Might be hard to pick a winner, cos the swell isn't looked too all-time, which means big barrels and big carves could be replaced by an air game. Here's Surfline's forecast for the event: "For the opening day of the waiting period we will see decreasing, short period E swell from high pressure currently drifting eastward past South Africa; lully, building and longer period SW swell from a recent fetch deeper in the South Atlantic; and some short period W swell that should develop from a nearby fetch in the next 12-18 hours. The W and E swells will primarily bypass and/or be blocked from reaching J-Bay, with a fraction of the energy from each respective swell wrapping in, while the SW swell was from a storm/fetch that was never aimed especially well at J-Bay. Taking all of that into consideration, we should see rather jumbled surf (especially by J-Bay standards) in the waist-shoulder high range on Wednesday, with some sets to head high possible over the afternoon and evening on the low/incoming tide and as the longer period SW swell builds. Wind will be breezy offshore for clean surface conditions and we do anticipate contestable surf, although not of the highest quality.
On Thursday all of the above mentioned swells will be trending down, with some new, shorter period S swell building from a nearby fetch developing in the next 12 hours and new, longer period SW/SSW swell also filling over the afternoon. If the nearby fetch behaves as forecast in the half day or so we should see shoulder-head high surf Thursday AM, building to head high to a couple feet overhead by the later afternoon and evening hours. Friday could see a holding to slowly fading trend in the mixed southerly swell with size on Friday morning similar to Thursday afternoon. Unfortunately, it also looks like we’ll see unfavorable onshore easterly flow both days. At this point it looks like the shorter period S swell and long period SSW swell will be fading by Saturday along with N/devil wind in the morning, although latest model guidance points to improving conditions Saturday afternoon as flow shifts to the NW/WNW. Stay tuned. Going a little further out, there is nothing major on the radar right now. However, we will monitor a pair a pair of groundswells that forecast guidance currently indicates would be in the mid size range and we may need to really pick the eyes out of these modest swells with varying conditions. Our next swell of interest could start to build on Sunday, with a possible peak Monday and maybe into Tuesday with medium size surf (roughly similar to Thur PM/Fri). Right now the swell looks really ‘west’ in direction on Sunday and would mainly bypass J-Bay. However, if the swell directions trends more SW/SSW on Mon/Tue- as is currently indicated by model guidance- we could see more size. Wind on Sun/Mon currently looks favorable (WSW/W), with onshore/E flow possibly returning Tuesday. Stay tuned. Beyond that, another mid size SW swell looks possible right around the end of the waiting period (18th-19th). Stay tuned." PE local Kurt Van Vollenhoven is running an online video comp called Boss of the Bay. Here's the low-down on the comp from Kurt:
"What do you get when you take a high adrenalin sport like surfing, add to it the availability of high-res consumer cameras - mix that together and throw in some internet? You get an online surfing compo – and no we're not talking about surfing the net here! This comp requires you to hit the PE surf, get some footage of you doing your thing, package it into a short video and upload it to Youtube and drop a link on the Facebook page for the comp. What can you win you may ask? Well there's a massive discount on a brand new board, a voucher for some serious chow at Something Good and also a year's subscription to the Boardtalk mag. How exactly do you win you may ask? Well, its quite simple actually – the video that gets the most likes on the Facebook page comes first, the second highest amount of likes comes second, etc. What are the rules? All videos must be filmed in the Nelson Mandela Bay District between now and the 30th of September. The 7th October is the cutoff date by when the likes will be tallied so you basically have one week after the cutoff date to push for those last likes but you don't have to wait until the 30th September to upload your vid. Lastly, this comp is only open to people residing in the Nelson Mandela Bay Muncipality and open to all ages including longboarders and shortboard riders. I decided to run this comp to uplift PE surfing and show the world that we do have some sick breaks here (albeit not that regular). My hope is to see a greater vibe among PE surfers with more guys and girls pushing each other to surf harder, share waves better and have a lekker jol together when we out there in the waves together. If you would like to sponsor any prizes or know of anyone who would, don't hesitate to drop me a mail at kurtanraizer@yahoo.com Ciao and happy surfing, filming and editing." So there ya have it peeps, get filming to get winning. To follow the comp and check out new entries, Like the comp page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Boss-of-the-Bay-Surf-Comp/1603675809900129 The 2015 edition of the JBay Winterfest presented by Woodlands Dairy, is merely a week away. This year, the third year of the Winterfest, is set to be another great year of exciting action sports events, as well as the music festival. The Oakley X-Over, the popular the multi-discipline 'cross-over' event, has announced an international wildcard in Australian professional surfer Tom Whitaker. A fierce competitor in all disciplines, Tom will add a great international flavour to the event. Oakley has also announced the winner of their #OneObsession campaign to get a member of the public into the event. It was won by Plettenberg local Wihann Kotze. For more on the Oakley X-Over - www.jbaywinterfest.com/events-2015/oakley-x-over-challenge/ The JBay MTB Open has signed a new headline sponsor in the Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm. The JBay MTB Open now carries the unique distinction of being the only MTB event in Africa to run through a wind farm. Riders taking part in all three routes will be racing through the wind farm, riding along roads that are interspersed by 80m tall wind turbines towers, spread more than 500m apart. The wind farm site spans 3 700 hectares on which there are 60 wind turbines. This project is one of the first and largest wind farms in South Africa. Details of the JBay MTB Open can be found here www.jbaywinterfest.com/events-2015/j-bay-mtb-open/ The JBay Open, the 6th event in the World Surf League Championship Tour, is all set, and awaiting the international surfing contingent. Former two-times JBay event winner Jordy Smith will be in attendance, coming back from a recent injury. Along with him will be defending champion Mick Fanning from Australia, 11 times world champion Kelly Slater from USA, current world champion Gabriel Medina from Brazil and current World Surf League Championship Tour Jeep Leaderboard number 1 Adriano De Souza from Brazil. Slade Prestwich from Durban is the first wild card into the event after winning the JBU Supertrial presented by RVCA in excellent surf at Supertubes recently. Slade is a current World Qualifying Series campaigner, no stranger to big surf contests, and has the Big Match Temperament to really impress in this event. The other wildcard is Californian surfer and former Championship Tour campaigner Dane Reynolds. Commonly referred to as one of the most exciting surfers in the world, Dane was awarded the second wildcard by the WSL Commissioner's Office for his recent explosive performances and ninth place finish at the Fiji Pro. Dane's inclusion has interesting repercussions as a recent WSL rule change allows wildcards to keep rankings points. Reynolds currently sits at no.34, well below the No.22 cutoff. However, he still ranks higher than full-time CT surfers CJ Hobgood (USA) and Brett Simpson (USA). More on the JBay Open here www.jbaywinterfest.com/events-2015/j-bay-open-of-surfing/ The Core Downhill Sokkie Jol is an action-packed downhill skate event that has proven to be one of the most successful contests at the JBay Winterfest. This year will see new obstacles and a whole new funky vibe. The course will comprise of berms, rollers, tunnels and three x 90 degree bends. Estimated top speeds could reach up to 60kmh. It's promised to be a punchy track that will challenge any skilled skater. More here: www.jbaywinterfest.com/events-2015/downhill-sokkie-jol/ For those who are prepared to brave the cold water of the Marina Martinique, there is the Infood Blu Cold Water Classic. Event organiser Brenton Williams is excited about the event and the conditions. "The water temperature at Marina Martinique is hovering at 13 -14 C," said Williams. "This should please South Africa's most hardened swimmers as they prepare to take on the challenge of swimming 7.5Km wearing nothing but a speedo-type costume, goggles and a cap in the icy water." For this event there will also be a 2.5 km and a 5 km swim where swimmers have a choice of wearing either a wetsuit or a speedo whilst swimming. Roger Finch, South Africa's only Triple Crown swimmer is a confirmed entrant, and he will be joined by defending champion Rebecca Newman. More information can be found at www.swimmingplus.com The Billabong Junior Series presented by BOS Event One - #BillabongJNR -is set to take place at Magnatubes from 13 - 17 July. This event will also have an international flavour, with a crew of overseas surfers entered into the event. Griffin Collapinto (USA), Ethan Ewing (Australia), Seth Moniz (Hawaii), Shaun Manners (Australia), Eithan Osborne (USA), and Liam O'Brien from Australia will all be surfing in the tournament. It is the first time that an event of this size has been held at Magnatubes, a great location for junior surfing. All the event details can be found here www.jbaywinterfest.com/events-2015/billabong-junior-pro/ The Music Festival, taking place at the Jolly Dolphin will feature acts like Jack Parow, Matthew Mole, Shortstraw, Taxi Violence, Grimehouse, PHFAT and Desmond and the Tutus. For more information and bookings go here www.jbaywinterfest.com/music-festival/
An exciting new event is the JBayX Trail Run, a 2-day, 3-event extreme trail run. The JBayX is unique in concept, entailing 3 individual trail runs, all starting 12-hours apart, showcasing the best of the Jeffreys Bay area. The total distance covered will be just over 60 km. For more information go to www.jbaywinterfest.com/events-2015/jbay-x-trail-run/ -- The JBay Winterfest has a few vibrant Social Media channels that will be relaying the action throughout the 12 days. Website: jbaywinterfest.com/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/jbaywinterfest Twitter: @jbaywinterfest |
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July 2021
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