Anticipation is building amongst the country’s top young surfers as they prepare for the 2013 Hurley SA Junior Champs which get underway in the world renowned waves of Jeffreys Bay on Wednesday morning.
The team and individual national titles at stake, a host of lucrative special prizes, the chance to represent the country on the international stage and swell models predicting that the Lower Point will produce legendary overhead waves later in the week have combined to raise the excitement levels to fever-pitch. Jeffreys Bay resident Matt McGillivray will be doing battle in the Under 17 Boy’s division this year after helping his Eastern Province team to clinch their first Freedom Cup team title at last year’s Hurly SA Junior Champs by winning the U15 title, the Surfer of the Contest Award and the Red Bull Airshow at the event. “I am really stoked the event is at Point as I can just walk down and surf there almost every day which is a big advantage,” says Matt. “I’ve been trying to stay fit and healthy and have been surfing lots so I’m feeling good and am very excited for the contest.” Fellow SA national team member Steff Burrows has a reputation of charging overhead waves in his home breaks in the Boland and is looking forward to solid waves at J-Bay in his quest for the U17 title. “It’s sick,” says Steff of Lower Point. “I won a comp there earlier this year, so that helps with the confidence, I guess. And yeah, we’ve been getting some big barrels and uncrowded waves at home this winter.” The Eastern Province team is determined use their home-surf advantage to add their name to the historic Freedom Cup for the second successive year in the 17 year history of the event. Meanwhile 2012 runners-up KwaZulu-Natal Central, 2011 champions Western Province and teams from Southern KZN, Border, Boland, Zululand, Southern Cape and the SA Development Academy will be doing their best to wrest the prestigious team trophy away from the hosts. In addition to the individual champions being forever recorded in the storied history of South African surfing, the winners of the U17 and U15 boys and girls titles are also automatically included in the SA Junior team that will represent the country at the next ISA World Junior Championships. The top performers at the event are also in line for an array of lucrative special awards, including:
Continuing the family-friendly atmosphere created throughout the event by the sponsors, there is also a bring and braai with live music provided by top SA musician Farryl Purkiss at the beach on Thursday evening and the “My Dad’s Shred Sesh” presented by Firewire Surfboards and the Country Feeling Surfshop is scheduled for 4.30 pm Friday as the anticipated new swell kicks in. See video highlights from the 2012 champs and preview for 2013 at the event website www.sajuniorchamps.co.za All the action and behind the scenes highlights at the 2013 Hurley SA Junior Champs can be followed on the following digital platforms:
The Hurley SA Junior Champs is sanctioned by Surfing South Africa (SSA), recognised by the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and Sport and Recreation SA as the national governing body for the sport. SSA is a member of the International Surfing Association (ISA), the world’s governing body for surfing. The 2013 Hurley SA Junior Champs is supported by All Aboard Travel, Skullcandy, Red Bull, Zigzag, Oakley, Neff, Vans Off The Wall, FUTURELIFE and Island Tribe in association with Sticky Bumps Wax, Channel Islands and Mayhem surfboards.
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