– Clean, powerful waves for opening day
– Big scores for big turns
– Click Here To Download Hi-Res Images
Ballito – the swell lines were pouring in at first light this morning at Willard Beach. The best junior surfers in the country, along with international athletes, prepared for the opening day of the O’Neill SMTH Shapes Rookie Rippers event. With great waves running down the bank at Willard, the event officials had no hesitation in sending out the first heat.
Levi Epenetos © Dave Lindemann
Willard Beach Comes Alive
It was a welcome sight for the juniors after they had surfed in very small conditions at a few events recently. The waves at Willard, the contest venue for this tournament and four upcoming surf contests, were solid and highly contestable. Thus allowing surfers to push their limits and impress the judges.
Kai Hall won his first-round U18 Boys heat. © Dave Lindemann.
Top Performers
Top performers in the U18 Boys division were Matt Canning, Levi Epenetos and Loghann Tilsley, all scoring above 13 points (out of a possible 20) for their heat totals to advance. Other heat winners included Xavier Van Der Merwe, Kieran Murphy, Ben Esterhuyse, Kai Hall, Rylan Jarvis and Clayton Turell amongst others.
Loghann Tilsley © Dave Lindemann
The conditions had deteriorated somewhat by the time the U16 Boys hit the water, but there were still plenty of corners for the contestants to get going on. Ashton Sangster and Levi Vosloo were the two standouts in this division, with Vosloo putting a solid 14.06 points on the scoreboard, while Marcello Zedde was one of the top surfers in the U14 Boys division, along with Ethan Schermbrucker and Tom Pearson.
Forecast
The conditions forecast looks promising for tomorrow, with good swell and winds prevailing. The surfing will kick off with the U12 Boys Quarterfinals tomorrow, but the schedule is subject to change, so please keep an eye on the LiveHeats schedule.
In the U16 Girls Division, Leah Lepront won the first quarterfinal, and Maya Malherbe took the honours in the second quarter, advancing with Max Kauffman.
Competitors can find the event draw and heat results on LIVEHEATS.
Click HERE for the full Ballito Pro festival calendar.
Read more: Gallery: Day One of the O’Neill SMTH Shapes Rookie Rippers
Willard Beach is a high-performance, predominantly right-breaking wave that provides the perfect canvas for competitors to impress the Surfing South Africa judging panel and win valuable rating points and prize money. The judging criteria comprise speed, power and flow, and judges are always looking for combination moves and progressive surfing techniques.
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For O’Neill SMTH Shapes Rookie Rippers media enquiries and photo requests:
Craig Jarvis:
e. craig@truthcollective.co.za
t. 082 376 4443
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For Surfing South Africa enquiries or event details:
SSA General Manager Reza De Nicker:
e. reza@surfingsouthafrica.co.za
t. 079 373 1964
Ends./
About Surfing South Africa
Surfing South Africa is the official National Federation for Surfing in South Africa. SSA is a member of the South African Confederation of Sport and Olympic Committee (SASCOC). It is recognised as the governing body by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
Surfing South Africa is responsible for developing the sport, hosting National tournaments, sanctioning International events. Also, selecting National teams in all SSA disciplines. SSA is a member of the African Surfing Confederation (ASC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA), the sport’s World governing body.
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