Junior Surfers Battle it out in Durbs

A cross-section of South Africa’s
junior surfing talent was represented on day one of the 3A Surfing South Africa
Mr Price Pro Junior, as girls, boys and development surfers tore apart the
clean 0.5 metre waves on offer at Durban’s New Pier.

Diminutive Southern Cape surfer Bianca Buitendag (George) emerged as a standout
performer, outscoring the entire pro junior girls field with the highest heat
total of the morning, a 15.00 (out of a possible 20.00).

Third on the Surfing South Africa
U20 girls Pro Surf Tour ratings Buitendag, earned an excellent 8.00 ride (out
of a possible 10.00) for a series of powerful snaps, defeating French surfer
Pauline Ado, Danielle Le Roux (Dbn) and Amber Kilfoil (Dbn).

"I couldn’t have asked for a better
start to this event," Buitendag said. "The waves were pretty small but I made
sure I was on the right ones – I knew that’s what it was going to take to win
out there today."

Defending Mr Price Pro Junior
champion Nikita Robb (East London) slipped
smoothly into pro junior mode after campaigning full time on the international
circuit this year. Robb snatched a comfortable victory over up-and-coming Durban surfer Kirsty
Delport, Catherine Lee and Leslee Salzman (Dbn).

"I’m stoked to get that first heat
over and done with," Robb said. "Whenever I come back from oversees I notice
the growth in our junior surfers – I would even go as far as to say I felt a
little threatened by a few of them out there today. I’ll definitely be keeping
my eye on some of them in the upcoming heats."

Currently rated 20^th on
the ASP World Qualifying Series, Robb said she was taking the Mr Price Pro
Junior just as seriously as the upcoming 5-Star Women’s World Qualifying Series
event that gets underway on Monday.

"The Mr Price Pro Junior is a good
event to win, you get a lot of exposure out of it and it’s a great warm up
going straight into the WQS," Robb said. "It’s always good to get a few extra
heats under your belt and get some momentum going."

Tarryn
Chudleigh (Kommetjie) and Lee-Ann Curren (France) looked equally impressive,
both surfers earning 7.00 rides to win their respective heats and advance
Godfrey (Cape St Francis), Benji Brand (Kommetjie) and Hayden MacNicol
(Scottburgh) advanced in first place later in the afternoon.

The Mr
Price Pro Junior continues today which will see the 2008 boys and girls
champions crowned at approximately 16h00. The girls final is scheduled for
15h00 while the boys will take place at 13h35.

RESULTS

Pro Junior Girls results:

 Round of 32

Heat 1: Sarah Baum (Dbn) 11.50;
Lauire McGregor (El) 5.30; Sabrina Scott (CT) 5.30; Meeca Gordon (Dbn) 3.70

Heat 2: Lee-Ann Curren (Fra) 12.25;
Heidi Palmboom (Bluff) 7.45; Michelle Imeson (Wnr) 6.15

Heat 3: Faye Zoetmulder (PE) 8.25;
Morag Steele (Swest) 4.75; Nikita Kekana (Dbn) 2.90; Puvashnee Nydoo (Dbn) 2.65

Heat 4: Tarryn Chudleigh (Komm)
11.25; Holly Armstrong (Komm) 4.50; Kirsten Sinclair (Mgate) 1.75

Heat 5: Chantelle Rautenbach (Mbos)
8.20; Tanika Hoffman (Komm) 7.00; Lois Hansmeyer (Dbn) 4.15

Heat 6: Nikita Robb (El) 12.50;
Kirsty Delport (Dbn) 9.75; Catherine Lee (EL) 3.60; Leslie Salzman (Dbn) 3.45

Heat 7: Bianca Buitendach (George)
15.00; Pauline Ado (Fra) 7.50; Danielle le Roux (Dbn) 6.50; Amber Kilfoil
(Bluff) 5.10

Heat 8: Alice McGregor (EL) 9.50;
Grace Rheeders (Dbn) 4.35; Heather Klug (Dbn) 4.00; Cara Macdonald (EL) 2.93