Press Release / Billabong South Africa / 21 September, 2008:- Klee Strachan clinched the prestigious Pro Junior title in the five-event, R230 000 Billabong Junior Series, maintaining his ratings lead despite finishing equal fifth behind Dale Staples (St Francis Bay), the winner of the final event in the series at Jeffreys Bay on Sunday.
Strachan, 19, from Winkelspruit, also secured an invitation to the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships in Australia in January by retaining his No. 1 ranking and securing the 2008 ASP Africa Pro Junior title.
Staples pocketed US $2 000 (approx R16 000) for his victory over defending series and event champion Rudy Palmboom (Bluff) in the man-on-man final of the ASP Africa sanctioned, Grade 1 Pro Junior event. The 17 year-old Eastern Cape local led throughout the 25 minute heat, posting 6.0 and 7.5 point rides early on and then sealing the victory with an excellent 8.0 two minutes from the end.
The win rocketed Staples from 11th to second on the Billabong Junior Series ratings with Nick Godfrey (Cape St Francis), who was ousted by surprise package Chris Leppan (Umhlanga) in the quarters, taking third place overall.
Staples, who dedicated his victory to legendary South African surf coach Graham Hynes, had earlier beaten his younger brother, Dane, in the quarters and good friend Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay) the semis. Palmboom sidelined Brendon Gibbens (Kommetjie) and then Leppan in the semis on his way to the final.
Strachan will be joined by Godfrey, Joubert and Casey Grant in the ASP Africa squad in Australia with Palmboom, currently No. 107 on the WQS ratings, likely to join them as the highest internationally ranked local Pro Junior.
Sarah Baum, (Athlone Park, 14) proved the depth of talent amongst the country’s rising female surf stars, defeating event favourite Bianca Buitendag (George, 15) in the final of the girls specialty event to earn an invitation to the World Junior Champs plus R12 000 sponsored by First National Bank towards her airfare to Australia.
Baum put on an outstanding display of high performance surfing in the wind affected waves, grabbing the lead with a 6.25 at the start of the heat and then slamming the door on her opponent with a 7.25 that consisted of just two massive manoeuvres.
The always tightly contested U16 boys division delivered another cracker with Somerset West’s Jacob Mellish securing the biggest win of his career in a dream performance. The national team reserve and consistent finalist was awarded 7.5 and 6.4 point scores to record a narrow victory over Davey Brand (Kommetjie) with Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga) and David van Zyl (Glenashley) taking third and fourth.
His haul of R2 000 and 1 000 points catapulted Mellish into third place on the yearend ratings, behind U16 series champion de Vries and runner-up Brand, and a share of the prize-pool provided by Billabong and First National Bank.
Jeffreys Bay locals Dylan Lightfoot and Steven Sawyer dominated the U14 final with Lightfoot capturing the event title. Sarah Baum upset her male peers by reaching the final where she finished third, ahead of Daniel Buitendag, brother of Bianca who she went on the defeat in the girls’ event.
Slade Prestwich (Park Rynie), who was eliminated by Sawyer and Baum in semifinals, held onto his ratings lead to add the U14 series title to the U12 crown he won last year, with Sawyer and Lightfoot moving into second and third places overall thanks to their results in the final event.
Max Armstrong (Kommetjie) posted his second successive victory in the U12 boys, scoring a 7.0 early in the final to finish ahead of Jason JJ Harris (Scottburgh), an out of rhythm Benji Brand (Kommetjie) and 10 year-old Jordy Maree (Kalk Bay), who was appearing in his fifth final of 2008.
The result was almost enough to give Armstrong a second U12 series crown to go with his 2006 title. He finished an agonisingly close second behind Brand, the final points tally being 3730 points to 3720 from the best four out of five results, with Maree taking third overall.
The spectacular finale to the Von Zipper Air Show saw Casey Grant (Scottburgh) boost back-to-back ‘no hands, inverted aerials’ on the same wave to bag the R2 000 winner-takes-all prize-money.
See www.billabong.com/za for all the results and the latest images and news from the event. The webpage also features athlete profiles, a photo gallery from this and previous events, local and international video footage, competitions and much more. The US $5 000 Grade 1 Pro Junior boys event was sanctioned by ASP Africa.
The U16, U14 and U12 divisions were sanctioned by Surfing South Africa (SSA), the national controlling body for the sport. Ratings points earned in each series event also count towards the annual SSA Pro Surf Tour (PST) rankings. The series is proudly supported by First National Bank, Palmers, Kustom and Von Zipper.
The 2008 Billabong Junior Series started at St Mikes (21-23 February) before moving to Durban (25-27 April), Cape Town (9-11 May), Victoria Bay in the Southern Cape (7-10 August) and concluded in Jeffreys Bay (18-21 September) where the series champions were crowned for the 12th successive year.
2008 Billabong Junior Series Final Series ratings (Best 4 out of 5 results)
Pro Junior boys
1. Klee Strachan (Winkelspruit)
2. Dale Staples (St Francis Bay)
3. Nicholas Godfrey (Cape St Francis)
4. Chad du Toit (Berea)
5. Brendon Gibbens (Kommetjie)
U16 Boys
1. Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga)
2. Davey Brand (Kommetjie)
3. Jacob Mellish (Somerset West) 2970 pts
U/14 Boys
1. Slade Prestwich (Park Rynie
2. Steven Sawyer (Jeffreys Bay)
3. Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay)
U/12 Boys
1. Benji Brand (Kommetjie)
2. Max Armstrong (Kommetjie)
3. Jordy Maree (Kalk Bay)
Jeffreys Bay (Event No. 5 of 5)
Pro Junior Boys
1. Dale Staples (St Francis Bay)
2. Rudy Palmboom (Bluff)
3. Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay)
3. Chris Leppan (Umhlanga)
5. Klee Strachan (Winkelspruit)
5. Dane Staples (St Francis Bay)
5. Brendon Gibbens (Kommetjie)
5. Nick Godfrey (Cape St Francis)
Pro Junior Girls (Specialty event)
1. Sarah Baum (Athlone Park)
2. Bianca Buitendag (George)
3. Nikita Robb (East London)
3. Tarryn Chudleigh (Kommetjie)
U16 Boys
1. Jacob Mellish (Somerset West)
2. Davey Brand (Kommetjie)
3. Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga)
4. David van Zyl (Glenashley)
U14 Boys
1. Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay)
2. Steven Sawyer (Jeffreys Bay)
3. Sarah Baum (Athlone Park)
4. Daniel Buitendag (George)
U12 Boys
1. Max Armstrong (Kommetjie)
2. Jason JJ Harris (Scottburgh)
3. Benji Brand (Kommetjie)
4. Jordy Maree (Kalk Bay)
Von Zipper Air Show
Casey Grant (Scottburgh)
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