The O’Neill SMTH Shapes Rookie Rippers, which is the curtain-raiser the annual Ballito Pro Festival, was scheduled to take place at Willard Beach on July 4-6 but massive surf on Day one of the event forced contest officials to put the contest on hold until Day two.
Despite this challenge, the O’Neill Rookie Rippers delivered two days of outstanding junior surfing and showcased the depth of South Africa’s emerging talent in some of the best competitive surfing conditions seen in the country this year.
With one day of competition lost, heat times were reduced from 20 to 15 minutes on day two and Finals day so that the event could be completed in time. This reduction in heat times provided valuable preparation for South Africa’s junior team ahead of the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in early September where heat times in the early rounds are generally 15 minutes long.
The swell calmed down on day two and competitors were provided with clean, solid four-foot surf near-perfect conditions throughout. On a day packed with highlights, Willard Beach produced some flawless barrels providing the perfect platform for many of South Africa’s top junior surfers to deliver an incredible performance in world-class waves.
One of the standout moments came from Ry Colepeper, who posted a perfect 10-point single wave score after riding one of the deepest and most technically impressive barrels of the event.
The surf was slightly smaller on Finals day but there were still plenty of solid waves to be found which gave competitors numerous opportunities to shine .While surfers in the U18, U16 and U14 divisions handled the demanding conditions with commitment and confidence, it was the surfers in the U12 Boys and Girls divisions who earned praise for their courage and determination in the challenging conditions..
Surfing South Africa General Manager Danielle Powis, was full of praise for the competitors and the event as a whole.
“This contest was a fantastic reminder of just how bright the future of South African surfing is. From our youngest Under 12 surfers showing incredible bravery and determination to our Under 18 athletes taking on world-class barrels with confidence and skill, every competitor rose to the occasion. The decision to prioritise athlete safety on the opening day was absolutely the right one, and what followed over the next two busy days was some of the highest-quality junior surfing we’ve seen in recent years. It was also invaluable preparation for our national squad as they continue their journey towards the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship later this year.”
The O’Neill SMTH Shapes Rookie Rippers once again reinforced its reputation as one of South Africa’s premier SA Junior Surf Tour (SAST) events, providing the country’s next generation of surfers with the opportunity to compete in world-class conditions while continuing their progression along the national performance pathway.
The event was sponsored by O’Neill, supported by SMTH Shapes and the Ballito Pro Festival and was run by accredited Surfing South Africa officials, judges, volunteers and water safety teams who made the competition both possible and memorable.
RESULTS:
Under 18 Boys
1st – Ben Esterhuyse
2nd – Matt Canning
3rd – Loghann Tilsley
4th – Kai Stubbs
Under 18 Girls
1st – Louise Lepront
2nd – Emily Jenkinson
3rd – Lila Aszoles
4th – Max Kauffman
Under 16 Boys
1st – Ben Esterhuyse
2nd – Carl Wiersma
3rd – William Neil
4th – Owen Heny
Under 16 Girls
1st – Camilla Heuer
2nd – Lila Aszoles
3rd – May Malherbe
4th – Emma Schermbrucker
Under 14 Boys
1st – Ethan Schermbrucker
2nd – Lazaro De Bruyn
3rd – Ryder Bertish
4th – Tom Pearson
Under 14 Girls
1st – Maya Malherbe
2nd – Brin Jarvis
3rd – Skyla Nadauld
4th – Adrianna Canning
Under 12 Boys
1st – Cody Painter
2nd – Jonathan Pearson
3rd – Charley Songca
4th – Roadie Boddy
Under 12 Girls
1st – Adrianna Canning
2nd – Olivia Shooter
3rd – Lexi Venter
4th – Billi Bo Baker
All the Results of the event, from Round One right up to the Final can be found on www.liveheats.com/surfingsouthafrica
ALL IMAGES ©Dave Lindemann