North Beach, Durban – Easter weekend (22-24 April) sees North Beach, Durban play host to the 2011 Quiksilver Pro Junior and King of the Groms. Over 80 of South Africa’s best junior surfers are expected to compete in the event that has fast become the biggest and most prestigious junior surfing event on the calendar. North Beach is a very consistent beach break with multiple random peaks and is the perfect arena for spectators to get up close and personal when the action heats up in the water.
Proceedings will get underway on Thursday 21 April with a Quiksilver/Durban Surf Day. Surfers from various different backgrounds have been invited to participate in a fun tag team event whereby ever-improving surfers from previously disadvantaged backgrounds will be teamed up with top juniors and other well-known professional surfers as they compete for fun and some great prizes. Good food and drinks, laughs, complimentary Quiksilver t-shirts and caps will all be on the menu for the day.
Friday 22 April, to kick start the event, sees 8 Future Stars surfers take to the water to compete for a wildcard place in the main event. These surfers from all over the country have been selected from Surfing South Africa’s transformation program and will be flown to Durban and accommodated for the event as part of their experience. Last year Dominic Abersalie from Jeffrey’s Bay took out the Future Stars competition for the second time and progressed impressively into the latter rounds of the main Pro Junior division. This year event organizers hope to see the level of the Future Stars raised once again.
The Quiksilver Pro Junior is a 2 star rated ASP junior event and boasts a massive US$ 10, 000 (R75 000) prize money with the winner claiming US$ 2, 500 (R18 750) of that total. This event will count towards deciding the South African juniors that will compete in the ASP World Champs in Australia in January 2012. Last year’s winner Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay) and runner-up Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga) have been deemed the two favourites but will not have it all their own way should the likes of Brendon Gibbens (Cape Town), Dale Staples (St. Francis Bay), David van Zyl (Durban) and Nic Godfrey (Cape St. Francis) find their form. “I am super amped for this years’ Quik Pro Junior, I have been competing quite a bit oversees recently and it has been tough so it would be good to get a big win under my belt to boost my confidence before traveling again. The Quik Pro is definitely one of the events on the calendar that you want to do well in,” said de Vries. Other threats to watch out for is Cape Town charger Matt Bromley, rising star Steven Sawyer (Jeffrey’s Bay) and current under 17 South African Champion Michael February (Cape Town).
The King of the Groms is a PST (Pro Surf Tour) rated event and caters for the younger surfers, U16, U14 and U12 divisions will be jam packed with the hottest talent South Africa has to offer. The under 16 winner will receive R5 000 cash, some insane Skullcandy headphones and an all expenses paid trip to France for the Quiksilver King of the Groms International finals which is held in conjunction with the Quiksilver Pro France WCT in October. Last year Slade Prestwich (Scottburgh) managed to secure himself a place on the prestigious king’s throne after some grueling competition in testing 2 foot surf. Slade jetted off to France and surfed exceptionally well on a global stage to earn himself an equal 3rd place and some valuable experience. “Competing in France was unreal, the beach breaks there are amazing. I also got to hang out with Travis Logie a lot and also met Dane Reynolds, Mick Fanning and a bunch of other top surfers. I am really looking forward to this year’s event,” said Prestwich. Other names to take note of are the in-form Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffrey’s Bay) who is the current U15 South African Champion as well as fellow SA team members Diran Zakarian (Cape Town) and Benj Brand (Cape Town).
There will be some great Quiksilver and Skullcandy prizes on offer in the Expression Session before the finals, which should produce some mind-blowing surfing. Finals for all four divisions will be held on Sunday (24 April) afternoon with prize giving and crowning immediately after at the event site.
All the photos, videos, results and more can be found at the event’s website: www.quikprojunior.co.za as well as www.facebook.com/quiksilver.
The Quiksilver Pro Junior and King of the Groms is presented by Durban and other sponsors include Skullcandy, ASP, SSA, SuperSport, Brandhouse, Bokomo and Nestle Pure Life Water.
Image: Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga), runner-up of the 2010 Quiksilver Pro Junior is one of the 2011 favourites.
The attached image is royalty free for editorial use only, no commercial rights granted. The copyright is owned by Quiksilver.
High resolution images available on request.
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