Team SA junior surfers posted mixed results in the glassy head-high waves on offer for Day 3 of the VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship being staged near the Huntington Beach pier in California.
The eight SA surfers in action recorded four heat wins, one runner-up berth, three third place finishes and a fourth place, as organisers wrapped up the remaining main event round 1 heats and most of round 2 in all four U18 and U16 boys and girls divisions.
Gabi Lailvaux from Westbrook, opened her account at the event by grabbing second place in a low-scoring U18 girls main event round 1 heat, but could not maintain her momentum in round 2 where she placed third and dropped into the Repecharge stream.
East London’s Zoe Steyn, whose representing the country in both the U18 and U16 girls divisions, came out with all guns blazing in her round 2 U18 girls match-up, delivering a heat-winning double-figure total of 12.63 – out of 20, to finish ahead of Summer Macedo from Hawaii, whose the 2015 winner of the U16 girls division and one of the favorites for gold in the U18 division this year.
Unfortunately in round 2 of the U16 girls, Steyn placed fourth and faces elimination the 15min Repecharge heats, where only the top two are chosen and the rest are eliminated from the event.
Kayla Nogueira from uMhlanga produced a confident opening performance to win her first heat in the U16 girls and will be among the first to surf in round 2, she will be joined by her teammate Ceara Knight, who did not compete on Monday.
In the U18 boys, Luke Slijpen from Hout Bay, racked up his second heat win of the event to progress to round 3 and to be in the last 32 for the main event. But Jeffreys Bay’ Angelo Faulkner, will have to battle his way through the Repecharge rounds for the rest of the event after finishing fourth behind opponents from USA, Italy and Brazil.
Mitch du Preez form East London emulated his teammate Slijpen with his second successive heat win in the U16 boys, outscoring competitors from Panama, Italy and Puerto Rico. But due to the unexpected seeding system, Durbanites Tide-Lee Ireland and Luke Thompson both relegated to the Repecharge stream following their third place finish behind team members from Brazil and USA.
Tuesday’s action will see the first eliminations among the record setting 361 athletes from 44 nations in the event when the Repecharge round 1 and round 2 heats are run for U18 boys and girls and Repecharge round 1 for U16 boys and girls as well.
Surfing South Africa is the National Governing body for the sport in South Africa. SSA is a member of the South African Sports Commission and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), the African Surfing Confederation (ASC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA).
Photo: Mitch du Preez (East London) posted his second successive heat victory in Round 2 of the U16 boys Main Event on Day 3 of the VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championships at the iconic Huntington Beach pier in California, by ISA / Evans