The Little Five

Five groms to watch at the RVCA Junior Challenge

The third edition of the RVCA Junior Challenge 2015 is set to go down from 13 to 15 June at Lower Point in J-Bay. The event has grown from a small, local affair, to the biggest junior happening in the country. What that means, is that the action is guaranteed to be hot across all the divisions. We quizzed high performance coach Llewellyn Whittacker for (an unbiased) insight into who he reckons will be the standouts.

James Ribbink
James won't be defending his U10 Boys title, as he has moved up a division. He will however, be defending his U12 title, as he won both divisions in 2014 (as well as claiming Male Surfer Of The Event prize). This year he has also entered int the U14 division. Another double on the cards? We don't want to put any undue pressure on the KZN youngster, but we will say this. If you're U14 and find him in your heat. Be afraid, be very afraid. Says Lu: “Strong surfer, cool calm and collective very consistent and has great wave selection.”

Ford Van Jaarsveld
“Super natural talent has all the flair can be a serious threat if he competes and catches the right right wave,” says Lu. As with James, Ford who will compete in two divisions, the U16 division and U20 boys in order to gain some more experience against older competitors. “Lower Point is a super fun and contestable wave,” he said of the contest venue adding that he is hoping for four-foot waves and light offshore winds.

Adin Masencamp
History has shown, the reeling walls of Lower Point suit his smooth, fluid style. (He’s a three-time SA Junior champ). The 15-year-old has also dropped some big results in older divisions so look for him to be a threat in both U16 and U20. “Always a title contender,” comments Lu. “Adin is a seriously competitive person by nature, but he must keep his cool.”

Jake Elkington
The older of the Elkington brothers is Mr Consistent. He’s a natural footer who knows what needs to be done on a wave and how to be strategic and read a situation. “He knows what it take to get through a heat, smart surfer,” says Lu.

Anna Butler
Many are calling this 15-year-old from Kalk Bay, ‘the next big thing.’ Look out for her to rise as the dark horse of the event. “She’s been surfing only a couple of year, but is super talented,” explains Lu. “She works hard and knows how's to surf a heat, look out!”