Time to Resync

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Sometimes the surfing world gets a bit lost in a universe of John John Florence at Pipe, Kelly doing crazy backhand things, Kolohe pulling signs at judges and big wave surfers backdooring Jaws barrels big enough to have their own weather systems inside.

We tend to forget about the Courtney Conlogues, the Carissa Moores and the Bianca Buitendags of the pro tour. It’s not necessarily an overtly sexist thing. Perhaps it's the way the media publishes the news - with too much testosterone.

Even Keala Kennelly on THAT wave (see interview and footage above) didn’t get the sort of coverage that she probably deserved.

“The stuff guys are doing these days is seriously nuts… into the oblivion not knowing what happens when you wipeout. But the craziest guy of all is a gir l… Keala Kennelly. WTF, KK? #MakingMenLookLikeBoys.” Kelly Slater is reputed to have said.

We want the upcoming Billabong Junior Series Grand Finale to give credit where it is due, and we want to acknowledge that we have the best junior girls in this event with the best boys in the country. Our girls rip, and sometimes they get a little neglected as surfers like Matt McGillivray and Sebastian Williams, to name two, bust airs in their heats and get some crazy shots, often stealing the limelight, so to speak.

In the U20 girls we have so many talented surfers competing that it is going to be hard to predict how this might turn out. With Nicole Pallet and Olivia Brand in the thick of it again, this division is set to provide a whole bunch of excitement on its own.

Apart from the previous event finalists, there is also Seal Point local surfer Crystal Hulett, who has often done well at Seals and has won multiple divisions in the past. Crystal is a confident natural-footed surfer who surfs Seal Point all the time. She knows her way around that line-up better than most people, and is perfect proof that local knowledge is intrinsic to good results. Crystal surfs hard, and doesn’t mess around at Seals whether it is in a contest or in a free surfing environment.

Another surfer who is committed is the youthful goofy-footer Gina Smith from JBay. With older sister Emma moving out of the junior ranks, and younger sister Zoe still battling it out in the younger divisions, Gina is working hard at getting a few more titles and victories back to the Smith’ s JBay household and could easily snatch a big win here.

Chanelle Botha is another surfer who has the big match temperament needed to win these events, and she has plenty of previous event victories and titles to her name. If she starts her heats off quickly and gets into a rhythm she is often unbeatable, and surfs powerfully and confidently.

Then let’s not forget Teal Hogg. U17 SA Champ for two years running, this KZN surfer doesn’t say die until the final siren, often putting on her strongest performance in the last seconds of a heat. If she were to get her waves early, much like Chanelle, she will be very difficult to beat. Teal also clearly states Seal Point as one of her favourite waves, so she could easily do some serious damage in this event.  

The current crop of junior surfers has its fair share of top members hailing from the Eastern Cape/JBay region, and U16 charger Kirsty McGillivray is another one of these rippers. Brother Matt has paved the way for Kirsty’s successes, but with her oozing talent it was just a matter of time before she climbed to the fore. She has a great style, and with the absence of Kai Woolf around, could easily dominate in the U16 Girls division. 

The current crop of junior surfers has its fair share of top members hailing from the Eastern Cape/JBay region, and U16 charger Kirsty McGillivray is another one of these rippers. Brother Matt has paved the way for Kirsty’s successes, but with her oozing talent it was just a matter of time before she climbed to the fore. She has a great style, and with the absence of Kai Woolf around, could easily dominate in the U16 Girls division.  

Sophie Bell is another top surfer in the U16 division, but she will also be competing in the U20 division. Having been groomed on the right-handers in the Tinley area, Sophie is very at home at a point break like Seal Point, and enjoys the longer rides where she can link turns and get into a flow.  

We’re not going to leave the guys out. They’re going to get their fair share of coverage when the time is right, but right now it’s time to give the girls a little bit of the limelight, so to speak.

It’s a little too far away now to tell exactly what the waves are going to be like, but as we approach the contest dates of 25-27 September, www.wavescape.co.za will keep everyone informed as to what sort of surf is expected, and whether we’re going to need raincoats.