Perfect Opening Day at Magnas for Billabong Junior Series

After a few days of nearly flat waves in Jeffreys Bay, we were blessed with plenty today as both the J-Bay Open and Billabong Junior Series presented by Bos ran in great surf. And while the world’s best battled it out at Supertubes, around the corner at Magnatubes two Perfect 10-point rides were recorded and some impressive performances from the Juniors kept the crowd entertained.

Griffin Colapinto (USA) was a standout on the opening day at Magnas.

Nine International hotshots from Billabong’s ‘Bloodlines’ team have journeyed to South Africa to compete at Magnas, offering a great opportunity for our local surfers to measure themselves up to some of the world’s best groms. And it didn’t take long for the International contingent to show their level, with California’s Griffin Colapinto scoring a Perfect 10 in the second heat of the Pro Junior division to advance to the next round. Along with compatriot Eithan Osborne, Griffin then knocked out event favourites Slade Prestwich and Shane Sykes in Round 2, ending their contest early.

But the International competitors didn’t have it all their own way, as J-Bay local and winner of the Monster Energy Expression Session at the Ballito Pro presented by Billabong, Matt McGillivray, also scored a Perfect 10 with an incredible full-rotation air reverse that had the spectators on their feet. It was a do-or-die wave for Matt, who needed a score in the dying minutes of his heat to advance over highly-fancied Seth Moniz from Hawaii, and he couldn’t have done much better than that.

Doing it for the locals; Matt McGillivray scored the second Perfect 10 of the day.

Two rounds of the Under 16 Boys division were also contested on Day 1, with Adin Masencamp and Sebastian Williams the two standout surfers of the division. Both Adin and Sebastian won their quarter final match-ups with strong heat totals after advancing through the first round earlier in the day. They will be joined by Ford Van Jaarsveld, Tristan Lev, Julian Zens, Ethan Fletcher, Luke Malherbe and Tyler Gunter from Australia in the semi finals.

With the forecast unpredictable at best the past few days in J-Bay, contest organisers have decided to play it by ear and try and run the premier divisions in the best possible surf. So if the waves are cooking again tomorrow morning then there’s a chance the big boys will be sent back out into the water, while the micro groms in the Under 12 division might be the first to hit the surf if the swell flattens overnight. Competitors and spectators will just have to wait and see what tomorrow holds, but if today is anything to measure it by then it’s going to be a day of top-class Junior shredding.

Adin Masencamp top-scored in the Under 16 division on Day 1.

Check out the official press release below for more details.

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INTERNATIONAL SURFERS SHINE ON DAY ONE OF THE BILLABONG JUNIOR SERIES PRESENTED BY BOS – EVENT 1

On-form surfer Griffin Colapinto in action at Magnatubes.

Magnatubes, Jeffreys Bay – Perfect surf peeled off all day for the opening day of the Billabong Junior Series presented by BOS Event 1 at Magntubes, and the best junior surfers in South Africa as well as an international contingent, took to the water in earnest.

The contest organisers had a quick reshuffle of heats, as the excellent but solid conditions were more suited to some of the older boys divisions.

The U16 Boys were the first to hit the water, and stand-outs included Joshe Faulkner from JBay and Ford Van Jaarsveldt from Kommetjie as well as Ethan Fletcher from Cape Town.

The first round of the U20 Pro division was next, and Griffin Colapinto from USA threw down the first ten-point ride of the event, for a perfect wave that reeled through from the outside and that saw him perform multiple high-risk turns all the way through to the inside.

In the first U20 Men’s Round 2 heat 1, the international surfers Ethan Osborne from USA as well as Colapinto provided a massive dual upset by defeating both Shane Sykes and Slade Prestwich in perfect four-foot Magnatubes.

“That was the gnarliest heat I’ve ever been in,” said Osborne. “I didn’t think I was going to make it at all. I mean, Slade Prestwich was surfing in the WSL event earlier. But then I got that one wave, and made it, and was so stoked. This is my first time to South Africa, and this is my third day here and the waves are some of the best I’ve ever surfed.”

Another heat that saw some dramatic action was the U20 Men’s Round 2 Heat 2. In the dying minutes of the heat, local surfer Matt McGillivray launched into a massive do-or-die full rotation air reverse to sneak into second place behind Ethan Ewing, but ahead of Adin Masencamp and Seth Moniz. “That was so stressful,” said an elated McGillivray. “I hadn’t really had a good wave until that last one. The wave didn’t offer me much so I knew I just had to throw it out there.”

“That was a great day of surfing,” said Billabong South Africa Marketing Manager Chad D’Arcy. “The waves were so good for the competitors. High performance walls all day, and the junior surfers really raised the bar in their performances today. It looks like another good morning tomorrow, so we’re looking at an early start again in the morning.”

The Billabong Junior Series Presented By BOS is part of the JBay Winterfest – www.jbaywinterfest.com – a multi-sports and music festival in Jeffreys Bay.

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There are a number of specialty prizes in this tournament.

The winners of each division will win a Nixon Rhythm Tide Watch valued at R1,500.

The BOS Surfer of the Contest, for the most impressive surfer at the event, will win R1,000

The Zigzag Stepping Up Award of R2,000 is for the surfer who makes it furthest outside of his or her age division.

The DaKine Highest Heat Score is for the highest heat score of the event, and the winner will receive a DaKine Hamper valued at R5,000.

The Kinetic Racing Fins Best Carve award for the best carve of the event is a Kinetic Racing Fin hamper valued at R3,000.

There is also a VonZipper Air Show and the winner will receive R2,000 and a VZ product hamper for the best air.

The tournament has both Pro Surf Tour (PST) and World Surf League (WSL) Pro Junior rated events, with valuable points and prize money up for grabs.

The Billabong Junior Series presented by BOS is sanctioned by Surfing South Africa. Surfing South Africa is a member of the South African Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and is recognised by the Dept. Of Sport and Recreation as the national governing body for surfing.