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The O'Neill SMTH Shapes Rookie Rippers Event

Surfing | Willard Beach Comes Alive For Day One Of The O'Neill SMTH Shapes Rookie Rippers Event

Written on . Posted in SA Surfing.

Ballito - the swell lines were pouring in at first light this morning at Willard Beach as the best junior surfers in the country, along with international athletes, prepared for the opening day of the O'Neill SMTH Shapes Rookie Rippers event. With great waves running down the bank at Willard, the event officials had no hesitation in sending out the first heat. 

Levi Epenetos © Dave Lindemann

It was a welcome sight for the juniors after they had surfed in very small conditions at a few events recently. The waves at Willard, the contest venue for this tournament and four upcoming surf contests were solid and highly contestable, allowing surfers to push their limits and impress the judges.

Kai Hall won his first-round U18 Boys heat. © Dave Lindemann.

Top performers in the U18 Boys division were Matt Canning, Levi Epenetos and Loghann Tilsley, all scoring above 13 points (out of a possible 20) for their heat totals to advance. Other heat winners included Xavier Van Der Merwe, Kieran Murphy, Ben Esterhuyse, Kai Hall, Rylan Jarvis and Clayton Turell amongst others.  

Loghann Tilsley © Dave Lindemann
 
The conditions had deteriorated somewhat by the time the U16 Boys hit the water, but there were still plenty of corners for the contestants to get going on. Ashton Sangster and Levi Vosloo were the two standouts in this division, with Vosloo putting a solid 14.06 points on the scoreboard, while Marcello Zedde was one of the top surfers in the U14 Boys division, along with Ethan Schermbrucker and Tom Pearson.
 
The conditions forecast looks promising for tomorrow, with good swell and winds prevailing. The surfing will kick off with the U12 Boys Quarterfinals tomorrow, but the schedule is subject to change, so please keep an eye on the LiveHeats schedule.  
 
In the U16 Girls Division, Leah Lepront won the first quarterfinal, and Maya Malherbe took the honours in the second quarter, advancing with Max Kauffman.

Competitors can find the event draw and heat results on LIVEHEATS.

Click HERE for the full Ballito Pro festival calendar.

Willard Beach is a high-performance, predominantly right-breaking wave that provides the perfect canvas for competitors to impress the Surfing South Africa judging panel and win valuable rating points and prize money. The judging criteria comprise speed, power and flow, and judges are always looking for combination moves and progressive surfing techniques.

Surfing, O'Neill SMTH Shapes Rookie Rippers