The Sea Harvest SA Junior Champs presented by SMTH Shapes

Welcome to Day 1 of the Sea Harvest SA Junior Champs presented by SMITH Shapes - and what a splendid occasion to enjoy. We haven’t had an SA Junior Champs in two years, so the groms were frothing at the bit to get things underway. 

It was a grey, gloomy, moody, rain-filled start to competition, and the swell; broken up and wobbly. But between waves that were wobbly, flat and hard to surf, there remained a few diamonds in the rough. Classic J-Bay steam trains. Delicious chicken nuggets of delight between the plethora of floppy French fries.

Here are 4 shredders who turned heads on Day 1 of the SA Junior Champs.

All images: Kody McGregor

Daniel Emslie:

Dan Emslie must be a morning person. No doubt about it. He was in the first heat of the day which commenced at 7:24 in the AM. 7:24, my man. That’s like a Cape Townians dawn patrol. In the wobbly, funky beach break-like Lower Point conditions Daniel managed to unearth from the depths of a coal mine - two fantastic rides. And like a trigger happy Brit shooting Pheasants, Dan Emslie began to fire off shots, making certain everyone in his division could taste the gunflint. 

Before his three competitors had awoken from a deep slumber Mr. Emslie had amassed a heat score total of 16.18 points! This courtesy of refined, powerful rail work, tight lip bashes and a very cheeky air reverse.

Luke Van Wyk

Luke’s surfing reminds us of a school head boy. It has all the classic head boy qualities. It’s presentable, socks always pulled up, shirt ironed and neatly tucked in and shoes polished so well, you could toothpick a stray piece of biltong from a molar.

We thoroughly enjoy Luke’s surfing. It reminds us of Ace Buchan. Like a school head boy it has an air of wisdom about it. It’s reliable, trustworthy, never ruffles the feathers of the traditionalists yet modern enough to be relevant to the youth. Luke caught two great waves in his heat and surfed them flawlessly. Tight pocket hacks, deep bottom turns and well-placed carves. It was an exposition of superb backhand surfing and certainly the best we witnessed on Day One of the Sea Harvest SA Junior Champs presented by 

Cooper Smith & Levi Epenetos 

The U14 Boys displayed surfing that was free and light hearted, unadulterated from the constrains of criteria. Two head turners include Cooper Smith & Levi Epenetos. Cooper has an energetic electricity to his surfing. Where he lacked in quality wave choice he made up for in explosiveness, belting the lip with reckless abandon, deep bottom turns to tight lip threatening hooks. Without a care in the world for judges or points etc - just a good, good time.

Levi Epenetos managed to score an 8.00 in the tricky Lower Point conditions. His backhand attack displays the perfect combination of rawness and refinement. He surfs free and loose but holds true to tradition. Levi’s certainly someone that’s bound to be a force to be reckoned with as he grows stronger and his surfing becomes more polished.