Wild Cards, Willards and Wonder
Monday 4 July 2022 In a commendable day for SA junior surfing, Tide-Lee Ireland took runner up spot at the O’Neill SMTH Shapes Ballito Pro Junior, while Luke Thompson and Zoe Steyn got as far as the semifinals.
SHAKA VIBES: Paul Canning and Mike Frew pose with the four finalists. Photo WSL / Tostee
The second stop on the 2022 World Surf League (WSL) Africa Junior Qualifying Series (JQS) ran on Saturday in light onshorish 2-3ft surf at Willard Beach, with a diverse and wide array of international surfers convening in SA for the first time since 2019. Hallelujah!
South Africans Louise Lepront and Tide-Lee Ireland won the women’s and men’s trials respectively for a spot in the Ballito Pro presented by O’Neill Challenger Series (CS) that has just begun, while Danielle Powis and Luke Thompson earned the second wildcard slot with their runner-up finishes respectively.
The O’Neill SMTH Shapes Ballito Pro Junior was won by Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) and Ryan Kainalo (BRA). Johnson and Sophia Medina (BRA) contested the final in their first ever visit to South Africa, the perfect warm-up ahead of the Ballito Pro presented by O’Neill.
POWIS POWER: Danielle Powis won the wildcard slot into the Ballito Pro. Photo WSL / Tostee
Medina stayed busy in the tricky onshore conditions, moving across the lineup to hunt down waves and build her score to keep the pressure on Sakura Johnson. Relying on her experience as a Championship Tour rookie, Sakura Johnson stayed patient until she found the best wave of the heat, using her powerful backhand for a two-turn combination to get a 7.50 (out of a possible 10). She jumped into the lead and shut down the heat with an excellent 8.50 in the last minute to defeat Medina with a total of 16.00.
In the men's final, wedging peaks and a slight onshore wind gave Ireland and Kainalo plenty of opportunities to go to the air. Kainalo upped the ante in the last five minutes with a powerful carve to start, racing down the line for a blow tail air for an excellent 8pt ride to put the defending event winner in a combo with a total of 14.83. Hailing from Ubatuba, Brazil, this is the 16-year-old’s first JQS win.
Medina dominated the first Semifinal in the women’s competition against defending event winner Zoë Steyn (RSA), who struggled to find a decent scoring opportunity. The low tide made for some tricky conditions, but Medina hunted down waves to keep building her scores. Steyn looked like she could pull off another buzzer-beater, but this time she ran out of luck.
SLASHSNAPSPRAY: East London's Zoe Steyn got as far as the semifinals. Photo WSL / Tostee
Kainalo was on form in the men’s Semifinal using his aerial skills to put Luke Thompson (RSA) under pressure from the start. Thompson stayed patient until he found a wave to get back in the heat, but Kainalo’s air game trumped Thompson’s strong turns and he was eliminated from the competition.
Tide-Lee Ireland (RSA) was taking notes from Kainalo’s performance and also opted to go to the air in his Semifinal clash against Joaquim Chaves (PRT). Unfortunately, Chaves couldn’t string together two scores to rival Ireland and was eliminated.
Points earned in the O'Neill SMTH Shapes Ballito Pro Junior QS1,000 will count towards qualification for the WSL World Junior Championships at the end of the year. For more information, visit WorldSurfLeague.com
TIDY RUNNER UP: Tide-Lee Ireland made it to the finals and earned a wildcard. Photo WSL / Tostee
Junior Women’s Semifinal
HEAT 1: Sophia Medina (BRA) 12.00 DEF. Zoë Steyn (ZAF) 7.17
HEAT 2: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 14.50 DEF. Laura Raupp (BRA) 8.36
Junior Women’s Final
HEAT 1: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 16.00 DEF. Sophia Medina (BRA) 8.93
Junior Men’s Semifinal
HEAT 1: Ryan Kainalo (BRA) 14.87 DEF. Luke Thompson (ZAF) 13.17
HEAT 2: Tide-Lee Ireland (ZAF) 11.84 DEF. Joaquim Chaves (PRT) 6.43
Junior Men’s Final
HEAT 1: Ryan Kainalo (BRA) 14.83 DEF. Tide-Lee Ireland (ZAF) 8.34