Local surfer, Dale Staples, set to take on world juniors in Bali

Dale Staples, one of the country’s highest rated juniors on the ASP World Rankings will compete against some of the world’s top surfing juniors in Bali next week.

Staples (St Francis Bay) was the runner-up at Keramas last year plus he is the top four on the year-end ASPAfrica regional rankings. He is part of a squad of South Africa’s top junior surfers – six men and two women, all aged 20-or-under who have qualified to take on their peers from the rest of the world in the ASP World Junior Tour (WJT).

The ASP World Junior, which runs from October 3-14 at the high-performance surf spot of Keramas, is the first of three events that will culminate in the crowning of the ASP World Junior Men and Women’s Champions in Australia next January.

Also in the South African contingent are Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay), who is currently No 62, Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga), 18, the recently crowned 2011 ASP Africa Pro Junior Champion, Slade Prestwich (Scottburgh), 16, Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay), 16, and Michael February (Kommetjie), 18. Bianca Buitendag (George), winner of the Billabong ASP Women’s World Junior Champs in Sydney in January, and Faye Zoetmulder (Port Elizabeth), a regular competitor in the ASP Women’s Star rated events, will represent ASP Africa inBali.

Each event on the 2011 ASP World Junior Tour comprises a 48-man field for men and an 18-person field for women. Squads from the seven ASP regions in Africa, Australasia, North and South America, Europe, Hawaii and Japanare joined by wildcards and local trialists in contesting the titles.

After Bali, the next stop will be the Arnette ASP World Junior in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilm from October 24 –2 November and the Tour reaches its conclusion at the Billabong ASP World Junior at a venue yet to be decided early in the New Year.

Buitendag and February have withdrawn from the Brazil leg of the WJT due to school exams but will be back for the final event in Australia, as will Staples who has withdrawn from the Brazil leg due to commitments on the ASP Prime Series.

February will be replaced by Nick Godfrey (Cape St Francis) and Staples by Brendon Gibbens (Kommetjie) in the Brazil event. No replacement has yet been found for Buitendag in Brazil.

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