Bianca Buitendag, 15, confirmed her credentials as one of South Africa’s foremost female surfers by defeating Chantelle Rautenbach in the final of Pro Junior women’s event on Day 3 of the Billabong Junior Series.
The Southern Cape local steadily built her total during the final, starting with a flurry of low scoring rides before posting her title winning total of 15.0 out of 20 by scoring 7.25 and 7.75 on her last two rides. The victory in the Grade 1, ASP rated event earned Buitendag US $1 000 (approx. R7 500) and clinched the coveted 2009 Billabong Junior Series Pro Junior women’s title after her victory in the first event of the year in Scottburgh.
Buitendag started the day’s action by finishing second behind arch-rival and fellow 15-year-old Sarah Baum (Athlone Park) in the four-person quarterfinals but then reversed that result in the one-on-one semis to advance to the final. Rautenbach (Melkbosstrand) followed a similar route, qualifying for the semis in second place behind Tarryn Chudleigh (Kommetjie) before overcoming the WQS campaigner from Kommetjie to set up the finale against Buitendag.
Baum, with her victory in the first ASP Pro Junior women’s event to held in SA in May and her third place here, wrapped up the 2009 ASP Africa Pro Junior women’s title and receives the prestigious invitation to the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships in Sydney, Australia, for the second successive year.
Small waves forced the organisers to move the event from Victoria Bay to the nearby beach-break of Herold’s Bay and it proved an inspired decision when hip to head high predominantly left-breaking waves, sunshine and light winds combined to provide an ideal setting for the country’s best 20-and-under surfers to display their talent as the event moved towards its conclusion.
