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Nelson Mandela Bay Pro Junior Kicks Off 2025 Season
WSL
POLLOCK BEACH, Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, South Africa (Saturday, 5 April 2025) - The World Surf League (WSL) Africa's Junior Qualifying Series (JQS) 2025 season kicked off with the Nelson Mandela Bay Pro Junior today at Pollock Beach, Gqeberha in two-to-three foot surf with onshore wind. The competition wraps up an exciting week of surfing action as part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Surf Fest and City Surf Series in partnership with Accelerate Sport.
It was a long day of competition in challenging onshore conditions, but it paved the way for a short Finals Day tomorrow to decide the men's and women's winners. The next call will be tomorrow, 6 April at 7:30 AM GMT +2.
With momentum on his side, Cape Town's Connor Slijpen opened his Pro Junior campaign in Gqeberha on an excellent note. The surfer from Llandudno earned a near-excellent heat in the Opening Round, and won his next two heats to advance to the Semifinals.
Slijpen's good understanding of the nuances of Pollock Beach and his aerial antics saw him win his first-ever Qualifying Series title at the SA Open of Surfing last month. Backed by a consistent run of results, Slijpen secured his qualification for the 2025 Challenger Series.
"I'm really excited for the Challenger Series," Slijpen said. "I'm here to get some points for the Pro Junior and aim to qualify for the World Junior Championships. It's just good practice, trying to hone my strategy for the Challenger Series, and I'm amped."
Returning to his first WSL JQS competition since Ballito last year, Durban's Ntokozo Maphumulo was on a tear, advancing to the Semifinals in impressive form. He upped the ante in the Round of 8, putting pressure on Slijpen who had to dig deep for the win. Maphumulo won his first-ever JQS title in 2023, and will be relying on that experience for Finals Day tomorrow.
After battling through the first day of competition, Josh Malherbe and Ben Esterhuyse will meet each other for their third consecutive heat in the men's Semifinals. This time it will be head-to-head, and only one can advance to the Finals. Meanwhile, it was a tough day in the office for local star Rory Dace and top seed Levi Epenetos, who bowed out in the Round of 16.
Defending event winner Anastasia Venter showed grit and determination to power through the two rounds of competition to book her spot in the Semifinals. She earned the highest heat of the day in the women's draw in her Opening Round with 12.63. Venter, who narrowly missed out on Challenger Series qualification, will take some confidence from her performance today as she looks to earn another win in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Venter is in for a big matchup against Louise Lepront, who was recently crowned the WSL Africa QS winner for 2024/2025. Lepront is in incredible form, winning both her heats today, and at just 16-years-old she still has a few years left to make her mark on the JQS circuit.
Rising stars Emily Jenkinson and Lily Heny will come up against each other in the other women's Semifinal.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Pro Junior is supported by Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Accelerate Sport, Astron Energy, Surfing South Africa and Red Bull.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Pro Junior will run from 5-6 April 2025 at Pollock Beach, Gqeberha.
For more information visit WorldSurfLeague.com
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