POLLOCK BEACH, Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, South Africa (Friday, 4 April 2025) - The World Surf League (WSL) Junior Qualifying Series (JQS) for the Africa region will kick off the 2025 season at the Nelson Mandela Bay Pro Junior this weekend at Pollock Beach, Gqeberha. As part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Surf Fest and City Surf Series in partnership with Accelerate Sport, it promises to be an exciting weekend of surfing action with the WSL Africa's best under-20 athletes.
Last year, the Nelson Mandela Bay Pro Junior decided the regional junior champions as the final event on the calendar, but this time around it will be the season opener for 2025. The Windy City of Gqeberha might dish up strong onshore winds for the weekend, but a solid swell will still fill in at Pollock Beach for contestable conditions.
The women's field will be tightly contested between defending event winner Anastasia Venter, 2024 WSL Africa Junior champion Lily Heny and Louise Lepront, who recently qualified for the 2025 Challenger Series. Up-and-coming stars Remi Fourie and Emily Jenkinson are ones to watch, with both surfers delivering impressive performances in the last few run of City Surf Series events around the coast.
Fresh off a Semifinal result at the Cape Town Surf Pro, Levi Epenetos enters this event as the top seed. After finishing third on the WSL Africa Junior rankings last year, Epenetos is laser-focused on earning his first-ever Pro Junior title. He'll face tough competition in the likes of Luc Lepront, Challenger Series qualifier Connor Slijpen and South African under-16 champion and Nelson Mandela Bay local Rory Dace.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Pro Junior is supported by Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Accelerate Sport, 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