Seal Point Boardriders Club Champs – 100 Photos From A Week Ago by

by SFT | Oct 7, 2025 | Seal Point Boardriders club, St Francis, Surf Editorial, Surf News

100 Photos from the Seal Point Boardriders Club Championships a week ago.

all photos by https://www.instagram.com/hikiplessis/

Rip Curl GromSearch Seal Point: U16 Winners Will Be Heading To France

by SFT | Oct 2, 2025 | St Francis, Surf Editorial

Hossegor tickets on the line – plus a R15k custom Channel Islands Surfboard for one standout grom

Cape St Francis: From 3 – 5 October, Seal Point will host the final stop of the 2025 Rip Curl GromSearch series, with the spotlight firmly on the prestigious U16 divisions. The winners of the U16 Boys and U16 Girls will earn a place at the Rip Curl GromSearch INTERNATIONAL FINALin Hossegor, France, later this year.

In the Boys’ race, Ben Esterhuyse (Cape Town) brings precision with flair. Kai Stubbs(Scarborough) is known for his explosive approach. Loghann Tilsley (Somerset West) blends style with power. One will claim the golden ticket to Hosegor. Two goofy-footers (right-foot forward) vs one natural-footer (left-foot forward).

The Girls’ U16 division has goofy-footed Leah Lepront (Scottburgh) and natural Emily Jenkinson (Kommetjie) set for a shoot-out. Both have proven their pedigree; now only one can take the crown.

Check out the SSA LIVEHEATS RANKINGS

Adding to the excitement, one deserving competitor from this event will also walk away with a custom Channel Islands Surfboard valued at R15,000 – a prize that underlines the event’s commitment to rewarding and recognising the next generation of surfers.

To kick off the weekend, a social evening will be held on Friday at Full Stop Café, featuring burgers and drink specials alongside classic Rip Curl surf films on rotation.

The Rip Curl GromSearch Seal Point is proudly supported by Sea Harvest, Cape St Francis Resort, Kouga Municipality, and Channel Islands Surfboards. St Francis Today is the official media partner. The Royal St Andrews Hotel co-sponsors the International Final prize packages, while TCS Wifi ensures all competitors and spectators stay connected.

It is a Surfing South Africa event.

Seal Point is set for high drama, progressive surfing, and the crowning of South Africa’s next international grom stars.

The contest is supported by the Kouga Local Municipality.

The tournament is hosted by The Cape St Francis Resort.

Channel Islands Surfboards South Africa is a supporting sponsor.

St Francis Today is the media partner in St Francis Bay.

The Rip Curl GromSearch Seal Point is a Surfing South Africa event.

It is presented by Sea Harvest

The Royal St Andrews Hotel Port Alfred is a co-sponsor of the Rip Curl International GromSearch Finals prizes and awards.

Some Excellent Waves At Anne Avenue, Dredging On The Kromme and the River Mouth Groyne Start – Video

by SFT | Sep 29, 2025 | Seal Point Boardriders club, St Francis, Surf Editorial, Surf News

Brad Peens has been taking a close interest in the Long Term Coastal Protection Scheme, particularly in how it affects the waves and the wider surf environment. Even at this early stage of the project, there are already some surprisingly positive results to note. He captured some excellent waves at Annes on the recent southerly swell in the bay.

Just a week ago, Brad captured a few sessions at the partially completed Anne Avenue Groyne, and the footage suggests things are looking decidedly promising for local surfers. The waves are beginning to show shape and potential that many didn’t expect to see so soon.

In addition to checking out the groyne, Brad has also been keeping tabs on the sand dredging now underway beyond the Kromme Bridge, as well as the early work on the River Mouth Groyne. His latest update, somewhat dramatically titled We’ve Created a Monster, makes for a very watchable clip—combining visuals, updates, and his own thoughtful surf-centric commentary.

If you’d like to stay in the loop with what’s happening along our shoreline and upriver, it’s a good idea to subscribe to Brad’s channel, Down The Line. It’s a simple way to keep track of the changes, both on the beach and in the surf.

Seal Point Boardriders Club Championships 2025 – All The Results, And A Massive Gallery

by SFT | Sep 29, 2025 | Seal Point Boardriders club, St Francis, Surf Editorial, Surf News

Beach shots @sealpointjade

action shots @willow.surfs

The waves on Saturday morning for the start of the 2025 Seal Point Boardriders Club Champs were solid. Hard to pin a size on them, but it was about as big as it gets before things wash through and turn unplayable.

With most of the younger surfers away at the Nelson Mandela Bay team training and colour awards in JBay, it was left to the ballies to hit the water.

For the older divisions, the real challenge was the paddle out. Head off from the top, and you could glide out with your hair dry, or die and then break your legs, in that order. Take the bottom route, and you could spend your entire 20-minute heat perfecting duck dives with no chance of clearing the lineup.

On balance, it was better from the beach. Most surfers got out safely, while one or two got washed down the beach and went through the rinse cycle – not ideal in 20-minute heats.

The rest of the day brought some inspiring performances as the wind dropped and the tide filled in, though the current was relentless. A welcome early-afternoon finish wrapped things up.

Day Two was a different story: epic, with clean three-foot runners and the odd larger set. The surfers smashed it, the food disappeared, and a few refreshments were enjoyed on the beach. Ari Kraak lit up the mic as the finals rolled on, leading into a raucous prize-giving. Nearly 80 entries made for another hugely successful SPBRC Champs.

Next up: the Interclub Challenge against JBay Boardriders—details to follow.

Seal Point Boardriders Club
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Final Results:

Over 60

Piet Praetorious
Andre Venter
Zibi Emslie
Richard Arderne

Over 50

Charlie Reitz
Bobby Ellis
Craig Jarvis
Dean Lailvaux

Over 40

Marc Jackson
Dan Thornton
Simon Fish
Mile Ofsowitz

Ladies Final

Faye Zoetmulder
Sophia Jackson
Ana Weiss
Robyn Ruffel

U14 Boys

Slayde Shooter
Luc Jackson
Murray-John Boonzaier
Taylor Thornton
Dylan Erlank

Girs Final

Brin Jarvis
Sophia Jackson
Summer Harding
Abigail Jorge

U18 Boys Final

Rory Dace
David Moussouris
Jack Erlank
Slayde Shooter

Open Final

Rory Dace
Billy Payne
Rylan Jarvis
Simon Fish

Ultra Grom Award:

Bella Saunders (8)

Most Obnoxious Claim Award:

Ari Kraak (38)

Thanks to all the sponsors and supporters:

Flavii, Better Days, Decor Pro, New York Pizza, Dace Construction, The Store, Surf Sense, Pig & Rooster, Rimeself, Coastal Gym, MFI Freight International, Hogan Wines, Hurricane, Village Square SuperSpar, Knot E Macramé, St Francis Brewery, and Pizza 163. #sealpointboardridersclub

Next up there is an Interclub between Seal Point Boardriders Club and JBay Boardriders Club. This will take place sometime towards late October / Early November at Point in JBay. As arguably the biggest and most active surf club in the country, Seal Point Boardriders is proud to be behind the push for more competitive surfing at a Club level, as it is the backbone of competitive surfing and the institution that keeps surf legacy, culture, values, and team spirit alive. The SPBRC Interclub Team will be announced soon.

Gallery:

Surfers and Sunworshippers – Photo Of The Day from the Seal Point Boardriders Champs on the weekend.

by SFT | Sep 29, 2025 | St Francis, Surf Editorial, Surf News, Surfing South Africa

Surfers and Sunworshippers – Photo Of The Day from the hugely successful and well-attended Seal Point Boardriders Champs on the weekend.

Seal Point Boardriders Club on Facebook

Seal Point, Cape St Francis Gears Up for the Rip Curl GromSearch Finale – Entries Filling Fast

by SFT | Sep 25, 2025 | Seal Point Boardriders club, St Francis, Surf Editorial, Surf News

Cape St Francis – The stage is set for the final stop of the 2025 Rip Curl GromSearch Junior Surfing Series, taking place at Seal Point from Friday, 3rd – Sunday, 5 October. This decisive contest will crown the series champions in the prestigious U16 Boys and Girls divisions, with the winners securing coveted spots at the Rip Curl GromSearch Global Finals in Europe later this year.

With rankings tight in both premier divisions, every heat at Seal Point will be critical. Competitors’ final tallies are calculated from their best three of four results across the series, meaning the Seal Point showdown will make or break dreams. Unadjusted rankings are available here.

Entries are filling up at quite a pace, with four divisions already fully subscribed. Junior surfers are urged to move quickly if they want to be part of this highly anticipated event.

The Contest & Venue

Seal Point is recognised as one of South Africa’s premier high-performance right-hand pointbreaks, offering the perfect arena for junior surfers to showcase their talent in pursuit of ranking points and prize money. With strong local support from Sea Harvest, the Kouga Local Municipality, Cape St Francis Resort and others, organisers are confident that conditions will deliver the kind of waves Seal Point is known for.

While all eyes may be on the U16 divisions, the Rip Curl GromSearch offers a full spectrum of competition, featuring divisions for U12, U14, U16, and U18 Boys and Girls.