Durban welcomes back the Quiksilver King of the Groms after 17 Years.
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Durban’s iconic beachfront came alive with youthful energy and competitive spirit this past weekend as the Quiksilver King of the Groms made its long-awaited return to Dairy Beach after a remarkable 17-year absence.
Held from March 20 to 22, the three-day contest marked the second stop on the SA Junior Surf Tour and brought together more than 100 of South Africa’s most promising young surfers. Competitors from across the country took to the waves in the Under 12, Under 14, Under 16 and Under 18 divisions, all eager to showcase their skills and secure valuable tour ratings points.
The return of the event to Durban carried special significance. For nearly two decades, the Quiksilver King of the Groms has been regarded as one of the most exciting development platforms for young surfers, giving rising athletes the opportunity to test their talent against the country’s best junior competitors.
Across the weekend, spectators lining the beachfront were treated to impressive displays of surfing from both girls and boys competing in the various age divisions. With a prize purse of R35,000 up for grabs, the stakes were high as surfers battled it out in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.
Adding an extra layer of excitement to the competition was a new feature introduced to the tour this season, the coveted Yellow Jersey, worn by surfers who won their divisions at the opening event of the season in Cape Town. The jersey symbolises the number one ranked surfer in each division and quickly became a focal point of the contest as young competitors looked to defend their early-season leads.
Among the surfers wearing the Yellow Jersey at Dairy Beach were Matt Canning and Emily Jenkinson in the Under 18 division, Ben Esterhuyse and Leah Lepront in the Under 16 category, Maya Malherbe in the Under 14 Girls division, and Cody Painter and Adriana Canning representing the Under 12 ranks.
Their presence added intensity to the competition, with challengers eager to dethrone the current tour leaders and climb the rankings themselves.
The Durban stop also marked a meaningful reunion between South African junior surfing and the global surf brand Quiksilver, which has supported the development of the sport in the country for more than three decades. Over the years, Quiksilver has played a key role in nurturing local talent, sponsoring major events such as the South African Open Championships between 1996 and 2010.
The brand’s commitment to surfing in Durban also stretches back to the early 2000s, when it supported the ISA World Surfing Games in 2002 and the inaugural ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in 2003, both hosted along the city’s famous beachfront.
Organised by Surfing South Africa, the King of the Groms once again highlighted the depth of young surfing talent emerging across the country. As competitors pushed their limits across the three days, the event reinforced its reputation as a crucial stepping stone for surfers dreaming of national and international success.
With the successful return of the competition to Dairy Beach, the Quiksilver King of the Groms has once again cemented its place as one of the highlights of South Africa’s junior surfing calendar and a powerful reminder that the future of the sport is already riding the waves.
Live tracking of the weekend activities is here: https://www.liveheats.com/surfingsouthafrica/events
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