With the spotlight shining brightly on South Africa as a revived hotbed of surfing talent, it's easy to get lost in the massive shadow cast by the Jordy Smith monolith. Shaun Joubert, however, is one of the few rising stars that have managed to carve his own path into the international fray. Coming from the notoriously sharky Southern Cape region, Joubert is no stranger to taking risks in the water, and his fearless attitude has been translated into a futuristic, powerful approach to surfing, of which his performances on the North Shore are testament. With a solid competitive foundation firmly established through numerous local and international results, Joubert is already being pinned as ' the next Jordy,' a billing that is not entirely without substance. Joubert defeated Franklin Serpa (BRA) and Billy Stairmand (NZ) in Round 1 last year, faced Billy again in Round 3, and ended his Global Challenge campaign in the semis losing to Marc Lacomare (FRA). Thirsty for more, Joubert took first place for the second year in a row at the Oakley Pro Junior South Africa, held this year in Port Alfred, and is frothing to make a big appearance in Bali this October.