Ou's had some banging waves in PA this weekend for the Quiksilver Get Free Series. The main event was won by Beyrick de Vries, with Adin Masencamp taking the u20's and Sebastian Williams the u16's. Best placing of an NMB surfer was Joshe Faulkner who got 3rd in the u16's.

All images Luke Patterson

Jeremy Flores (FRA) has won the Billabong Pro Tahiti in the Final bout against reigning WSL Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA) held in six foot surf at Teahupo’o. Stop No. 7 of 11 on the 2015 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour (CT) has been treated to incredible performances by the world’s best surfers, culminating today with Flores’ win.
 
Flores claimed the second CT victory of his career to jump up five places on the Jeep Leaderboard to 7th. One of the standout performers of the event, Flores defeated some of the world’s best surfers - Medina, C.J. Hobgood (USA), Kelly Slater (USA) and Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) - before claiming victory today.
 
“Gabriel (Medina) is one really tactical guy so I thought I’m going to play his game,” said Flores. “He’s really aggressive in the water so I thought I’m going to be even more aggressive. Hats off to him, he’s surfed amazing all event and that was definitely one of the hardest heats.”
 
Today’s win backs up a Semifinal berth for Flores at the Fiji Pro and marks an end to a disappointing few years on the CT with his best result of the year and his first event win since the Billabong Pipe Masters in 2010. The result was made even more remarkable because Flores came into the event following a serious head injury suffered during a freesurf that forced him to miss the J-Bay Open and wear a helmet throughout competition in Tahiti. 
 
“That 9.87 in the Final was the wave that got things started for me,” continued Flores. “I was sitting out there getting nervous, waiting for waves. I reminded myself that even if I lost the heat I’m the luckiest guy in the world to be out here. I just tried to stay calm.”
 
“The last couple of years I haven’t been getting the results I wanted, but more importantly I wasn’t having fun,” Flores said. “Surfing is the most beautiful sport in the world and if you’re not having fun surfing then there’s something wrong. I had to really restart and regain my mindset. I did that by being close to my family and my loved ones and it’s because of them that I got back to having fun and being hungry like I used to be. This year I’ve been out there to win it and if it doesn’t happen it’s all good.”

Flores came out firing in the Final, posting a near-perfect 9.87 on his first wave to put the pressure on Medina. With half the heat gone the Brazilian had only a 0.73 heat total while Flores controlled the lineup and found another solid score, a 7.00. Medina answered quickly with a tube of his own for a 7.17 but was left searching for an excellent 9.17 to turn the heat. He continued to hunt the lineup as the minutes ticked by but with only a 6.03 on offer for the 2014 event winner, Flores took the win.
 
“I think I made a mistake at the beginning to let Jeremy (Flores) have priority,” Medina said. "The ocean was too slow and I couldn’t find the score. I’m happy with a second place though and I’m happy for Jeremy as well especially after his injury. I’m stoked to be back on the podium. It was a tough one and I wish we had more waves but I’m happy with the result.”
 
Runner-up Medina also moves up five places on the Jeep Leaderboard from 15th to 10th place. The result today is Medina’s best of the year and his first Final appearance since the Billabong Pipe Masters in 2014. He previously dispatched Owen Wright (AUS) and Kai Otton (AUS) en route to his 10th CT Final today.

Today’s Semifinal berth for Owen Wright (AUS) marks another good result for the new world no. three. Wright, who needed a runner-up finish or better to take the Jeep ratings lead, went down to Medina in the opening Semifinal. The Brazilian locked in some big scores in the opening half of the match-up to leave the Australian in a combination situation and send him home with a third-place finish. 
 
“I wasn’t even really thinking about the ratings lead, I was just reveling in getting another heat out at Teahupo’o, especially with my good friend Gabriel (Medina),” said Wright. “I’m pretty disappointed that I didn’t get through that one. There were two waves that I fell off on that I think would have given me the score but that’s the way it goes. I more than happy with that result and we’re coming into a fun leg on the tour.”
 
Former event winner and 2001 WSL Champion C.J. Hobgood (USA) earned his best result since the Gold Coast in 2014 after facing eventual winner Flores in the second Semifinal. Flores stayed selective and found the best two waves of the heat for a commanding lead and the win. A third-place finish for Hobgood, who defeated Aritz Aranburu (ESP) and Josh Kerr (AUS) today before facing Flores, sees him move up ten place from 36th place on the Jeep Leaderboard to 26th. It was a dream run at the Billabong Pro Tahiti for Hobgood, after claiming his first man-on-man heat win of the year in Round 2 and the only Perfect 10 of the competition in Round 3.
 
The Andy Irons Most Committed Performance Award is given out every year to the standout surfer of the Billabong Pro Tahiti. Previous winners include Owen Wright (2014), John John Florence (2013), Ricardo dos Santos (2012) and Jeremy Flores (2011). This year’s award goes to Hobgood for his commitment, passion and courage during the event. 
 
“It’s just been awesome,” said Hobgood. “To have the opportunity to be here and compete and be part of the Final day is just so rad. I’m so stoked, I think I’m as stoked as if I won the event. It was really, really fun, enjoyable and challenging to be here every year and be part of the learning curve at Teahupo’o over the last two decades. That means a lot to me right there. Last time I made the Final out here was with Andy (Irons) when he won and he was really emotional. That moment I shared with him will be with me for the rest of my life.”

11-time WSL Champion Kelly Slater (USA) was defeated in the Quarterfinals by an in-form Flores. Slater had the edge but Flores posted an 8.23 in the closing minutes to eliminate the four-time event winner, who takes home a fifth-place finish. The result sees Slater remains at no. 6 on the Jeep Leaderboard.

“We had two different game plans in that heat,” said Slater. “It looked like he was going to patient and I was going to keep active. His wave just had more of that wall. I caught that one wave and I fell so I don’t know how that would have been scored. Jeremy’s had some of the highest scores out here and he’s definitely one of the guys to beat so I knew it would be a hard heat.”
 
Italo Ferreira (BRA), the highest ranked rookie on Tour, achieved back-to-back Quarterfinals appearances today after defeating compatriot Filipe Toledo (BRA) in Round 5 before going down to Wright. Ferreira also made the Quarterfinals in Fiji and the result sees him move to 8th place on the Jeep Leaderboard.
 
“I just did my best but Owen (Wright) is amazing,” said Ferreira. “I’m super stoked, it’s my first time here and that was a great result for me. I just want to keep it going for the next two events and I’m going back to Brazil to get ready.”
 
Highlights from the Billabong Pro Tahiti are available at WorldSurfLeauge.com and via the WSL mobile app.
 
The next stop on the 2015 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour will be the Hurley Pro at Trestles from September 9 - 20, 2015.
 
Billabong Pro Tahiti Final Results:
1: Jeremy Flores (FRA) - 16.87
2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) - 13.20
 
Billabong Pro Tahiti Semifinal Results:
SF 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.63 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 8.70
SF 2: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 15.86 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 8.93
 
Billabong Pro Tahiti Quarterfinal Results:
QF 1: Owen Wright (AUS) 16.93 def. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 15.94
QF 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.64 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 11.00
QF 3: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 12.90 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 11.16
QF 4: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 16.83 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 15.66
 
Billabong Pro Tahiti Round 5 Results:
Heat 1: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 15.00 def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 00.00
Heat 2: Kai Otton (AUS) 13.50 def. Bruno Santos (BRA) 11.76
Heat 3: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 14.36 def. Aritz Aranburu (ESP) 14.00
Heat 4: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 13.37 def. Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 13.21
 
2015 WSL Jeep Leaderboard Top 5 (after Billabong Pro Tahiti):
1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 34,950 pts
2: Mick Fanning (AUS) 34,700 pts
3: Owen Wright (AUS) 34,400 pts
4: Julian Wilson (AUS) 33,200 pts
4: Filipe Toledo (FRA) 33,200 pts

 The world’s best surfers battled dangerous conditions at Teahupo’o as competition ran through Rounds 3 and 4 of the Billabong Pro Tahiti, stop No. 7 on the 2015 Samsung Galaxy World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT). Four surfers earned a direct advance to the Quarterfinals and the stage is set for a thrilling Finals Day tomorrow, beginning with Round 5.
 
Round 4 started with a bang, as Filipe Toledo (BRA), Kai Otton (AUS) and Owen Wright (AUS) fought for a place in the Quarterfinals. The trio quickly got to work and kept busy, but it was Wright that locked in the only excellent score of the heat, an 8.17, to take the win.
 
“I heard Jeremy (Flores) say this morning that these conditions are really dangerous and I’d have to agree with him,” said Wright. “It’s so shallow and every time you take off you can just see the reef. It’s pretty crucial to make those waves now and that really played into that heat. I’m stoked to win because it’s the first time I’ve really utilized the three man heats this year.”
 
Wildcard Bruno Santos (BRA) posted an excellent nine-point ride to open Round 4 Heat 2 and put the pressure on reigning WSL Champion and defending event winner Gabriel Medina (BRA). Medina answered by finding one of the biggest barrels of the day and a near-perfect 9.97, backing it up with a 7.67 for a place in the Quarterfinals. Rookie Italo Ferreira (BRA) was left trailing behind his more experienced competitors and will surf again in Round 5 alongside Santos.
 
“I knew that would be a tough one, against Bruno (Santos) especially,” Medina said. “The 9.97 felt really good but then Bruno almost got me at the end. I’m really happy for the win and excited for the next Round. It would mean a lot to win here again because I love this wave. It feels good to be out there and getting a lot of waves and it would be so special.”
 
Josh Kerr (AUS) claimed his second victory of the day in Round 4 Heat 3 and earned a place in the Quarterfinals. Kerr battled injury wildcard Aritz Aranburu (ESP) and rookie Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) in the day’s penultimate match-up after eliminating 2013 event winner Adrian Buchan (AUS) in Round 3.
 
“I think we all forgot how shallow this wave actually is,” said Kerr. “Now, when the good ones come it’s very shallow. I bumped the reef and I saw Ace (Buchan) do the same on his last wave. It’s been great to hang in such a beautiful place while we’ve been waiting for our next heats.”
 
The final heat of the day saw 11-time WSL Champion and four-time event winner Kelly Slater (USA) take on Jeremy Flores (FRA) and C.J. Hobgood (USA). After a slow start Flores was first to earn a score of significance with a 7.83. Slater answered with a 6.83 to take the lead but Flores quickly came back. Last-minute heroics from Slater netted him an excellent 9.77 and a pass to the Quarterfinals.
 
“Those first waves out there you don’t really want to catch them because they’re so bumpy and frothy,” said Slater. “I was doubting that 9.77 but I just went on the wave anyway. The first foam ball bounced me and slowed me down and then the next one slowed me down even more but then I made it out. I’m stoked to make it through to tomorrow and make it to the final day and I think we’re going to have even better waves.”
 
Hobgood, who will surf again in Round 5, claimed the first Perfect 10 of the competition in Round 3 to upset current no. 3 on the Jeep Leaderboard Julian Wilson (AUS). The 2004 event winner found his way out of an impossible barrel after the foam ball to send Wilson home in equal 13th place.
 
“The lineup was that tough for some reason,” said Hobgood. “Even when a wave came you didn’t know how good it was going to be. The swell is coming up, there’s so much water so it’s hard, and you have to take off deep. I didn’t care if I lost in Round 3 because I would have gone out with a 10 on my last wave at Teahupo’o.”
 
Flores will join Hobgood in elimination Round 5 and previously dispatched Joel Parkinson (AUS) in Round 3 with the highest heat total of the day, an 18.87, for his show of commitment and technical barrel riding. 
 
“The wave was really hollow and gnarly and I those were conditions where you can really get hurt,” Flores said. “I’ve surfed this wave a million times so I didn’t freesurf this morning and take the risk. I’m still feeling a bit sketchy with my head injury and every time I fall it’s the first thing I think about. It’s hard because I’m definitely scared but I just have to find the right balance. On my best day I feel like I can beat anyone but every single surfer on this tour is so so good. I’m hoping and I’m training hard and if I can win an event then I’m sure I can win another one.”

First to compete tomorrow will be Filipe Toledo (BRA) and Italo Ferreira (BRA) in Heat 1 of Round 5.
 
Event organizers will reconvene at 7 a.m. tomorrow to assess conditions and make a call for competition.
 
The Billabong Pro Tahiti runs from Friday, August 14 to Tuesday, August 25, 2015 and is webcast LIVE at WorldSurfLeauge.com and via the WSL mobile app.
 
The world's best surfing is also broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports in Australia, MCS Extreme in France, EDGE Sports in China, South Korea, Malaysia and other territories and on Globo TV in Brazil.
 
Billabong Pro Tahiti Round 3 Results:
Heat 1: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 16.97 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 12.50
Heat 2: Kai Otton (AUS) 13.13 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 12.00 
Heat 3: Owen Wright (AUS) 18.23 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 15.70
Heat 4: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 16.10 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 9.83
Heat 5: Gabriel Medina (HAW) 19.00 def. John John Florence (HAW) 18.84 
Heat 6: Bruno Santos (BRA) 16.20 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.70
Heat 7: Aritz Aranburu (ESP) 15.17 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 6.67 
Heat 8: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 16.83 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 8.66
Heat 9: Josh Kerr (AUS) 15.80 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 13.67
Heat 10: Kelly Slater (USA) 14.06 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 13.33
Heat 11: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 18.87 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 14.60
Heat 12: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 13.60 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 9.50
 
Billabong Pro Tahiti Round 4 Results:
Heat 1: Owen Wright (AUS) 14.84, Filipe Toledo (BRA) 13.06, Kai Otton (AUS) 12.70
Heat 2: Gabriel Medina (HAW) 17.64, Italo Ferreira (BRA) 17.10, Bruno Santos (BRA) 6.84
Heat 3: Josh Kerr (AUS) 13.20, Aritz Aranburu (ESP) 11.43, Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 6.40
Heat 4: Kelly Slater (USA) 16.60, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 14.66, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 8.30
 
Billabong Pro Tahiti Round 5 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Italo Ferreira (BRA)
Heat 2: Bruno Santos (BRA) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 3: Aritz Aranburu (ESP) vs. C.J. Hobgood (USA)
Heat 4: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 

Epic win for the NBMS team - their 3rd in a row at the Vic Bay Quad, and our first as the Nelson Mandela Bay Surfriders - which has replaced EP due to a restructure in SA Surfing. NMBS beat hosts Eden (ex Southern Cape) and Cape Town (ex Western Province) into 2nd & 3rd spots respectively.

In the Over 50's, Greg Smith took 2nd and Andre Venter 4th, Dylan Stone got 2nd in the Over 30's, Warwick Heny 2nd in the Over 40's, and Crystal Hulett 3rd in the Women's division.

Team manager and member Andre Venter had this to say:

“History was made when our Nelson Mandela Bay Surfing team won the first title under our new name and at the same time making it a hat trick at the 2015 Victoria Bay Quad in Memory of John Pfaff.

Surf conditions ranged from 4 to 6 ft with odd sets of 8 ft on Sunday. We had all our surfers through the 1 st round, 10 out 18 still in the mix on the last day and 5 surfers (Dylan Stone, Warwick Heny, Greg Smith, Andre Venter and Crystal Hulett) through to the finals.

This is one of the best spirited compo’s in SA and it was just great to have such a motivated and supportive team taking the win again!! ”

After three attempts and three falls Brazilian Filipe Toledo (BRA) seemed to find his feet in the opening heat of Round 3. Current No. 4 on the Jeep Leaderboard went on to find three barrels with a clean exit to build a 16.97 heat total and take the win over Brett Simpson (USA). Simpson, who is currently at 36th place on the rankings and in need of a series of strong results to re-qualify for 2016, is eliminated in equal 13th place while Toledo heads to Round 4.

 “In my last heat I don’t think I was in the right place,” Toledo. “This heat I tried to get deeper but I fell on the first few waves so I tried to slow down. Finally I feel like I’m in Tahiti - the sun has come out and I got some barrels. I’m just trying to enjoy things, have fun and not think about the world title to much.”

 Two nine-point rides from Owen Wright (AUS) gave him a decisive win over Dusty Payne (HAW) in Round 3 Heat 3. The Australian, who is currently in fifth place on the Jeep Leaderboard, looked in sync with the ocean, finding the best waves and dominating the lineup. Payne meanwhile, at 35th on the rankings, goes home with a disappointing place 13th despite a great performance and a strong heat total of his own.

“The heats I’ve had against Dusty (Payne) have all been tough,” said Wright. “I feel for him but I’m stoked to get through the early Rounds. Last year in that size I was probably a bit manic and I noticed that Kelly (Slater) and John John (Florence) were picking the eyes out of it, which I think comes with experience so I wanted to spend more time here. I’ve definitely learnt a lot. I’ve put one competition together this year and I’d love to do that again. I’m working on my consistency and hopefully that takes me where I want to go, to the top.”

Kai Otton (AUS) along with Brazilian rookies Italo Ferreira (BRA) and Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) also won through their Round 3 heats to advance to Round 4.

When competition resumes, up first will be Josh Kerr (AUS) and Adrian Buchan (AUS) in Heat 9 of Round 3.
 
Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 7 a.m. to assess conditions and make a call for competition.
 
The Billabong Pro Tahiti runs from Friday, August 14 to Tuesday, August 25, 2015 and is webcast LIVE at WorldSurfLeauge.com and via the WSL mobile app.
 
The world's best surfing is also broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports in Australia, MCS Extreme in France, EDGE Sports in China, South Korea, Malaysia and other territories and on Globo TV in Brazil.
 
Billabong Pro Tahiti Round 3 Results:
Heat 1: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 16.97 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 12.50
Heat 2: Kai Otton (AUS) 13.13 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 12.00 
Heat 3: Owen Wright (AUS) 18.23 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 15.70
Heat 4: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 16.10 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 9.83
Heat 5: Gabriel Medina (HAW) 19.00 def. John John Florence (HAW) 18.84 
Heat 6: Bruno Santos (BRA) 16.20 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.70
Heat 7: Aritz Aranburu (ESP) 15.17 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 6.67 
Heat 8: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 16.83 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 8.66
 
Upcoming Billabong Pro Tahiti Round 3 Match-Ups:
Heat 9: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Heat 10: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Sebastian Zietz (HAW)
Heat 11: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Joel Parkinson (AUS)
Heat 12: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. C.J. Hobgood (USA)

Josh Kerr (AUS) put on an impressive display in Round 1 Heat 9 against Kolohe Andino (USA) and Wilkinson. The trio traded tube rides and lead changes for the opening half of the heat. Andino, who kept busy through the bout, held the lead with a 7.17 until Kerr found the wave of the heat, pulling into a long barrel and coming out on the dry reef for a near-perfect 9.67. He backed it up with a 7.50 for a convincing win and a pass into Round 3. Wilkinson went on to defeat Patacchia in Round 2 while Andino was eliminated by Brazilian rookie Wiggolly Dantas (BRA).
 
“That one wave was pretty crazy and I pulled up into dry reef,” said Kerr. “I would never have stayed on that wave in a freesurf. I just wanted to make sure I got the score but I might need a new set of fins.”
 
When competition resumes, up first will be Filipe Toledo (BRA) and Brett Simpson (USA) in the opening heat of Round 3.
 
Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 7 a.m. to assess conditions and make a call for competition.
 
The Billabong Pro Tahiti runs from Friday, August 14 to Tuesday, August 25, 2015 and is webcast LIVE at WorldSurfLeauge.com and via the WSL mobile app.
 
The world's best surfing is also broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports in Australia, MCS Extreme in France, EDGE Sports in China, South Korea, Malaysia and other territories and on Globo TV in Brazil.
 
Billabong Pro Tahiti Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Kelly Slater (USA) 15.10, Jadson Andre (BRA) 8.23, Brett Simpson (USA) 4.70
Heat 2: Owen Wright (AUS) 11.67, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 11.50, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 9.67
Heat 3: Aritz Aranburu (ESP) 13.10, Keanu Asing (HAW) 7.16, Filipe Toledo (BRA) 5.37
Heat 4: Julian Wilson (AUS) 10.66, Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 9.00, Garrett Parkes (AUS) 1.30
Heat 5: Mick Fanning (AUS) 12.17, Adam Melling (AUS) 6.26, Taumata Puhetini (PYF) 1.33
Heat 6: Bruno Santos (BRA) 8.67, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 5.30, Michel Bourez (PYF) 2.44
Heat 7: Dusty Payne (HAW) 10.00, Nat Young (USA) 5.14, Kai Otton (AUS) 1.30
Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 10.83, Taj Burrow (AUS) 4.77, Glenn Hall (IRL) 2.96
Heat 9: Josh Kerr (AUS) 17.17, Kolohe Andino (USA) 12.80, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 9.00
Heat 10: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 14.43, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.47, Ricardo Christie (NZL) 5.73
Heat 11: John John Florence (HAW) 17.96, Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 13.83, Bede Durbidge (AUS)11.43
Heat 12: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 14.90, Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 12.34, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 12.27
 
Billabong Pro Tahiti Round 2 Results:
Heat 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 16.26 def. Taumata Puhetini (PYF) 8.44
Heat 2: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 8.57 def. Garrett Parkes (AUS) 8.23
Heat 3: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 18.13 def. Nat Young (USA) 16.66 
Heat 4: Brett Simpson (USA) 16.50 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 10.23
Heat 5: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 14.36 def. Glenn Hall (IRL) 9.44
Heat 6: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 10.83 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 4.47
Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.67 def. Ricardo Christie (NZL) 12.44
Heat 8: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 12.50 def. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 10.96
Heat 9: Kai Otton (AUS) 14.66 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 5.54
Heat 10: Jadson Andre (BRA) 17.10 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 10.60
Heat 11: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 16.40 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 15.27
Heat 12: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 14.60 def. Keanu Asing (HAW) 14.07
 
Billabong Pro Tahiti Round 3 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 2: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 3: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 4: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 5: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Gabriel Medina (HAW)
Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Bruno Santos (BRA)
Heat 7: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Aritz Aranburu (ESP)
Heat 8: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) vs. Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Heat 9: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Heat 10: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Sebastian Zietz (HAW)
Heat 11: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Joel Parkinson (AUS)
Heat 12: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. C.J. Hobgood (USA)

Quiksilver Surf Series Heads To Port Alfred For Final Event Of 2015 Series  
 
Port Alfred – The Quiksilver Get Free Surf Series will head to the town of Port Alfred on the Sunshine Coast at the end of August for the final event of this three-part series. South Africa’s best Open Men, U20 and U16 Boys will be competing for over R30 000 in prize money, 3A Surfing South Africa Pro Surf Tour points and the final Quiksilver Get Free titles.
 
Port Alfred’s East Beach is a highly regarded surf break and with favourable conditions and swell it could make for the perfect amphitheatre for a high performance showdown. “Port Alfred is definitely a top venue for an event of this nature, when the waves are on, they are on! I can’t wait to surf a heat there. The contest should be great,” said Shane Sykes, the winner of the U20 junior boys division in the second leg of the series which was held at Umhlanga Rocks, KZN. 
 
Favourites in the Open Men's division include Umhlanga’s Beyrick de Vries, who recently placed 9th in the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, Michael February of Kommetjie who was runner up to de Vries in the second leg of the series as well as experienced veterans Daniel Redman and Brandon Jackson, both of Durban North. Previous U20 winners Shane Sykes of Salt Rock and Diran Zakarian of Melkbosstrand and SA Junior Team members Michael Monk of East London, Richard Kidd and Ntando Msibi of Durban will be serious contenders in the point-like conditions in this division.
 
There will be stiff competition in the U16 boys division with the likes of 2015 National Junior team member Sebastian Williams of Durban, Adin Masencamp of the Strand, Joshe Faulkner of Jeffreys Bay and Luke Malherbe of East London all competing in the event. Others to watch are Jake Elkington of Hout Bay as well as Ethan Fletcher and Ford Van Jaarsveldt of Kommetjie. 
 
Quiksilver Marketing and Sales Manager Dane Patterson has been very happy with the 2015 series and anticipates that the final event in Port Alfred will deliver great surf conditions, “I think that the series we’ve put on this year has been very well received, good for the South African surfers and for our domestic surf tour, we’re hoping that it will encourage other brands to invest more in the sport and the local surf scene. Port Alfred can be a very good venue and make for a top event when the ocean delivers, so we’re hoping that mother nature comes to the party for the final event of the series.”
 
Supporting sponsors to the series include Zigzag Surfing Magazine, Techniblock sunscreen, Drift action camera’s, Skullcandy, Neff and Red Bull.
For more information, videos, photos go to www.quiksilver.co.za/getfree.
 
To enter go to www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za and click on the Quiksilver Get Free Series poster
 
Surfing South Africa is the governing body for the sport and is a member of the South African Sports Confederation (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA).

By Dylan Lightfoot

California is amazing over the summer period, with warm weather every day and the schools are on holiday so the best place to be is at the beach! The US Open has one of the biggest fan bases for any event in the world. Thousands of people are all around the festival and along the pier stretched out into the ocean. Not only is it a surfing event but the worlds best Skaters and BMX riders compete in a Bowl Challenge set up on the beach. It blows me away to feel the amount of energy there is on the beach. 

You get all types of different people that come to the event, girls that write there numbers on their bikini bodies that say "Call me ;)" or even some that are brave write "tap this" and "freehugs and kisses". Then you get your religious fanatics standing with signs saying "Repent Now" and shouting out scriptures from the Bible and telling people how the world is going to end! I could people watch for hours at the US Open, it's so interesting.

 The best thing about it, is that people are so hyped on surfing. After a couple of my heats people were just so stoked to meet me or have a photo taken for instagram, was refreshing to see. I had a good run in the Pro Junior division making it to the Semi Finals. Every heat I felt so in rhythm with the ocean, picking off good waves, but unfortunately my luck ran out in the Semi Finals - hen I needed the best waves the most! 

An amazing contest nonetheless. I had the Fox Surf crew, Frankie D Andrea and Christian Saenz, based here in California, so they helped me out a lot and gave me some insight into Huntington. 

My main focus was on the US Open but I mentioned to Frankie from Fox Surf that I would be in California for an extra 2 weeks, so he said "Well, why don't you participate in the Surfercross!" At first I was hesitant as I have not ridden my bike in 2 months and after California I head to Europe for a 4 week leg of 4 QS surfing events. So if I injured myself, it would not reflect well on my career. But I could not resist the opportunity! 

So you have a pro class which is all the riders who are pro in either surfing or motocross, then you have the industry which is all the guys in the motocross or surf industry. You then get paired up, so all the pro surfers get paired up with pro motocross riders, so the twosome who does the best in both surfing and motocross wins the overall event. 

I got paired up with freestyle maniac Blake Williams AKA Bilko. Remember when Nitro Circus came to South Africa? Yep he was part of that crew! One of the guys doing the backflips and flying through the air on a motorcycle. It was so cool to hangout and get to know his sporting background, he is a absolute legend! 

The motocross was held on a scorching hot day, which made wearing our heavy gear that much more difficult. The criteria was to race around the track and tag your partner, after you have completed your lap then he would go and race his lap and so it went on until you completed 6 laps between each of you. It was judged on 2 rounds and based on who was the fastest pair, which would give you the overall result. We got a 12th out of 25 riders in the motocross which was a fair result. 

The day was all about chilling in the shade, drinking cool drinks and joking around underneath the gazebos, nothing to prove, just there to have a good time! The next day we headed to surf Trial 6, about a 15 minute drive from Lower Trestles. We had super fun 2 foot waves. We had to paddle out in 15 minute heats with our paired partner, and they scored you on your best wave, but there was one obstacle, Bilko had never surfed before! 

We went to try and teach him in a free surf before our heat, he managed to catch a couple waves so we thought he was ready. We started our first heat, I managed to get a bomb in the beginning, scoring a 9, so I was happy! 

Bilko caught his first wave, rode it all the way to the beach perfectly, I was blown away by his surfing talent, he then managed to catch a bomb out the back, not only did he ride it all the way to the beach but managed to pull off a head stand, right in front of Sunny Garcia who was walking out for his heat. It was hilarious! 

We made it to the surfing finals and both caught a couple good waves and won the overall surfing division. It was classic, Bilko's first time surfing and he won himself a trophy! It was the funnest event I have participated in.

After seven busy days of competition in the 2015 Citroen SA Championships at Alkantstrand in Richards Bay eleven new South African Champions were crowned, the winners of the Presidents Cup and the Masters Cup were decided and the once off Celebration Shield was presented to the team that scored the most points across the divisions.

In a fitting end to a wonderful 50th Anniversary celebration, Women surfers dominated the Final day’s proceedings as all but two of the final heats surfed featured the female surfers in the event.

Boosting the fact that the final day of this once in a lifetime tournament was a first class performance by eThekweni surfer Nicole Pallet who posted a 9.94 ride in her U20 Final to secure the title and the accolade as Surfer of the Contest. Gina Smith of Nelson Mandela Bay was the runner up in this division with Chanelle Botha of Ugu winning the bronze medal and Jade Story of hosts uThungulu taking fourth place.

Tasha Mentasti of the Presidents Team gave a determined performance in the Over 30 Division to win her second South African title, beating local favourite and three time SA Champion Tamarys de Maroussem into second place by ,14 points. Heather Clark of Ugu was third and Bianca Bosman of Buffalo City came fourth.

South Africa’s most successful female surfer of all time, Heather Clark as she powered her way to an eighth National title in the Open Women’s Division beating national team member Faye Zoetmulder of Nelson Mandela Bay into second place while 2014 Under 20 champion Emma Smith of Nelson Mandela Bay took third. Tasha Mentasti came fourth,

Talented Davey Van Zyl of eThekweni became the 50th South African Open Men’s Champion with a fine performance in an exciting premier final. Simon Fish of Buffalo City took silver ahead of Craig Johnson of Cape Town and Chris Frolich of eThekweni.

South African junior team member Joshe Faulkner dominated the U20 Boys Final to secure the U20 Championship title and Nelson Mandela Bay’s only gold medal. Devin Whitehead of eThekwewni came second, Cape Town’s Brandon Benjamin was third and Ntando Msibi of eThekweni was fourth.

In one of the major upsets of the 2015 SA Championships Manfred Adrio, a late replacement in the eThekweni team, beat defending champion and current ISA World Masters Champion Greg Emslie of Buffalo City by ,70 points to win the Over 35 Men’s Title. Justin Maisch of Ugu took third and Llewellyn Whittaker of the Presidents Team was fourth.

Wayne Monk of Buffalo City, one of the outstanding surfers at this year’s championships, successfully defended his Over 40 Division title. Carl Roux of Ugu was second with Vince King of uThungulu third and Justin Emslie of Buffalo City fourth. Monk, Roux and King were all members of thec1992 South African team that competed in the ISA World Surfing Games in France.

After competing in 34 South African Championships without ever winning a gold medal rob Moore Boyle’s perseverance paid off on Sunday when he won the Over 45 title beating Andre Malherbe of Buffalo City into second place by less than a point. 2014 SA Champion in this division, Gareth Sepp of Buffalo City was third and Mike Burness of Ugu came fourth.

David Malherbe of Buffalo City, one of South Africa’s toughest and most determined competitors over two decades, won the Over 50 Division title by ,27 points in the last seconds of this final beating former ISA World Champion Marc Wright of eThekweni into second place in the last minute of the heat. Nick Pike of Buffalo City was third and Peter Lawson of the Presidents Team took fourth.

Four time SA Open champion, multiple national champion in other age divisions and four time ISA World Champion Chris Knutsen of eThekweni reclaimed his Over 55 crown in fine style at the weekend beating Judge Oliver of Ugu into second place, 1981 South African team captain Barry Campbell returned to competitive surfing after a long absence with a third place in this final while Hans Kamhoot of Cape Town was fourth.

Dave Fish of Buffalo City won the inaugural Over 60 Division title when he edged out Chris Morris of eThekweni in the final moments of this final. Mush Hide of Nelson Mandela Bay took bronze and local favourite Ray Harris of uThungulu was fourth.

The Over 30 Women to Over 60 Men’s Divisions compete for the Masters Cup which was won for the ninth year in a row by Buffalo City with 29982 points. eThekweni (27318) were second, Ugu (26732) were third uThungulu (25304) took fourth place, Nelson Mandela Bay (20630) were fifth, Cape Town were sixth (19895) and the Presidents team (11652) were seventh,
The Presidents Cup winners were decided from the combined points in the U20 and Open Divisions. This year eThekweini won the Presidents Cup with 24668 points. Nelson Mandela Bay were second (21300), Buffalo City third (20660),Ugu fourth (20090)m Cape Town fifth (197600m uThungulu sixth (16596) and the Presidents Team seventh (10136).
When the points for all eleven divisions were tallied the once off Celebration Shield was won by the powerful eThekweni Team followed by Buffalo City,Ugu,Nelson Mandela Bay, uThungulu, Cape Town and the Presidents Team.

The 50th South African Surfing Championships were sponsored by Citroen SA and supported by Sport and Recreation SA, the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, Reef Wetsuits, Zigzag, the Zululand Observer, the uMhlatuze Community Tourism Organisation, the City of uMhlatuze and Monster Energy.

Heats,contest schedule and photos for the 2016 Citroën SA National Championships are on www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za

Day Four at the 2015 Citroen SA Surfing Championships provides the magic for masters surfers

After three days of marginal conditions Alkantstrand in Richards Bay turned on the magic on Day Four of the Citroen SA Surfing Championships. Steady off shore winds and highly contestable 3 – 4 foot surf greeted the contestants in the masters age groups, many of whom were getting their first opportunity to take to the water in the championships.
 
The Over 30 Women’s quarter finalists got the days surfing underway with some famous names making their way into the semi finals. Defending SA Champion Heather Clark (Ugu), five time SA Champion Kay Holt (Nelson Mandela Bay), three time SA Champion Tamarys de Maroussem (uThungulu), former division champion Tasha Mentasti (Presidents Team), Buffalo City stalwart Bianca Bosman and “rookie: Shelly Bergset (eThekweni) will fight it out for the four spots in Sundays Final.
 
Then it was the Over 35 Men’s Division’s chance to sample the best surf of the week as the second round contestants fought for the final six spots in Round Three of this division. Manfred Adrio (eThekweni), Martin Hartslief (Nelson Mandela Bay), Calvin Moore and Chris Cusens ( both Ugu), Andre Mory and Ryan Kuhn (both Cape Town) made the cut.
 
Twenty four surfers advanced to Round Three in the Over 40 Division while ten surfers in the Over 45 division made their way into the semi finals. Dave Malherbe (Buffalo City), defending champion Robin Lavery (uThungulu), former ISA World Champion Marc Wright (eThekweni) and former national team member Peter Lawson (Presidents Team) were the stand out surfers in the Over 50 Division while in the Over 55 Division current ISA World Champion Chris Knutsen (eThekweni) caught the eye as did Warren Wareing (Ugu) and former National team captain Barry Campbell (eThekweni).
 
uThungulu surfer Ray Harris had the locals on their feet as he cruised to victory in the first ever Over 60 heat at a national championships. Harris, who was given a guard of honour as he left the water at the end of the heat, beat Chris Morris (eThekweni), Dave Fish (Buffalo City) and Mush Hide (Nelson Mandela Bay). The oldest surfers in the contest will all compete in the Final on Saturday.
 
The 50th South African Surfing Championships are supported by Sport and Recreation SA, the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, Reef Wetsuits, Zigzag, the  Zululand Observer, the uMhlatuze Community Tourism Organisation, the City of uMhlatuze and Monster Energy.
 
Heats,contest schedule and photos for the 2016 Citroën SA National Championships are updated each day on www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za
 
Get heat results as they happen on
# sasurfingchamps
# citroënSA
# C4cactus
# CitroenRB
 
Updated results are posted on facebook.co/zulusurfriders and twitter.com/zulusurfriders.
 
The event partner websites are www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za      www.zulusurfriders.co.za and www.zululandobserver.co.za
 
Surfing South Africa is the governing body for the sport in South Africa and is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA).