Although the third day of competition in the 2015 Citroen SA Surfing Championships at Alkantstrand in Richards Bay produced small 2 – 3 foot surf, the wind was offshore for the first time and competitors made the most of the conditions.
 
The quarter Finals in the Open women’s division got the day underway and produced an upset when four time and defending SA Champion Nikita Robb (Buffalo City) was eliminated. It was a major disappointment for the East London surfer who would have become the first surfer in 50 years to win five national titles in a row if she had gone on to win this event.

As it is she will have to watch from the beach as semi finalists Tamarys de Maroussem (uThungulu), Emma Smith and Faye Zoetmulder (both Nelson Mandela Bay), Tasha Mentasti (Presidents Team),Heather Clark (Ugu) and Kat Steffen (eThekweni) compete for places in the Final.
 
In the Open Men’s Quarter Final Round 18 year old Luke Malherbe (Buffalo City) continued to impress and will fight it out for a place in the final against team mate and defending champion Greg Emslie, fellow Buffalo City surfer Simon Fish,Craig Johnson (Cape Town), Chris Frolich and Davey Van Zyl (both eThekweni).
 
The U20 Boys Quarter Finalists and Semi finalists had the crowd on their feet as the young surfers produced some power surfing in the small conditions in their attempts to reach the final four. In the end it was birthday boy Ntando Msibi (Presidents Team), Brandon Benjamin (Cape Town),Joshe Faulkner (Nelson Mandela Bay) and Devin Whitehead (eThekweni) who will contest the Final on Sunday.
 
Nicole Pallet (eThekweni) posted an 8.3 ride, one of the highest scores of the event so far and won the Freedom Surf Trophy for Day Three. She will be joined in the Final by Jade Story (uThungulu), Chanelle Botha (Ugu) and Gina Smith (Nelson Mandela Bay).
 
The Over 35 Mens Division got their first chance to sample the Alkantstrand waves on Day Three as did the Over 30 Womens Division. Heat winners in the Over 35 Mens group were defending champion Greg Emslie,Buffalo City teammate Tristan Johnson,Brad Sorour (Nelson Mandela Bay),Jaco Kapp (eThekweni) Sean Van Oettingen (uThungulu) and Lu Whittaker (Presidents Team).

In the Over 30 Womens Division Heather Clark, Tasha Mentasti, Tamarys de Maroussem and Bianca Bosman (Buffalo City) advanced to the semi finals.
 
The focus over the next two days will be on the “masters” age divisions which range from Over 35 to Over 60.
 
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).

Small early morning surf on day two of the Citroen SA Surfing Championships forced organisers to put the contest on hold until the surf improved as the tide dropped. Once the event got going however, surfers in the second rounds of this seven daylong event gave it their all and there were some impressive heat scores despite the marginal conditions.

Third Round heat winners in the premiere Open Men’s Division were Dylan Stewart & Chris Frolich (both eThekweni), former SA Champion Gavin Roberts (Ugu),Simon Fish (Buffalo City) and Craig Johnson (Cape Town). They advanced to Round Four as did defending champion Greg Emslie (Buffalo City), Scott Venter (Presidents Team),David Van Zyl and Chris Frolich (both eThekweni),Luke Malherbe (Buffalo City) and Clint Fraser (Nelson Mandela Bay). A significant upset was the elimination of two time SA Champion Casey Grant (Ugu)

In the Open Women’s Division, Danielle Johnson (Presidents Team),Heather Klug (Ugu),Kat Steffen(eThekweni) and Nina Woermann (Cape Town) joined Round One qualifiers Emma Smith, Faye Zoetmulder (both Nelson Mandela Bay),Tamarys de Maroussem and Monique Gresse (both uThungulu), Lynne Mackey (eThekweni), Tasha Mentasti (Presidents Team),multiple SA Champion Heather Clark (Ugu), and defending champion Nikita Robb (Buffalo City) in Round Yhree.

Joshe Faulkner (Nelson Mandela Bay),JJ Harris and Richard Kidd (both eThekweni) and Michael Monk (Buffalo City) all won their Round Three U20 Division heats to advance to the next Round. Alos advancing are second placed surfers Bevan Willis and Devin Whitehead (both eThekweni), Brandon Benjamin (Cape Town), Tristan Lev (Nelson Mandela Bay),Luke Malherbe (Buffalo City) and Ntando Msibi (Presidents Team).

While conditions will remain small tomorrow (Day Three) they are expected to improve on Thursday and Friday. The contest will end with all eleven finals on Sunday

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 here..

# citroënSA
# C4cactus
# CitroenRB

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).