 Official press release - Sunset Surf This year sees the 6th edition of the Sunset Surf Club Night Surfing Classic taking place at the Pipe, Pollok Beach, Port Elizabeth coinciding with the club’s 25th anniversary and the Nelson Mandela Bay Summer Season. The Sunset Surf Club Night Surfing Classic is a unique surfing contest in that it is held under floodlights positioned on the beach. As the sun goes down, surfers can continue competing through to after midnight. The beach forms a natural amphitheatre to watch the amazing surfing action from some of Eastern Province’s top surfers. The Pipe is perfectly set up for this kind of surfing competition, the facilities and enthusiasm are all there to make it a magical event. The Sunset Surf Club Night Surfing Classic has proven to be Port Elizabeth’s most popular event for competitors and spectators during the month of December with many people making it down to the beach on the two nights to watch the spectacle. The Sunset Surf Club Night Surfing Classic continues to grow in popularity as it kick start the Nelson Mandela Bay Summer Season on the 2nd weekend in December each year with two fun-filled nights of surfing and beach events. PE band, The Brothers , will entertain the crowds with a sundowner performance on Fiday 6th December. It draws elite and recreational surfers from all over the Nelson Mandela Bay, Jeffrey’s Bay as far as Cape St Francis, Port Afred and East London. This year the club is looking forward to participation of a surf school run by international surf judge, Cyril Mqadi who recruits street children, from Durban. For many of the participants, this is the only event in the country giving them an opportunity to surf at night under floodlights. The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Beach Office through their support of the night surfing competition for the past 6 years has once again ensured that the event takes place with their contribution of the temporary floodlighting making the night surfing event possible. Product and infrastructure sponsors pledged thus far for the night surfing event are from Algoa FM, Billabong, SRSA, SSA, EPSC, Soul Good, Quiksilver, Roxy, RVCA, La Zila Projects and Surf Centre and of course the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. Sunset Surf Club chairperson and coordinator, Addie Jappie said, Sunset Surf Club is very proud to host the only night surfing event on Surfing South Africa’s calendar on our home break, Pollok Beach. We are running the night surfing event since 2008 and it is very important to us that we can continue with this obviously event in Nelson Mandela Bay for many more years to come, However, currently we still require an anchor sponsor to ensure its future success. The club is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and is making it a fun-filled event with participation and enjoyment being the primary focus and we have penned the motto “Sprint, Paddle, Surf, Friendship and Fun” which incorporates all three disciplines – beach sprints (flag races), paddle battle and actual surfing. The Sunset Surf Club Night surfing Classic is one of the most testing events on Surfing South Africa’s calendar due to the obvious lack of ability to see the waves coming in from a distance. Night surfing relies on natural ability to react to the flow and possible changes in direction of any given wave let alone the off putting shadows thrown by the lights. The age groups accommodated for in the competition are: Under 10 and 12 Boys and Girls; Under 14 and 16 Boys and Girls; Under 18 Boys and Girls, Under 20 Boys; Open Ladies and Men; Seniors; Masters; Veterans and ”Ballies Long Board”. The beach events consist of the Paddle Battle and the Flag races (beach sprints) with age groups Under 12 boys and girls and Under 16 boys and girls. As usual the Sunset Surf Club “Learn to Surf” development clinic will be held on Saturday 7th December from 11h00 – 13h00 there will be instructors and coaches available providing free surf lessons to youngsters interested in trying the sport, with top Eastern Province and club surfers offering words of advice and vital tips. For safety, the club has coordinated with lifesavers from Hobie Beach Lifesaving Club on watercraft such as jetskis and a rubber duck and shark prods that will be secured to bouys behind the breaking waves as a safety precaution. In addition to the surfing competition, there will be beach events including a beachwear fashion show, Miss Sunset, jumping castles for the kids, skateboarding ramps, Live entertainment and surf industry product kiosks throughout the two days. The prize giving ceremony will be held on Saturday night 7th December after the final heats are surfed. If there is any surf event to diarise, the Sunset Surf Club Night Surfing Classic is the one! Set over one day and two nights. For further information please contact Addie Jappie on 082 042 6820 or email to sunsetsurfclub@gmail.com. 
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