NMBS 2nd at SA Champs

Border takes the win. Just! © SASurfing

​Yoh, that was close! Nelson Mandela Bay Surfriders got pipped by the smallest of margins at the SA Masters Champs at Seals, being nudged into 2nd spot by Border by only a coupla hundred points - 26485 vs 26239.

Awesome surfing by the whole team, but special congrats to Alan Byram who won the Over 60's division, and is SA Champ. Andre Venter (over 55), Greg Smith (Over 50) and Clinton Fraser (Over 35) got 2nd spots.

NMBS team #localislekker

Alan Byram SA Champ © Jo Byram

NMBS's Mickey Lindsay won the Surfer of the Day award on the first day - with his awesome heat score of 18.5 - which would even beat Medina on some days!

Antony Smyth was named Surfer of the contest. Despite the challenge of a paralysed right arm, Antony made the finals in his division against the able-bodied surfers. Respect.

Capt Kai & Antony

Over 200 surfers paddled out on Saturday in remembrance of surf legend Dave Fish, who has passed away suddenly last week. Dave was the Chairman of the Seal Point Boardriders Club, and it was his initiative to get Seal Point as the host of the 2016 SA Masters Championships. RIP Dave. May it be 6ft & cooking up there.

© Kai Linder

© Grant Beck

Overall division winners were as follows:
​Alan Byram (Over 60 NMB), Judge Oliver (Over 55, UGU), Marc Wright (Over 50, INV), Carl Roux (Over 45, UGU), Wayne Monk (Over 40, BC), Llewellyn Whittaker (Over 35, NMB), Devyn Mattheys (Over 30, BC), and Lynne Mackey (Women Over 35, ETK).

The Foot still has it © Stan Blumberg

Clint Fraser got the newly created Full Stop Rock Award for his close encounter of the rocky kind. Not the first to meet the rock, and won't be the last either.

Clinton Fraser & his rock © Sandy Coffey

Shot to Mervyn Goddard and Andre Venter for hosting the event on behalf of NMBS - well done to the ou's and their team. The board raffle raised R9k for NMBS, and was won by Gary van Wieringen from UGU. 

​TEAM WINNERS
1st Buffalo City Surfriders 26,485
2nd Nelson Mandela Bay Surfriders 26,239
3rd Ugu Surfriders 25,561
4th Uthungulu Surfriders 22,477
5th Cape Town Surfriders 22,162
6th Ethekweni Surfriders 21,966
7th Eden Surfriders 21,338
8th Cape Winelands Surfriders 20,586
9th Invitation Team In Memory Of Dave Fish 4,570

Board through sunroof, one de-merit. Wax up? definitely 2nd de-merit! © Stanley Badger

Ballies battling to keep pace. Deno caught cat-napping © Mervyn Goddard