SAQUAREMA, Rio de Janeiro/Brasil (Sunday, June 23, 20199) - Today Filipe Toledo (BRA) and Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) won the Oi Rio Pro, Stop No. 5 on the 2019 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT). The beach came alive throughout the Oi Rio Pro with thousands of fans each day, including today’s Final at Barrinha in four-to-six foot (1.2 - 1.8 meter) waves. Fitzgibbons and Toledo surfed a full day from the Quarterfinals to the Final, resulting in their third CT victories in Brasil. Toledo successfully repeated last year’s victory at Barrinha with dominant performances against Jordy Smith (ZAF) in the Final, Frederico Morais (PRT) in the Semifinals, and Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) in the Quarterfinals. This is Toledo’s third win in Brasil (2015, 2018, 2019) and the eighth of his career. “Once I get into the Quarters and Semis, it’s like something clicks in my head, especially here in Brasil," said Toledo. "The crowd just gets me pumped and I just want to do my best. But it’s so hard, surfing can be anybody’s game. With Jordy (Smith) you never know. I had eighteen points, but he could’ve easily gotten two nines as well. I was tense until the last thirty seconds, but that first wave got me feeling pretty confident and I was stoked to get that one.” Later on, at the awards podium, Toledo opened up and revealed that he was going through some personal issues throughout the year, but that the energetic Brasilian crowd provided the extra fuel he needed to push through. “It can be really difficult if you don’t surround yourself with a good support crew and prepare yourself psychologically,” continued Toledo. “If you’re not prepared, the pressure can really get to you. What I really enjoy is the emotion and energy from the fans in Brasil. This gives me energy, focus, and motivation. I’ve been sick all week and feeling really weak and tired. But every time I ran down the corridor to the water, the energy from the crowd would give me a boost. A lot of people don’t know, but I’ve been going through a very difficult year personally. It’s been tough to concentrate on doing what I love most, but the crowd is what pulled me through and I’m eternally grateful. Now let’s head to another of my favorite waves at J-Bay.” The Brasilian hero is back in the top five, moving up three spots to No. 3 on the world rankings. The next event on the CT is the Corona Open J-Bay, where Toledo is also the defending event winner. With his first win in 2019, Toledo will be fired up heading into an event where he can again defend his event Title. Smith’s runner-up finish advances him one place up to No. 4 on the Jeep Leaderboard and that much closer to his maiden World Title. The 31-year-old has made the Final Series four times so far this year with only one early exit in Bali. Smith now returns to the Corona Open J-Bay as the obvious favorite in his home country of South Africa where he will now be welcomed home by his fans. “I think Filipe (Toledo) had a massive support crew down here today,” said Smith. “I think the first wave was a momentum shifter. The wedge moved a little inside, and I missed it, and Filipe got barreled and did an air to a blow-tail and that was just kind of it. The wind picked up right after, but what can I say? He’s an incredible surfer, and I was just honored to be in a Final and was pleased to finally make one this year. It was a great event and there’s no other crowd like this in the world. I just hope that at J-Bay they can share a little bit of love my way.” California’s Kolohe Andino (USA) lost to Smith in the second Semifinal but still holds his position as No. 2 on the world rankings behind John John Florence (HAW). Andino is gunning for his maiden World Title and his first CT event win in 2019 and shows no sign of slowing down. He came incredibly close in two Finals already this year (Gold Coast, Margaret River) and continued his form in Brasil. Oi Rio Pro Women’s Final Results:
1 - Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 14.64 2 - Carissa Moore (HAW) 12.57 Oi Rio Pro Women’s Semifinal Results: SF 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 7.63 DEF. Keely Andrew (AUS) 4.40 SF 2: Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.30 DEF. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 14.83 Oi Rio Pro Women’s Quarterfinal Results: QF 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 14.17 DEF. Lakey Peterson (USA) 1.20 QF 2: Keely Andrew (AUS) 7.24 DEF. Silvana Lima (BRA) 6.46 QF 3: Carissa Moore (HAW) 12.33 DEF. Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 12.04 QF 4: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 10.90 DEF. Courtney Conlogue (USA) 10.66 Oi Rio Pro Men’s Final Results: 1 - Filipe Toledo (BRA) 18.04 2 - Jordy Smith (ZAF) 8.43 Oi Rio Pro Men’s Semifinal Results: SF 1: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 16.00 DEF. Frederico Morais (PRT) 10.30 SF 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 16.06 DEF. Kolohe Andino (USA) 10.40 Oi Rio Pro Men’s Quarterfinal Results: QF 1: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 11.00 DEF. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 7.57 QF 2: Frederico Morais (PRT) 13.17 DEF. Julian Wilson (AUS) 11.83 QF 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) DEF. John John Florence (HAW) INJ QF 4: Kolohe Andino (USA) 13.10 DEF. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 12.00 2019 Women’s CT Jeep Leaderboard (following Oi Rio Pro): 1 - Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 32,580 pts 2 - Carissa Moore (HAW) 31,175 pts 3 - Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 30,320 pts 4 - Courtney Conlogue (USA) 26,845 pts 5 - Lakey Peterson (USA) 26,050 pts 5 - Caroline Marks (USA) 26,050 pts 2019 Men’s CT Jeep Leaderboard (following Oi Rio Pro): 1 - John John Florence (HAW) 32,160 pts 2 - Kolohe Andino (USA) 27,760 pts 3 - Filipe Toledo (BRA) 27,195 pts 4 - Jordy Smith (ZAF) 26,045 pts 5 - Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 24,705 pts
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Chelsea Tuach and Adin Masencamp Take Titles at Volkswagen SA Open of Surfing pres. by Hurley PIPE, POLLOCK BEACH, PORT ELIZABETH – The cream rose to the top at the Volkswagen SA Open of Surfing pres by Hurley when Barbados surfer Chelsea Tuach won the Women’s Qualifying Series (QS) 3000 and South African Adin Masencamp (Strand) won the Men’s QS 1000. The 6th stop on the World Surf League (WSL) Africa QS and the 4th of five events in the City Surf Series (CSS) offered five days of great surfing for competitors and spectators alike. It was a challenging final for Tuach and Vahine Fierro (FRA), with surfers having to wait a long time before finding waves with decent scoring potential. Tuach scored the best wave of the heat for a 5.50 and backed it up with a 3.93 for a total of 9.43. Fierro searched the line-up for better scores but could only get two waves in the 4-point range. Tuach, who came into the event ranked in the top 30, will leapfrog up the WSL Women’s QS leaderboard after posting her best result of the 2019 season. “It’s been a crazy day trying to make heats and also trying to make my flight!” said an elated and out-of-breath Tuach. “It got really hard in the final and I knew I just had to get two waves that would hopefully be the best scores. I knew Vahine wasn’t going to be easy to beat, so my heart was in my throat up until the last second. I feel like I’m surfing well and I’m in a good rhythm.” Tuach heads home for a short break before starting to train for the Pan-American Games in the hope of qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In the Women’s Semifinals, current World Junior Champion and event standout Kirra Pinkerton (USA) was disappointed after being eliminated by Fierro, herself a former World Junior Champ. “It just didn’t seem to work out for me in that heat and I’m really disappointed,” said Pinkerton, who walks away with an equal 3rd place result. Reigning WSL Africa champion Adin Masencamp (Strand) breathed a sigh of relief when he won the Men’s QS 1000 against Australian Sheldon Simkus. “I’m so stoked to get the win. It’s been biting me, every time I come to PE I reach the finals but can’t seem to get a win. I think it’s just a mindset,” said Masencamp. “I’ve had a good year so far and I feel like I’m picking up momentum now heading into Ballito.” Blake Elkington (Kommetjie) opted to play the waiting game in his Semifinal match-up with Simkus while the Australian kept moving and whipped out high performance maneuvers on every wave to build on his score and advance to the final. Disappointed with a strategy that didn’t pan out, Elkington was eliminated in equal 3rd place. The fifth and final CSS event, the Vic Bay Classic, takes place from 20-22 June and offers Men’s, Women’s and Junior Men’s and Women’s QS 1000 rated events. Alongside the world-class surfing action, the City Surf Series events also embrace sustainability and transformation programs such as the Surfing South Africa (SSA) Learn To Surf outreach project in collaboration with Caltex EC, National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) and Ocean Pledge. Ocean Pledge will assist in creating ‘Blue Events,' while the NSRI will be educating members of the public, competitors, local schools and surf outreach programs about ocean safety and ocean awareness. More information, results and images will be available on www.worldsurfleague.com and on the WSL App. 2019 WSL Africa Tour Schedule March 27-30 Senegal Pro Dakar, Senegal M&W QS1,500 Completed April 18-20 Nelson Mandela Bay Surf Pro Port Elizabeth M&W QS1,000 + JQS1,000 Completed April 22-24 Royal St Andrews Hotel Port Alfred Surf Classic M&W QS1,000 + JQS1,000 Completed May 10-12 Zigzag Durban Surf Pro Durban M&W QS1,000 + JQS1,000 Cancelled May 31-1 Jun Vans Surf Pro Classic Lamberts Bay M QS1,500; W QS1,000; M JQS1,000 Completed Jun 13-17 VWSA Open of Surfing Port Elizabeth WQS3,000; MQS1,000; M&W JQS1,000 Completed Jun 20-22 Vic Bay Classic Victoria Bay M&W QS1,000; M&W JQS1,000 Jun 27-7 Jul Ballito Pro pres. by O’Neill Ballito MQS10,000; WQS1,000; M&WJQS1,000 Shot to the Nelson Mandela Bay Surfriders for the 2nd spot at the annual Vic Bay Quad. Waves were cooking for the event and our team delivered. Congratulations to JBay's Joshe Faulker for taking the Men's title at the Vic Bay Quad this weekend. The Nelson Mandela Bay Surf Riders came 2nd overall. Kyle Jacobs got a 4th in the over 30's, Warwick Heny a 4th in the over 40's and Trevor Hansen got a 3rd in the over 50's. Buffalo City Surfriders dominate the 2019 Vic Bay Quad in memory of John Pfaff.
Monday May 27th - Perfect weather and ideal 3 – 4 foot surf, great surfing and excellent camaraderie were the highlights of the 2019 Vic Bay Quad in memory of John Pfaff which was completed yesterday (Sunday May 26th) For the first time since this iconic contest was reintroduced onto the Surfing South Africa calendar in August 2012, team honours went the way of a dominant Buffalo City Surfriders contingent. The East London outfit posted 48136 points and beat 2018 champions Nelson Mandela Bay Surfriders, who accumulated 42722 points, into second place. Event hosts, Eden Surfriders posted 40574 points and ended third ahead of 2017 champions Cape Town Surfriders who scored 36050 points. Cape Winelands scored 34022 points and finished fifth. Buffalo City Surfriders victory means that they have earned free accommodation at the Wilderness Bush Camp at the 2020 Vic Bay Quad, courtesy of David Pfaff. The Nelson Mandela Bay team produced the Open Men’s Champion in Joshe Faulkner, who won all his heats and the Final and was the standout surfer of the event. Faulkner beat Bryce du Preez of Buffalo City into second place with another Buffalo City surfer, Graeme Field, taking third ahead of Adin Jeenes of Eden Surfriders. Natasha Van Greunen of Cape Winelands Surfriders beat Tarryn Chudleigh of Cape Town Surfriders into second place in the Women’s final. Buffalo City surfer Tayla de Coning came third and Tanika Hoffman of Cape Town Surfriders took fourth place. The Over 30 Division Final was an all Eastern Cape affair with Tyrell Johnson of Buffalo City beating Nelson Mandela Bay surfers Mark Zunckel and Kyle Jacobs into second and third respectively. Tyrell’s brother Orrin, came fourth. Buffalo City surfers dominated the Over 40 Final with honours going to Wayne Monk. Team mates Tyrell Johnson and Graeme Field were second and third and Warwick Heny of Nelson Mandela Bay came fourth. Steven Hair of Eden Surfriders scored a hat trick in the Over 50 Division Final when he won this title for the third year in a row. Richard Heath of Cape Winelands was runner up, Trevor Hansen of Nelson Mandela Bay was third and Patrick Cuthbert of Eden Surfriders came fourth. The first Vic Bay Quad took place back in 1976. It was originally contested by Southern Cape (known as South Western Districts back then), Western Province, Eastern Province and Border. In the early 1980’s Boland sent a team to the event but it retained its name as the Vic Bay Quad even though there were five teams taking part. At one stage a team from the SA Defence Force also competed in the event but it has always been known as the Vic Bay Quad. After a break of nearly a decade the Vic Bay Quad was added to the Surfing South Africa calendar in 2012 as a memorial to its founder John Pfaff. The original format for the event has been retained with surfers competing Open Division for Men and Women as well as Over 30, Over 40 and Over 50 Men’s Divisions. At the end of the contest every surfer’s allocated scores determine the team champions. The John Pfaff Trophy, created by local surfer Steven Hair, is awarded to the winning team. Full individual results are available on www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za and on the Surfing South Africa Facebook page at Surfing SA BELLS BEACH, Victoria/AUS (Saturday, April 27, 2019) - Courtney Conlogue (USA) and John John Florence (HAW) won the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, Stop No. 2 on the 2019 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) in picturesque conditions with pumping 2 - 3 metre waves on Saturday
Although he fell in the Semifinals to eventual winner Florence in the Semifinals, 2017 Bells Beach champion Jordy Smith (Durban) was a clear standout on the last two days of competition. The South African powered through the unruly 3 - 5 metre waves on Friday, defeating Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) and Kanoa Igarashi (JPN). In classic Bells conditions on Saturday, Smith overcame Jeep rankings leader Italo Ferreira (BRA) in their quarter-final clash when the Brazilian incurred an interference call and had one of his two counting scores reduced to zero. Smith’s second-consecutive 3rd place finish saw him solidify his third place in the latest rankings behind Florence and Ferreira, and ahead of Bells Beach runner-up Filipe Toledo and fellow Brazilian and reigning world champion Gabriel Medina. After carrying an injury for the majority of the 2018 season, former two-time WSL Champion Florence returned to competition with a bang, finishing in 3rd on the Gold Coast and now winning his maiden Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach title. Florence’s trademark power and finesse perfectly matched the huge walls of the last two days. “It’s a surreal feeling to have won this event,” Florence said. “Especially an event like this where we started at Winki with small waves then to how big it was yesterday and then just totally perfect today. There have been so many different faces and challenges and then surfing against Filipe (Toledo) is always pretty scary.” In addition to the conditions, the win was not without its fierce opponents as Florence overcame Medina (BRA) in the Quarterfinals, Smith (ZAF) in the Semifinals, and Brazilian contender Filipe Toledo (BRA) in the Final. Florence’s win gives him his career’s best start to the season and he will head to the Stop No 3, the Corona Bali Protected, wearing the Jeep Leader Jersey, a frightening prospect for the rest of the men's CT. Following an injury-plagued 2018 of herown, and a 9th place result at Stop No. 1 on the Gold Coast, Conlogue is back on top of the podium after winning her third Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach title. The Californian surfed well through the early rounds, but then came into her own on the last two days in the massive surf, standing out from the rest of the field with her committed and critical turns. “What an event! I went from being out of rhythm with the ocean to the ocean being in the kind of rhythm I enjoy,” Conlogue said. “I was trying to contain my ‘grom froth’ watching the waves all day. It feels incredible to get another Bell, they’re not easy to come by. Every single Bell has its own special path and journey that got me it and this one was definitely an amazing one to win.” Conlogue defeated fellow Californian Lakey Peterson (USA) in the Semifinal and went on to meet Malia Manuel (HAW) in the Final where she earned the year’s first Perfect 10 point ride to secure her win at Bells. This was Conlogue's second win over Manuel in a Final. The win moves Conlogue from 9th to 3rd on the Jeep Leaderboard. For full results, images and highlights from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com. The next stop on the 2019 WSL Championship Tour will be the Corona Bali Protected at Keramas on the East Coast of Bali. The event window will open on May 13 and run through May 25, 2019. The event will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and Facebook.com/WSL. Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Women’s Final Results: 1 - Courtney Conlogue (USA) 15.83 2 - Malia Manuel (HAW) 14.84 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Women’s Semifinal Results: Heat 1: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 14.50 DEF. Lakey Peterson (USA) 9.67 Heat 2: Malia Manuel (HAW) 9.33 DEF. Caroline Marks (USA) 7.80 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Men’s Final Results: 1 - John John Florence (HAW) 14.30 2 - Filipe Toledo (BRA) 13.83 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Men’s Semifinal Results: Heat 1: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 13.40 DEF. Ryan Callinan (AUS) 12.84 Heat 2: John John Florence (HAW) 16.80 DEF. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.24 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Men’s Quarterfinal Results: Heat 1: Ryan Callinan (AUS) 12.67 DEF. Kelly Slater (USA) 5.67 Heat 2: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 14.17 DEF. Jacob Willcox (AUS) 13.06 Heat 3: John John Florence (HAW) 16.87 DEF. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.17 Heat 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.23 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 8.40 2019 WSL Women’s CT Jeep Leaderboard (After Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach): 1 - Caroline Marks (USA) 16,085 points 2 - Malia Manuel (HAW) 13,885 points 3 - Courtney Conlogue (USA) 12,610 points 4 - Carissa Moore (HAW) 12,545 points 5 - Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 9,490 points 2019 WSL Men’s CT Jeep Leaderboard (After Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach): 1 - John John Florence (HAW) 16,085 points 2 - Italo Ferreira (BRA) 14,745 points 3 - Jordy Smith (ZAF) 12,170 points 4 - Filipe Toledo (BRA) 11,120 points 5 - Gabriel Medina (BRA) 9,490 points Dylan Lightfoot and Ariane Ochoa Take QS Titles at Royal St Andrews Hotel Port Alfred Surf Classic
South Africa’s Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay) and Ariane Ochoa from the Basque region of Spain took out the Men’s and Women’s Qualifying Series (QS) titles at the Royal St Andrews Hotel Port Alfred Surf Classic in Port Alfred on Wednesday, with Thomas Lindhorst (East London) and Ceara Knight (Kommetjie) crowned the Junior Men’s Junior Women’s champions respectively. After two days of horrendous conditions in the Eastern Cape, the weather was calmer for the final day of Stop No 3 of seven on the 2019 WSL Africa Tour, while overhead waves continued to reel down the sandbank at the mouth of the Kowie River. Lightfoot, ranked No 88 on the QS coming into the event, revelled in the powerful surf and won his quarter-final, semi-final and final encounters with high performance surfing and canny contest strategy to clinch his first QS event title. The final was a see-saw encounter with all four competitors delivering great scores before Lightfoot posted a 6.55 (out of 10) that saw him overtake eventual runner-up Luke Slijpen (Hout Bay) to secure victory, with Durbanites Chad du Toit and Slade Prestwich having to settle for third and fourth places. The 1,000 points for the win moved Lightfoot into the lead in the WSL Africa regional rankings after three events and the Jeffreys Bay surfer will also improve his position on the international QS leaderboard when the latest ranking are published tomorrow. The Japanese women have been on a tear in South Africa and the Women’s final at Port Alfred was stacked with the trio of Shino Matsudo, Ren Hashimoto and Julia Nishimoto. Ariane Ochoa (ESP) was the dark horse in the lineup, but she did not let that deter her from putting on an impressive performance. Ochoa opened her encounter with an excellent ride of 8.50 out of 10 which immediately put pressure on her competitors. She steadily built her score, backing it up with a 5.80 to walk away with her first QS win in South Africa and the second of her career The Junior Men’s final featured four of the country’s top 18-and-under surfers with the spoils going to Thomas Lindhorst from nearby East London who was chased all the way to the heat-ending siren by Capetonian Luke Slijpen, the reigning WSL Africa Junior Men’s champion, who ended second. Luke Thompson (Durban) repeated his third place result at the previous event in PE last weekend and Eli Beukes (Kommetjie), last weekend’s winner, finished fourth this time around. In the Junior Women’s final, the South African duo of Ceara Knight (Kommetjie) and Zoe Steyn (East London) dominated the 25-minute match-up while Japan’s Shino Matsuda and Minami Nonaka, who have been the inform surfers in the 18-and-under women’s events, struggled to find their rhythm. Knight surfed incredibly well throughout the contest and carried the momentum from PE all the way to her second consecutive final. She found the best wave of the heat for a 7-point ride and backed it up with a 3.75 for a total of 10.75 out of 20. It was just enough to edge out Steyn by the closest of margins to take her first QS1,000 win in her career. Knight holds the top spot on the WSL Africa Junior Women ranking heading into the third junior event on the WSL Africa Tour, the Zigzag Durban Surf Pro from May 10-12. Along with its WSL Africa rating, the Royal St Andrews Hotel Port Alfred Surf Classic is also the second of four stops on the City Surf Series (CSS). The CSS events embrace sustainability and transformation programs such as the Surfing South Africa Learn To Surf outreach project in collaboration with Caltex, National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) and Ocean Pledge. Ocean Pledge will assist in creating ‘Blue Events,' while the NSRI will be educating members of the public, competitors, local schools and surf outreach programs about ocean safety and ocean awareness. More information, results, images and video footage will be available from www.worldsurfleague.com and on the free WSL App. The next event on the WSL Africa Tour is the Zigzag Durban Surf Pro from 10-12 May, which is also Stop No. 3 of four on the City Surf Series (CSS). Royal St Andrew Hotel Port Alfred Surf Classic Men’s Final Results 1. Dylan Lightfoot (ZAF, Jeffreys Bay) 13.55 points 2. Luke Slijpen (ZAF, Hout Bay) 12.75 3. Chad du Toit (ZAF, Durban) 10.50 4. Slade Prestwich (ZAF, Durban) 10.35 Royal St Andrew Hotel Port Alfred Surf Classic Women’s Final Results 1. Ariane Ochoa (ESP) 14.30 points 2. Shino Matsuda (JPN) 12.75 3. Ren Hashimoto (JPN) 9.35 4. Julie Nishimoto (JPN) 7.50 Royal St Andrew Hotel Port Alfred Surf Classic Junior Men’s Final Results 1. Thomas Lindhorst (ZAF, East London) 11.75points 2. Luke Slijpen (ZAF, Hout Bay) 10.70 3. Luke Thompson (ZAF, Durban) 10.25 4. Eli Beukes (ZAF, Kommetjie) 9.50 Royal St Andrew Hotel Port Alfred Surf Classic Junior Women’s Final Results 1. Ceara Knight (ZAF, Kommetjie) 10.75 points 2. Zoe Steyn (ZAF, East London) 10.65 2. Shino Matsuda (JPN) 6.60 3. Minami Nonaka (JPN) 3.15 WSL Africa Rankings (After event #3 – Royal St Andrew Hotel Port Alfred Surf Classic) Men: 1 Lightfoot,Dylan Jeffreys Bay 1840 points 2 Faulkner,Joshe Jeffreys Bay 1420 3 Du Toit,Chad Durban 1310 4 Slijpen,Luke Hout Bay 1145 5 Prestwich,Slade Durban 805 Women: 1 Teal Hogg uMhlanga 805 points 2 Tanika Hoffman Cape Town 780 3 S’nenhlanhla Makhubu Durban 765 4 Zoe Steyn East London 720 5 Sophie Bell Salt Rock 680 WSL Africa Junior Rankings (After event #2 –Royal St Andrew Hotel Port Alfred Surf Classic) Junior Men: 1 Eli Beukes Kommetjie 1525 points 2 Thomas Lindhorst East London 1420 3 Luke Thompson Durban 1310 4 Luke Slijpen Hout Bay 1170 5 Karl Steen Durban 880 Junior Women 1 Ceara Knight Kommetjie 1750 points 2 Zoe Steyn East London 1170 3 Kayla Nogueira uMhlanga 815 =4 Sarah Scott Kommetjie 695 =4 Tayla De Coning East London 695 The Nelson Mandela Bay Surf Riders groms hooked a 4th spot in the SeaHarvest SA Grom Games held at Pipe, with Calvin Rostrom winning the u16 boys. Other finalists were In the u8 divisign Denis Heasly ended with a 4th; in the u10 division Jack Daniel got a 2nd and Jake Bakker got a 3rd, also in the u16 boys division. Alfonso Peters coaches the lighties, and thanks to Billabong and the Boardwalk for their sponsorship and support #localislekker All images © Petronel Posthumus The Cape Town Surfriders Grommet Team made it eight wins in a row when they took overall honours at the 2019 Sea Harvest South Africa Grommet Surfing Games in Port Elizabeth on Saturday (March 23rd).
The three day event, supported by the Department of Sport and Recreation SA, was completed in perfect weather and ideal surf at its traditional venue, the Pipe at Pollock Beach. The strong, well balanced Cape Town Surfriders team, posted 32324 points to beat their Garden Route neighbours Eden Surfriders into second place. Eden scored 23461 points and this result is their best since the event was first held 27 years ago. Cape Winelands, another Western Cape District, scored 22618 points to end third overall. Hosts Nelson Mandela Bay Surfriders came fourth with 20816 points and fellow Eastern Cape District, Buffalo City Surfriders’ 18706 points earned them fifth place. Ugu Surfriders came sixth with 13495 points and eThekweni Surfriders, last year’s runners up, posted 12184 points and came seventh. Cape Town Surfriders successfully defended their 2018 Sea Harvest Aloha Cup title beating Cape Winelands Surfriders into second place. Buffalo City Surfriders were third, Eden Surfriders came fourth and Nelson Mandela Bay Surfriders came fifth. The event was coordinated with great skill by Event Director Shirley Fairall while Contest Director Anne Wright, Head Judge Luqmaan Bruce and his officials did a great job over the three days of competition. Surfing South Africa President Johnny Bakker presided at the opening function and was on hand to lend his support and expertise during the event All images Justin Devos The second EP trial (cos trying to call it NMBS is such a mouthful!) took place at Pipe on Sun 3 Feb in contestable conditions. Pipe always delivers something if you have a longboard. RESULTS
PENICHE, Portugal (Saturday, October 20, 2018) - Italo Ferreira (BRA) has won the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, Stop No. 10 of 11 on the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), over Joan Duru (FRA) in a Final held in clean three-to-four foot (1 - 1.2 metre) surf at the iconic Supertubos beach break. Tens of thousands of fans flocked the beach and dunes of Supertubos to support the athletes and enjoy high-performance surfing at one of Europe’s finest surfing spots. The electric vibe peaked every time surfers took their act to the air and fans lit up in loud cheers. The 10th edition of the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal witnessed incredible performances by the world’s best surfers earlier this week as Supertubos pumped heavy surf, and culminated today with Ferreira’s first-ever win on Portuguese soil. “This is crazy, I can’t believe it,” Ferreira said. “In my first year I got a second here, so now I’ve got my first win here. Thank you Portugal and thank you to everyone on the beach and my family and friends. I’m so excited. That was a crazy year for me, I got a couple of wins and some bad results, but I’m just living my dream and this is the best feeling.” World No. 4 Ferreira claimed his third event victory of the season after winning the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach and the Corona Bali Protected earlier this season. Despite being inconsistent with six early losses, the 24-year-old is in his best-ever season on the Championship Tour and will be a strong contender for the World Title race in years to come. In an incredible air show, Ferreira defeated compatriot Gabriel Medina (BRA) in the Semifinals and effectively sent the World Title race to Hawaii by depriving Medina of a win in Portugal. “I’m still learning and enjoying myself,” Ferreira added. “This is the best job in the world!” Duru pulled the trigger first in the Final with a combination of two critical backhand turns for a 7.00 (out of 10) to apply pressure on Ferreira early on. But the Brasilian just went to what he does best and landed two back-to-back forehand rotations for a 7.43 and an excellent 8.50 to turn the situation mid-heat. The ocean, unfortunately, did not provide many more opportunities for Duru and the result remained unchanged for the remainder of the Final, giving Ferreira the win. World No. 33 on the Jeep Leaderboard coming into this event, Duru posted with this runner-up result, his career-highest placing and will rocket up ten spots in the rankings to No. 23, to give himself a strong shot at re-qualifying in the final event of the year in Hawaii (only the Top 22 male surfers will requalify from the Jeep Leaderboard). Duru was the event’s giant-killer, having previously eliminated Filipe Toledo (BRA) in Round 3, Julian Wilson (AUS) in the Quarters and Owen Wright (AUS) in the Semifinals. “I’m so stoked and I didn’t have many results before,” Duru said. “I just came here to have fun and make some heats so I’m really stoked to be here and it’s amazing. I really didn’t think about requalification and rankings, I just wanted to surf and that’s it. I’m stoked I had my family, my grandparents and my mom here with me, and thanks to all my friends for the support.” In the first Semifinal, Ferreira got a quick start with a 7.17 in the early minutes of his exchange with Medina, launching what would become an incredible air show, with a good forehand rotation. Medina did not wait long to reply with a similar wave for a 6.83 and later upgraded to a 7.90 with an alley-oop to take the lead. Both surfers continued to showcase the different variations of their aerial repertoire and Medina seemed in control of the heat. But, out of nowhere, Ferreira pulled the biggest maneuver of the whole event for an incredible 9.30 to upset the 2014 World Champion and advance into the Final. With his equal 3rd result in Peniche, Medina further extended his pole position on the Jeep Leaderboard, finishing ahead of his two rivals in the World Title Race, Toledo and Wilson. Coming off of four consecutive excellent results, Medina is undoubtedly the form surfer of the back half of the 2018 season and seems poised to claim a second World Title as the year winds up. “It was a good heat against Italo as always,” Medina said. “He’s a good friend of mine and he deserved that one. I’m happy with my performance. I know I did my best and now my focus is on Pipe. We didn’t hassle each other, we knew it was going to be an air show. I come from two wins and two thirds so I’m happy with my performance and Pipe is a wave that I like so now I’ll focus on that.” The Men's World Title Scenarios going into the last event of the season, the Billabong Pipe Masters in Hawaii, are as follows:
- If Gabriel Medina finishes 1st or 2nd at the Billabong Pipe Masters, he wins the World Title; - If Gabriel Medina finishes 3rd at the Billabong Pipe Masters, Julian Wilson & Filipe Toledo will need to finish 1st; - If Gabriel Medina finishes 5th-25th, Julian Wilson & Filipe Toledo will need a 2nd or 1st at Pipe. In the second Semifinal, Duru took on Wright in another goofyfoot showdown, but this time most of the action happened on the wave face. Both surfers attacked the rights on their backhand, but the best wave of the heat came to the Frenchman and he posted a 7.83 to distance himself from Wright and take the spot for the Final. With an Equal 3rd place, Wright posted his second-best result of the season and moved up ahead of Jordy Smith (ZAF) to No. 5 on the rankings before the Billabong Pipe Masters. Michel Bourez (PYF), the first surfer eliminated today in Quarterfinal 1, kickstarted a return to form with an Equal 5th place in Peniche. The Tahitian surfer started his 2018 season strong with two 5th place results and a runner-up result in the first four events, but then suffered a heavy setback with four consecutive 13th place finishes and an even more unusual last place loss in France. A former Pipe Master, Bourez will have one more chance to redeem himself at the final event of the season in December. In the second Quarter, World No. 1 Medina lit the beach on fire with aerial mastery and gave his opponent Matt Wilkinson (AUS) no chance with a 16.16 heat total (out of a possible 20). The Australian stuck to a different peak with clean little rights to exploit on his backhand but eventually bowed out in equal 5th place at Supertubos. Duru continued his giant-killing spree and once again played spoilers in the World Title race as he eliminated Wilson in the third Quarterfinal. In a slow heat, Wilson waited too patiently to start putting scores on the board while his opponent was building his scoreline on smaller waves. Eventually, the gap was too big for the Australian to fill and he placed equal 5th. Wilson needed to advance through to the Semifinals to push the title race to Pipeline. The last Quarterfinal continued with the slow pattern and once again it was a goofyfoot who found the best opportunities early on. Wright surfed a very similar heat to Duru’s and put together a 5.00 and a 6.17 (out of a possible 10) to eliminate Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) in equal 5th. The Japanese surfer failed to advance into a fourth Semifinal this season but put on a satisfying result following a disappointing 25th in France. For highlights from the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com. The men will now head to the North Shore of Oahu for the final event on the Championship Tour, the Billabong Pipe Masters. The event window will open on December 8 and run through December 20, 2018. The women’s World Title will also be decided in Hawaii at the Beachwaver Maui Pro, which holds a competitive window from November 25 - December 6, 2018. Both events will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and the WSL’s Facebook page. Also check local listings for coverage from the WSL's broadcast partners. For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com. MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal Final Results: 1 - Italo Ferreira (BRA) 15.93 2 - Joan Duru (FRA) 10.77 MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal Semifinal Results: SF 1: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 16.47 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.73 SF 2: Joan Duru (FRA) 13.60 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 12.00 MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal Quarterfinal Results: QF 1: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 16.10 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 5.20 QF 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.16 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 11.03 QF 3: Joan Duru (FRA) 11.57 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 5.10 QF 4: Owen Wright (AUS) 11.17 def. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 4.60 2018 WSL Men’s CT Jeep Leaderboard (After MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal): 1 - Gabriel Medina (BRA) 56,190 pts 2 - Julian Wilson (AUS) 51,450 pts 2 - Filipe Toledo (BRA) 51,450 pts 4 - Italo Ferreira (BRA) 43,070 pts 5 - Owen Wright (AUS) 35,570 pts For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com. PLAGE DES CULS NUS - Hossegor, Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France (Friday, October 12, 2018) - Today, Julian Wilson (AUS) and Courtney Conlogue (USA) won the Quiksilver Pro and Roxy Pro France, Stop No. 9 of the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT). The final day of competition witnessed Wilson and Conlogue plow through a stacked field to earn their momentous wins at the 17th running of the iconic French event. Wilson’s victory in France is his second of the season after the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast earlier this year. Only a month before the 2018 season opener on the Gold Coast, Wilson suffered a serious shoulder injury and it was unclear whether he would be able to compete. The win today proves his determination and the fact that the 29-year-old is not giving up his hopes for a maiden World Title. Wilson now strengthens his third place position with only 4,645 points separating him and World No. 1 Gabriel Medina (BRA). “My emotions come from dedicating this win to Pierre Agnes,” Wilson said. “He was such a beautiful human being. Thank you, Pierre. All the surfers love you. The moment of silence before the Final shook me, everything he’s done for surfing here in France and I’ve always dreamt of winning this event." Conlogue has been fighting her way back to the top following a foot injury that sidelined her for the first half of the season and today’s victory marks a triumphant confirmation of her new-found form following a win at the Vans US Open of Surfing and a fifth-place finish at the Surf Ranch Pro. The Championship Tour veteran, in her eighth year competing with the Top 17, claims her first-ever win in France and the eleventh of her career, pushing her up to No. 8 on the Jeep Leaderboard. “This whole event has been quite the journey,” Conlogue stated. “I had a lot of fun out there today, the conditions were so clean in that Final and I was just frothing. I had to keep my cool cause I was feeling like a grom! I wanted to be here in this position [with two event wins], but it was a matter of believing and working really hard. I came here with a little injury, but it was good cause it made me slow down a bit and forced me to maintain energy over the lay days." In a slow start to the men’s Final, Ryan Callinan (AUS) fired first with a good left, hitting the lip multiple times all the way into the shorebreak for a 6.83 (out of a possible 10) and the lead. Following a short interruption due to the evening fog coming through the lineup, Wilson answered with a tail-high full rotation for a 6.67 to tighten up the battle. Just before the 10-minute mark, Callinan laid into a powerful layback snap to grasp the Final’s lead with a 7.40. But Wilson picked up where he left off in the Semifinals and launched a big backhand full rotation for an excellent 8.67 to steal the lead off the wildcard. Time ran out on Callinan chasing a 7.95 and Wilson took the win. “To share the Final with Ryan (Callinan) was incredible too,” Wilson added. “I loved surfing against (Gabriel) Medina, too. There’s just so much I can be thankful for. I had to bring my A-game to beat Ryan in the final. I’ve lost my first Final here against Medina and I think I hold a grudge since then and this year finally it happened.” Callinan comes off a tear on the Qualifying Series, culminating with his win at the QS 10,000 in Ericeira two weeks ago, which sealed the deal on his qualification for the 2019 Championship Tour. The goofyfoot from Newcastle perfectly transitioned to the big leagues in this event, showing he deserves a full-time spot with the world’s best surfers. Callinan spent one season on the CT in 2016 but never made it past 9th place back then, and the runner-up result today marks a career-best achievement for the 26-year-old. “This doesn’t feel real but more like a dream,” Callinan said. “I’m sure it’ll sink in soon though and I’m just so happy to be here and be a part of it in France. It’s really exciting. I couldn’t have asked for anything better [than sharing the final with Julian Wilson], even finishing second to him, I know he’s going for something special and that was a big event for him. We’ve grown to be really good friends and I was happy to share that special moment with him.” Callinan will have another opportunity to show his place amongst the world elite as the wildcard on the next stop on the men’s CT, the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, which opens on October 16, 2018. The 2018 WSL Title race previously heated up in the men’s second Semifinal as Medina and Wilson fought it out for a place in the Final. The 30-minute heat was an unbelievable exchange of aerial mastery between two of the most progressive surfers on the planet. Wilson launched and landed a crazy inverted backhand rotation to post the event’s first Perfect 10 point ride and defended it with a good 6.67 for the win. Medina fought back with a great wave on which he performed two airs, a straight air with a grab first and a forehand rotation to finish it, but the score came in as a 7.77, short of the 9.01 required score to turn the heat. Wilson’s incredible performance deprived the 2014 World Champion of a shot at a third straight event win in France and put a stop to his incredible streak on the Championship Tour lately. The 3rd place finish now vaults Medina to first on the leaderboard and he will now wear the yellow Jeep Leader Jersey at the upcoming MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal. Roxy Pro France winner Conlogue started the Final against Macy Callaghan (AUS) with a massive layback snap on a set wave to post a 7.33 (out of a possible 10) on this single, highly technical maneuver. The Californian quickly backed it up and continued to build momentum, surfing the long rights with her aggressive forehand attack to eventually build a 14.74 heat total (out of a possible 20). Callaghan fought on a similar playing field, catching several good rights but couldn’t quite match Conlogue’s power in the turns or link together a long wave to get back in the fight. With only two average scores on the board, the 17-year-old Australian never really threatened Conlogue for the win. "I said before the Final that if I can find some rhythm and if the ocean and I can link up and have the same high voltage then I can put in a statement performance, which I think I did," said Conlogue. "It's a huge win in a place I love. I couldn't be happier." Callaghan, 17, is Australia’s next up-and-coming superstar. As the 2016 World Junior Champion, all eyes have been on the young surfer as she has been given the opportunity to compete on the WSL CT as a replacement for injured CT competitors. Today’s finish marks Callaghan’s career-best result in only her eighth time competing at the most elite level of professional surfing. On the cusp of qualification for the 2019 season, she will undoubtedly be a competitor to watch and a key player in surfing’s next generation. "I had a bad run at the start of the year and Bells was probably the low point,” Callaghan stated. “I was emotional and not in a good place. I wasn't believing in myself or my surfing. I haven't even made the Final of a big Qualifying Series event before, so to make my first Championship Tour Final is unbelievable. I'm disappointed that I didn't perform to my best in the Final, but the bigger picture is so positive. There's been a big change and that is that I believe in myself and my surfing. I've learned so much here in France and had so much fun doing it. I'll never forget this experience."
Callaghan had an amazing road to the Final in France, defeating many great surfers on her way to a career-best result. It started in Round 2 with a victory over Nikki Van Dijk (AUS), continued with a second place in Round 3, eliminating veteran Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) in the process, and two wins over Coco Ho (HAW) and Bronte Macaulay (AUS) in the Quarterfinals and Semifinals. Three-time WSL Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) started her Semifinal with a good sized right and a beautiful drawn-out carve, finishing the wave with a radical snap for a 7.83 and the early lead. But while her opponent - eventual winner Conlogue - was keeping busy catching waves, the Hawaiian scoured the lineup unable to find a wave to her liking. Moore eventually picked up a wave in the last minute of the heat but it shut down too early and she couldn’t score the required 6.31, placing Equal 3rd and missing her chance to earn a third-straight event title in France. In the second Semifinal, Macaulay couldn’t keep the excellent form she’s been displaying since the start of the event and was forced to watch Callaghan’s success story continue. The Australian goofyfoot captured a career-second Semifinal berth, the first of her 2018 season. The final stop on the Women’s WSL Championship Tour will be the Beachwaver Maui Pro. The holding period will open November 25 and run through December 6, 2018. During this time, event officials will monitor the conditions and run the event during the best conditions. The World Title scenarios are as follows: - Gilmore will win the World Title with a 3rd or better at the Beachwaver Maui Pro. - If Gilmore finishes 5th or worse, Peterson must win the event to force a surf-off* for the World Title. *In the event of a tie for any World Title at the end of the Surfing Season, the tied Surfer will have a “surf-off” during the final Event, which will have the format determined by the Commissioner’s Office. The next stop on the Men’s WSL Championship Tour will be the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, which holds a competitive window from October 16 - October 27, 2018. As the penultimate stop for the men’s CT, the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal will be critical to the 2018 World Title race. The event will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and the WSL's Facebook page. Also, check local listings for coverage from the WSL's broadcast partners. For highlights from the Quiksilver Pro and Roxy Pro France, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com. Quiksilver Pro France Final Results: 1 - Julian Wilson (AUS) 15.34 2 - Ryan Callinan (AUS) 14.23 Quiksilver Pro France Semifinal Results: SF 1: Ryan Callinan (AUS) 15.30 def. Conner Coffin (USA) 11.43 SF 2: Julian Wilson (AUS) 16.67 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.44 Quiksilver Pro France Quarterfinal Results: QF 1: Conner Coffin (USA) 13.50 def. Adriano De Souza (BRA) 7.83 QF 2: Ryan Callinan (AUS) 15.77 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.03 QF 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) 15.10 def. Mikey Wright (AUS) 14.23 QF 4: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 12.44 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 10.73 Quiksilver Pro France Round 4 Results: Heat 1: Conner Coffin (USA) 12.50, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 11.20, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 10.80 Heat 2: Ryan Callinan (AUS) 18.53, Adriano De Souza (BRA) 16.50, Willian Cardoso (BRA) 12.44 Heat 3: Mikey Wright (AUS) 13.96, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 13.90, Michael Rodrigues (BRA) 6.70 Heat 4: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 15.90, Julian Wilson (AUS) 14.10, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 10.07 2018 WSL Men's CT Jeep Leaderboard (After Quiksilver Pro France): 1 - Gabriel Medina (BRA) 51,770 pts 2 - Filipe Toledo (BRA) 51,450 pts 3 - Julian Wilson (AUS) 47,125 pts 4 - Italo Ferreira (BRA) 33,490 pts 5 - Jordy Smith (ZAF) 32,020 pts Roxy Pro France Final Results: 1 - Courtney Conlogue (USA) 14.76 2 - Macy Callaghan (AUS) 10.96 Roxy Pro France Semifinal Results: SF 1: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 14.14 def. Carissa Moore (HAW) 13.26 SF 2: Macy Callaghan (AUS) 14.33 def. Bronte Macaulay (AUS) 10.73 Roxy Pro France Quarterfinal Results: QF 1: Carissa Moore (HAW) 14.67 def. Malia Manuel (HAW) 10.33 QF 2: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 13.50 def. Johanne Defay (FRA) 12.83 QF 3: Macy Callaghan (AUS) 13.60 def. Coco Ho (HAW) 10.87 QF 4: Bronte Macaulay (AUS) 12.83 def. Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 12.40 2018 WSL Women's CT Jeep Leaderboard (After Roxy Pro France): 1 - Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 61,175 pts 2 - Lakey Peterson (USA) 54,260 pts 3 - Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 44,770 pts 4 - Carissa Moore (HAW) 44,235 pts 5 - Johanne Defay (FRA) 39,895 pts The 2018 Sea Harvest SA Junior Surfing Championships has ended at Lower Point in Jeffreys Bay with the Cape Town Surfriders team successfully defending the coveted Freedom Cup which is awarded to the team accumulating the highest points across all divisions at the five day tournament. Their victory margin over traditional rivals, eThekweni Surfriders from KZN, was 45375 points to eThekweni’s 45140 points. The Capetonians claimed two of the eight individual national titles at stake while eThekweni took three championship titles. Buffalo City Surfriders from East London scored 42965 points and came third, their best result at the national junior championships since their runner up spot in 2003. They claimed two national titles while hosts Nelson Mandela Bay Surfriders 38066 points gave them fourth place overall. They produced one new national champion. Cape Winelands Surfriders came fourth with 33985, Ugu Surfriders from the KZN South Coast were sixth with 27360 points came sixth. The Garden Route based Eden Surfriders team posted 24058 points for seventh, Ilembe Surfriders from the KZN North Coast were eighth with 20640 points and the six strong SA Academy Team took ninth spot with 8960points. The 22nd edition of the national junior championships will be remembered for five days with sunshine, offshore and onshore surf, great vibes and excellent memories. Although the final day of competition was held in tough onshore surf the finalists put on an excellent show and the 2018 can proudly add their names into the annals of South African surfing history. The new champions are Max Elkington (Cape Town Surfriders) who adds the U18 Boys Title to his previous age division success at the SA Junior Championships. The Kommetjie surfer is the only surfer to win every age group at this event. Nelson Mandela Bay surfer and Sea Harvest Surfing Excellence Award winner in 2018, Angelo came second with 2017 U16 Boys Champion Eli Beukes (Cape Town) ending third ahead of Karl Steen (eThekweni). Kai Woolf (Nelson Mandela Bay), the 2017 U16 Girls champion added another SA title to her name by winning the U18 Girls Final. Former champion Sophie Bell (eThekweni) was second Tayla de Coning (Buffalo City) came third and Maya Shefer – Boswell (Cape Town) came fourth. Tide Lee Ireland (eThekweni) took gold in the U16 Boys final edging fellow SA Junior Team member Mitch du Preez (Buffalo City) into second place. Manoa Robb and York Van Jaarsveldt (both Cape Town) came third and fourth respectively. SA Open Women’s champion and 2014 winner last year, Zoe Steyn (Buffalo City) showed her class in taking honours in the U16 Girls final. Talented Kayla Nogueira (eThekweni) came second, Ceara Knight (Cape Winelands) was third and Gabi Lailvaux (eThekweni) was fourth. All four surfers are members of the SA Junior Team going to the ISA World Championships in three weeks’ time. SA Junior Team member Luke Thompson (eThekweni) continued his good run of form by winning the U14 Boys title. Daniel Emslie (Buffalo City), who named male Surfer of the Contest, was runner up with Brad Scott and Connor Slijpen (both Cape Town) taking third and fourth respectively. A stoked Aimee du Preez (Buffalo City) had a fantastic contest and sealed it with a win in the U14 Girls Division. Buffalo City teammate Adriel Wolmarans was second, Chloe Ribbink (eThekweni) came third and Gia Gillmer (Ugu) was fourth. After some good results in the early round Nate Colby (eThekweni) won gold in the U12 Division beating Kai Hall (Ilembe) into second spot. Buffalo City surfers Josh Malherbe and Joel Fowles were third and fourth respectively. Dynamic Sarah Scott (Cape Town) not only won the U12 crown but was also named as the female Surfer of the Contest for her efforts during the championships. Anastasia Venter (Cape Winelands) was second, Sea Harvest Surfing Excellence Award winner Zia Hendricks (Nelson Mandela Bay) was third and Mayah Potgieter (Ilembe came fourth). According to Alex Milne, SSA Operations Manager and Event Director, the 2018 Sea Harvest SA Junior Championships was a huge success. “This contest has been amazing. The weather was good, the waves have been contestable and all the surfers have enjoyed themselves. The surfing standard has been really high and it is good to see new faces claiming the titles. Without a great partner such as Sea Harvest, Surfing South Africa would not have been able to present a five star tournament such as this one. We are already looking forward to the 2019 SA Junior Surfing Championships.”
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