NEWS KAYAKSURF.NET / OLD: SA Waveski Closed Championships / Report by Gareth Evans

Campeonato de Waveski Sul Africano / Prova de Nahoon Reef by Gareth Evans

Decorreu no passado dia 30 de Abril em Nahoon Reef e Gareth Evans, NEWS TEAM kayaksurf.net, envia-nos o full.report com fotos fantásticas. Muitos deles estarão entre nós para o Mundial de Waveski no Ocean Spirit. Top!

The SA Waveski Closed Championships finished on the 30th of April at Nahoon Reef, East London. Garetn Evans, NEWS TEAM kayaksurf.net, sent us all the report with amazing photos by Rory Taylor. Congratulations fo all and enjoy the report ;)

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Rory Taylor

The SA Waveski Closed Championships finished on the 30th of April at Nahoon Reef, East London.

The 2011 Glacéau Vitamin Water SA Closed Waveski Champs finished on Saturday the 30th of April with the prizegiving and a last chance for the competitors from all along the coast of South Africa to have a drink and a chat together.

The competition began with the event briefing, AGM and social get together on Wednesday night. With a huge swell and a howling gale, there was a muted feel and talk of postponing the start until Friday. Thursday dawned and the rising sun lit big barrels whipped into perfection by the wind as it raced in from the South West and tore the tops from the waves. A few hardy souls paddled out to sample the pounding surf, and the decision was made to start the event with the more experienced riders.

Initial heats were run in the morning and then it was decided to postpone until the wind dropped the next day.

On Friday morning the wind had died to a light breeze and the waves were wrapping round the rocks and peeling down the reef with the sets pulsing from medium to large. Risk/reward was the judging criteria and some of the waveski surfers were taking it to heart with deep drops into big bowling waves providing some breath-taking rides and also some bone-shaking mishaps.

As the competition progressed and the ranks of competitors thinned, the heats got more furious and the moves bigger and more critical. Daniel Nel and Willie Graser, both from Western Province worked hard to hold the Border waveski surfers at bay, winning the Grand Masters and the Veterans respectively, while in the Ladies division Mary-Ann MacSherry from Border was surfing out of her skin to seriously worry the eventual winner, Sandra Pienaar of Eastern Province. The Border Juniors were out in force with Tian Podges of Border the eventual winner.

In the end there was no stopping Mike Cowan at his home break as he took the Senior final, while Doug Copeland never hesitated whatever the surf threw his way, fully deserving his win of the Masters division. In the New Age division Max Eckhoff took the win.

WORLD WAVESKI SURFING TITLES / Portugal 2011

Nahoon Reef is the Border backyard and it was a great relief to the Border Team when the final points count showed a clear Border win. Western Province was a major threat coming in a close second. The highlight of the Prizegiving was the announcement of the SA Waveski Team to compete against the rest of the World at the 2011 World Waveski Championships in Portugal. The SA Team will be: Ruan Brand (Border Junior), Andre Burger (Border New Age), Mike Cowan (Border Senior), Ian MacLeod (Eastern Province Senior), Doug Copeland (Border Master and Team Captain), Percy Louw (Western Province Master), Gerard Wilke (Western Province Grand Master), Charl du Plessis (Western Province Grand Master), Willy Graser (Western Province Veteran) and Sandra Pienaar (Eastern Province Ladies). Jan Brand (Border) will be Team Coach and Tubby Wills (EP) will be Team Manager.

It was a well run, excellent event for all of the waveskiers from Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Province, Western Province and Border and thanks must go to all of the sponsors and the organising committee for ensuring that the event was memorable and fun.

SLIDE-SHOW

Thanks
Gareth

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