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SA Grommet Games presented by Billabong South Africa
Supported by Sport and Recreation South Africa and Lotto
The Pipe, Pollock Beach, Port Elizabeth
March 31 – April 1, 2010
A SURFING SOUTH AFRICA PROJECT
Pollock Beach in Port Elizabeth gets ready for the 18th edition of the SA Grommet Games
Close on 200 surfers and officials representing all eight provinces affiliated to Surfing South Africa will gather in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday March 30 for the Opening Function of the 2010 SA Grommet Games.
The 18th edition of the SA Grommet Games is presented by Billabong and supported by Sport and Recreation SA and the Lotto. Extra assistance in the form of prizes has come from Skullcandy and Powerbalance.
The opening function will take place in the Amphitheatre at the Boardwalk at 6.30pm on Wednesday March 31 followed by a march past by all eight teams at 7.30am on April 1.
Introduced after unification back in 1991, the Grommet Games is a transformation and development project that gives young surfers from around the country an opportunity to compete for their various provinces in a major tournament for the first time.
Many South African surfers who began their competitive surfing careers in the Grommet Games have gone on to surf in high level National Championships and Elite tournaments and a number have represented South Africa in International competitions.
Port Elizabeth will be hosting its 16th Grommet Games. The reason why Port Elizabeth has remained the venue for this important and significant championship for so long is due to the fact that it is situated midway between Durban and Cape Town which means that most teams have to travel the same distance to participate.
In addition, the Pipe at Pollock Beach produces consistent, contestable conditions for surfers representing their provincial teams in their first ever national contest.
The SA Grommet Games is regarded by Surfing South Africa as a premier Surfing South Africa Championship and has taken its place alongside other major National events as one of the defining tournaments on the Surfing South Africa calendar.
The youngest surfers in the contest will compete in the Under 8 Division with the oldest participants taking part in the competitive Under 16 boys and girls group.
Girls and boys from a variety of different cultures and communities are represented across the eight divisions and come from the rural villages of Port Shepstone, Umzumbe, Port St Johns, Jeffreys Bay, Port Alfred, Macassar, Strandfontein and the Cape Flats and of course Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London and Cape Town.
The Grommet Games highlights the transformation process within Surfing South Africa and provinces are set strict criteria when it comes to selecting their teams.
While much of the focus is on surfing itself, events such as a paddle battle, beach flags and tag team surfing competition will make up the weekend’s activities and the most participative and successful team will win the Mandela Bay Best Team Trophy.
Every province has held selection trials and the result of this process is a wonderful five days of social and competitive interaction. The added advantage is that Surfing South Africa is able to identify potential national and perhaps even future world champions and these talented surfers will be included in the National Development Academy for three years.
As members of this Academy they will be mentored within their provincial structures and might even get their chance to compete as a Future Stars team against Provincial sides later in the year.
Eastern Province Surfing Council is the host province and defending champions. They will come up against teams from Western Province, KZN, Border, Boland, Southern Cape, Zululand and Southern KZN.
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