KZN REPORT FROM SA CHAMPS MASTERS – ST MIKES!

Well done to all the surfers who took part in the SA Champs last weekend!  It was a great weekend away with really great people!

A very big thanks to Anne Wright for being such a wonderful team manager and always having her smile available.  Shane Thorne was the coach and he and Mark Wright, Rat Israel, Murry Niven, Chris, Beyrick, Mike – in fact everyone was just so supportive and encouraging to all the surfers!  We made an excellent team.

It was a close call towards the end of the final day between Border and KZN and well done to Border for winning in the end.  The vibe at the event was brilliant and thanks to SKZN and Cyril Nel and his panel of judges, to SSA and everyone who was involved in making the event so successful.

Open Ladies:

Kat Steffen was outstanding in her courage and performance for her first SA Champs.  She started off the event too scared to even jump off the rocks, and yet had an excellent heat in the round 3 where she caught some really big sets.  Kat made it through to semi finals and placed tie 5^th overall!

Amber Kilfoil had a great heat in the round 2, where she won, but unfortunately got knocked out in round 3 and placed 10^th overall.

KAT STEFFEN

Open Mens:

Well done to Beyrick de Vries and Chad do Toit for getting to finals and coming 3^rd and 4^th.  Chad won all his heats with great surfing en route to the semi finals and Beyrick did some impressive airs in the event.

Greg Emslie was on TOP FORM throughout the event and is a very polished experienced surfer and a deserved winner.  Devan Mattheys got 2^nd despite nearly pulling out from a knee injury.

Chris Leppan was on fine form throughout the event, winning all his heats up to the semi final, and impressing the spectators with his surfing.   However he had a semi-final with two Border surfers – so had a tough battle to get good waves.  Chris placed tie 5^th overall.   Border are very good at their contest strategy with keeping KZN off waves.

Hilton Lawrence also surfed an excellent event and placed tie 7^th overall.

 BEYRICK DE VRIES (above)

CHAD DU TOIT (above)

Seniors:

We had a shocking day on Friday when Antonio Bortoletto got knocked out in the round 3.  Everyone could not believe it.  We all thought it was a joke.  The heat was very close with Antonio getting third by something like .01 or something.  But we were all aghast we all took it for granted that he had won the heat!  (but…. That is surfing as the saying goes)…   Antonio was to be our sure winner in the Seniors division so we all felt really sad for him.

Ryan Bisset surfed a really good event, and won his round 3 heat = BUT… also came up against a Border guy in the 3 man semi-final.    Ryan was husstled and justled and and and…. And was unable to get on the set waves.  Makes for angry surfers who leave the water…

 RYAN BISSET (above)

Masters:

Shane Thorne = SA CHAMPS 2010…. Well done Shane!!  We all super proud of you – you surfed a perfect contest and pulled it off.   This was no easy task when he was up against guys like Carl Roux and Andrew Banks who ripped in earlier heats. Shane - you also did a sterling job of coaching and spotting the team.

Rat Istrael  is an amazing team member.  Rat was there right through the whole event supporting and cheering people on!  Rat destroyed his opposition in round 2 but just got 3^rd in the round three and ended up 7^th overall.

SHANE THORNE

Grandmasters:

Rob Moore-Boyle was another surfer who looked good and we were all very confident that he was going to make finals and even possibly  win the event.  However after winning round one, and round 3 heats, he came up against two SKZN surfers in the 3 man semi finals and strategy again took over, and wave selection was difficult -  and he just got 3^rd and out the event coming 5^th overall.

Mark Wootton had a hard round 3 heat coming up against to eventual finalists in the event.  However he got 7^th overall.  Well done to both guys !

 ROB MOORE-BOYLE (above)

Kahunas:

Marc Wright = 2^nd / Murray Niven = 3^rd!  WELL DONE J

Once again Marc and Murray were up against two Border surfers in the finals, and it was a very close finish between Marc and David Malherbe – but a very entertaining heat to watch.  Both Marc and Murray were exceptional at the event and did so well!

 MARC WRIGHT (above)

MURRAY NIVEN (above)

Grand Kahunas:

THE FOX DOES IT AGAIN!!!  Well done Chris Knutsen 2010 SA Champ!!!  However it was not an easy heat with Grantley Reid from Zululand snapping at his heals.  Towards the end of the heat Chris took a very good wave and rode it to the beach and CLAIMED it (as did we all on the beach) was very exciting!

THE FOX!  CHRIS KNUTSEN

Vets:

The surf was huge and wild when Mike Godfrey had his heat and all the Vets did some intense paddling.  Mike caught a nice wave in and then needed just a ONE POINT ride and there was 4 minutes remaining.  Despite trying his best he just did not manage getting our far enough and placed 6^th overall in the event.

MIKE GODFREY (above)