The Pipe, Strand Beach

Sunday 10 May, 2009

 

A record entry of 66 surfers competed in the first of four Lizzard Tag Series and Expression Session events which was held in glorious weather and good 3 foot surf at Pipe on Strand Beach, Sunday (May 11).

 

Celebrating its third year, the popular Lizzard Tag Series involves girls and boys from as young as seven to 16 and sees them competing in teams of five surfers each. The contest is exclusively a team event and each heat is forty five minutes long. A specialized Surfing South Africa relay format is used to determine the results.

 

As has become tradition in the series, each group is able to choose their own unique team name. With honour as well as R4 250 going to the members of the final four teams at stake, competition was fierce from round one.

 

After a full day of surfing in front of an enthusiastic crowd honours went the way of Team Grom Power who were made up of Duncan Campbell, Brandon Benjamin, Dillon Lowenthal, Josh Van Niekerk and Tosca Wynand.

 

Second were the Revolution of the Groms, comprising Andrew Smith, Elroy Thomas, Brandon Keeling, Adin Masencamp and 7 year old Jessie Van Niekerk while the team of JP Olivier, Ben Alheit, Matthew Marais, David Burrows and Charl de Waal, known as the Mangy Boerewors Ninjas, came third.

 

Papi Makinyane, Etnan Pentz, Donovan Wichman, Brett Roberts and Tammy Wynand's Oxford Team came fourth.

 

ASP World Qualifying Series campaigner and Lizzard team rider David Richards won the first prize in the final of the inaugural Expression Session with UCT surfer Chris Bond second and another Lizzard team rider, Jacob Mellish, taking third spot. The top three surfers in the eight man final shared over R3500 in prize-money.

 

The Strand edition of the Lizzard Tag series and Expression Session was the first of four that will take place around the country over the next six months. The following three events are scheduled for Pollock Beach in P.E on July 26, St Mikes in Southern KZN on November 11 and Salt Rock in Northern KZN on November 29.

 

Details of how to enter the next event and an online entry form are available on www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za

  

The Lizzard Tag Series and Expression Session at the Strand was hosted by Boland Surfing Association and all the events are sanctioned by Surfing South Africa.

 

Surfing South Africa is the governing body for surfing in South Africa and is recognized by Sport and Recreation SA, the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee. SSA is a founder member of the International Surfing Association, the governing body for World Surfing.