2009 Reef Wetsuits South African Masters Championships 
A premier Surfing South Africa tournament
Inner & Outer Pool, Mossel Bay
Thurs-Sun, October 15-18, 2009

Border dominate proceedings at Mossel Bay to win Reef Wetsuits SA Masters Championships for third year in a row

A strong and highly motivated Border team deservedly won the team title at the 2009 Reef Wetsuits SA Masters Championships which was completed after four days of competition in great conditions at Outer and Inner Pool in Mossel Bay on Sunday (October 18).

This is the third year in a row that the team from East London has won the Masters Cup and underlines the depth and passion there is for Masters surfing in Border. Their winning total of 31,000 points was less than the 34,000 points they posted in winning the title at Nahoon Reef in East London last year but the Border side finished some 6000 points ahead of second placed Central KZN who were just 500 points ahead of Western Province.

Hosts Southern Cape were fourth, beating Eastern Province into, who were second in 2008, into fifth place this year. Boland came sixth and Southern KZN were seventh.

Local surfer Llewellyn Whittaker used his local knowledge to produce a blistering display of competition surfing in the Senior (Over 30) final, posting a 9.5 and a 7 point ride to score 16.50, the highest winning margin of all the finals.

This is Whittaker’s first National title and it certainly played a major role in moving his province, Southern Cape, from sixth place in 2008 to fourth this year.

Craig Els of Southern KZN was second, Paul Proctor of Border came third and WP surfer Graeme Field came fourth.

In the Over 35 Masters Division, 2002 SA Masters champion Andrew Banks of Southern KZN posted a 9.25 wave score which gave him the edge over defending champion  Wayne Monk of Border. Current Surfing South Africa PST leader, Gary van Wieringen of Southern KZN, was third and Boland stalwart Stephan Lindeque came fourth.

Defending Grandmasters champion David Malherbe posted a heat score of 15,25 in successfully defending his title, beating Rob Moore Boyle, the lone Central KZN representative in this final into second place. Andre Malherbe and Border team mate Gareth Sepp were third and fourth respectively.

Nick Pike of Border improved on his runner up spot in the Kahunas (over 45) division last year by taking the title this time ahead of Western Province surfer Sean Jerram. Michael Brent of Border was third and Trevor Hansen of EP came fourth.

Two time World Champion and four time SA Champion Chris Knutsen of Central KZN added another title to his list when he beat team mate Grantley Read in the Grandkahunas (over 50) final. Jeremy Zinn of WP repeated his 2008 third place and Nick Krone of Southern Cape was fourth.

EP’s Glen Bowles won the Veterans (over 55) final beating Southern Cape legend Leonard Giles into second sport. John Elliott of Eastern Province came third and Heinie Meiring of Border was fourth.

Over 100 surfers participated in the fifth edition of the Reef Wetsuits SA Masters Championships which made history when it became the first ever Surfing South Africa Interprovincial tournament to take place at Mossel Bay.

FULL RESULTS OF 2009 Reef Wetsuits SA Masters Championships

SENIORS (OVER 30)
1. LLEWELLYN WHITTAKER : SCAPE
2. CRAIG ELS : SKZN
3. PAUL PROCTOR : BOR
4. GRAEME FIELD : WP

MASTERS (OVER 35)
1. ANDREW BANKS : SKZN
2. WAYNE MONK : BOR
3. GARY VAN WIERINGEN : SKZN
4. STEPHAN LINDEQUE : BOLAND

GRANDMASTERS (OVER 40)
1. DAVE MALHERBE : BOR
2. ROB MOORE – BOYLE : CKZN
3. ANDRE MALHERBE : BOR
4. GARETH SEPP : BOR

KAHUNAS (OVER 45)
1. NICK PIKE : BOR
2. SEAN JERRAM : WP
3. MIKE BRENT : BOR
4. TREVOR HANSEN : EP

GRANDKAHUNAS (OVER 50)
1. CHRIS KNUTSEN : CKZN
2. GRANTLEY READ : CKZN
3. JEREMY ZINN : WP
4. NICK KRONE : S/CAPE

VETERANS (OVER 55)
1. GLEN BOWLES : EP
2. LEONARD GILES : SCAPE
3. JOHN ELLIOTT : EP
4. HEINIE MEIRING : BOR

PROVINCIAL TEAMS
1. BORDER : 31200
2. CENTRAL KWAZULU-NATAL : 25554
3. WESTERN PROVINCE : 25000
4. SOUTHERN CAPE : 24490
5. EASTERN PROVINCE : 23860
6. BOLAND : 21844
7. SOUTHERN KZN : 20722