Today reminded us of that movie where a young George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg squared off with the ocean. Foolish fisherman attempting to tame the savage beast that was brewing deep in Davey Jones Locker. However, the difference being, that today wasn’t some work of fiction it was the real deal nogals!
Oues were out there shredding the gnar in between rogue runners that came from nowhere. Scratch left. Scratch right. It didn’t matter, you couldn’t get a more jumbled sectioning piece of wave pie anywhere else in the country. The Atlantic was alive and kicking, keeping everyone out there on their semi-frozen toes as they longed for the warm embrace of a hot choccie.
But this is contest surfing, this ain’t go-fish, you play the cards you dealt and today the conditions dished out a pair of two’s. Non the less the powers that be ensured rounds were played. Nobody was folding today.
Surfer: Matty McGillivray
In Round two heat 1, the Australian Benjamin Hucker got the better of SA’s on form surfer Matthew McGillivray when he bagged two decent wave scores back to back ending with a heat total of 13 to Mattys 11.25. In a similar fashion, Calvin Goor took runner-up in his heat where Liam O’Brien cracked one of the highest wave scores of the day with a solid 8.25 taking the heat win along with it.
Heat 4 was a fierce tussle between saffa’s Luke Malherbe and Bryce Du Preez where Luke just managed to edge out Bryce taking the victory on his second last wave. A large band of SA born talent managed to emerge on the better side of the heat halves marching through to the next round. Staying true to form the usual likes of Dylan Lightfoot, Shane Sykes, Adin Masencamp, Max Elkington, Eli Beukes and Jordy Maree all winning their respective heats. So who was looking that touch hotter, that touch more in tune with Neptune?
Surfer: Luke Slijpen
Adin Masencamp, the man was on fire even out here where the environment is like that uncle at the party nobody likes, busy scoffing down the finger foods whilst everyone sings happy birthday to granny outside, basically just being kak. Posting the highest heat total of the day with a solid, crisp, lionhearted 9 and 8 point run. Whoever surfs against him in Round three better come equipped with a stab proof vest as Adin is sure to tear and cut up anything ballsy enough to try wet those blonde locks.
Diran Zakarian, casual as corduroy pants moonwalked his way into the next round with a solid 15.75 heat total clutching an 8.25 and 7.50 to keep the surfing contingent checking over their shoulders as he stalks the shadows like an aquatic puma!!
Surfer: Shane Sykes
Oh and Shane Sykes, lest we forget the man who seemed streaks ahead of his competition. His attack was akin to a pack of wild dogs out on the savannah except he was but one wild dog. Unlike a lot of surfers on the day who managed to chase down one or two solid wave scores, Shane was consistently bringing home that bacon, or whatever food substitute that holds the same effect to your diet. All you need to know is that shit was lean, Shane just trimmed the fat off every wave he could. So clean.
Amongst the international standouts were Pedro Coelho of Portugal, Jordy Lawler & Joe Van Dijk from Australia all which took home the win and straight A’s on their surf report cards. Van Dijk managed to pull the rabbit out the hat early on in his heat amassing the highest wave score of the day, a 9.25, one to watch out foh sho.
Surfer: Jordy Maree
From the men’s side, it was the local buggers, SA’s born, bred and water fed chargers showing flair and dripping in saaaaaaaauce moving like an army or orces out from the gates of Mordor into Round 3 with Adin Masencamp playing the leading role of Saruman !!!
However, of the women brave enough to go to war with the waves it was the French fair maiden Cannelle Bulard and Japans clinically precise Minami Nonaka who took home, well not literally home, the heat and will no doubt unleash that heat come Day two. Due to the conditions, the women were only able to bash through 6 heats leaving so many doors unopened.
Surfer: Cannelle Bulard
Tomorrow sees the conditions calm a touch, just enough to hopefully provide a full course of surfing delights. I’m talking a buffet where they have one of those lambs spinning on a stick and the chef asks you what section you want. Tomorrow I’m asking for that meaty section and drowning it in gravy cause today all we got was cartilage and bone. Enough to keep us going, for now, but ultimately leaving us hungry for more. Bring on that Day Two GRAVY!!
All images supplied by: Ian Thurtell
