The Freedom Day holiday weekend saw the normally sleepy town of Umtentweni on the KZN South Coast come to life with the annual Tweni 2’s surfing competition. This year the competition had been extended to a two-day event to include a junior competition for the Under 18 and Under 14 category. Surfers from all over KZN, including past and present Springbok surfers, competed for a prize totaling R45 000. Friday saw the youngsters compete for a R10 000 prize with Tide-Lee Ireland taking first place in the U18 Boys category and Jesse Powell winning the U18 Girls competition as well as the Wave of the Day. Gabby Herbst and Joshua Jeffries won the U14 competitions.
Karl Steen was runner-up in the U18 category and teamed up with Tide-Lee Ireland to form the Fort Niters who were given a wildcard for the Tweni 2’s competition on Saturday. The two youngsters did exceptionally well and made it to the final only to be beaten by the experienced Chad Du Toit and Beyrick De Vries partnership who scooped a massive R20 000 prize as winners.
Surfer: Karl Steen
The organising committee commented:
“The Tweni Two’s surfing competition has established itself as one of the premier events in the surfing calendar in South Africa. The prize money this year was three times bigger than last year and the competition attracted some of the best surfers in KZN. It was pleasing to see the families of our younger surfers putting up their gazeboes on the beach and making a day out of the event. We would like to thank all those that helped out to make the Tweni 2’s such a huge success and the many sponsors who supported this event. The money raised will be donated to Ugu Surfriders to help them with any expenses they have in traveling to the South African surfing trials ”
The raffle prize of a brand new surfboard made by Duncan Cole was won by Karl Gouws. The R5100 made by the raffle will be given to the family of a 7-month-old boy who was born with club feet, a cleft palate and a hole in the heart in order for him to have genetic testing.
Bob Hobbes with the surfing action shots
