Umthombo Surf contest
Dairy Beach, Durban
Saturday 24 November 2012
Twenty two surfers will compete for honours in a “pro” and “beginners” division in the second Umthombo Surf Contest, which is scheduled to take place at Dairy Beach in Durban on Saturday 24 November.
What makes this event so unique is that this will be the first surfing competition ever to be run entirely in isiZulu. All of the competitors are former street children, who through surfing as a form of therapeutic intervention, have been taken off the streets.
In many cases this exposure to surfing has helped in weaning them off glue sniffing and enabled them to enter rehabilitation programmes run by Umthombo. A number have gone on to become productive members of society holding down real jobs and supporting themselves.
This Umthombo Surf Contest will be the first surfing event where all the judges, the commentators, the tabulator and the contest director are isiZulu speaking products of the Surfing South Africa and KZN Central Surfriders Association transformation and development programs.
Mark Snowball, who donated the bulk of the prize money for this event, grew up in the exact same streets that these children have grown up in. He rose above a troubled and impoverished childhood to become a successful businessman and dedicated family man. He has surfed the same waves these children are surfing today from his youth to the present day and attributes much of his positivity and success to the uplifting experience and simple enjoyment of riding waves.
His message to the Umthombo surfers is, “Against all odds you can survive and indeed flourish if you believe in yourself and stay positive.”
Tom Hewitt the man who started Umthombo and introduced the idea of surfing to these children still surfs on the Durban beachfront whenever he gets the chance.
A number of the surfers who will be competing on Saturday represented KZN Central Surf Team and the SA Development Academy Team in the recent Hurley SA Junior Championships in Jeffrey’s Bay.
In addition the Umthombo team that participated in the Lotto supported National Interschool’s contest in Cape Town in September will also be in action this Saturday.
Thanks to support from a number of benefactors surfers will receive a commemorative tee shirt, a medal of participation courtesy Surfing South Africa and the Lotto, a beanie sponsored by DC and R100 in cash in an envelope with their name on it.
The winners of the two finals will secure themselves R2000 each of which R1900 will be held in a trust for them by Umthombo and R100 will be given to them to spend on luxuries.
The two surfers who come second in their respective finals will secure R1500 each with R1400 going into their trust funds while third placed finalists will secure R1000 each with R900 going into their Trust funds.
Surfers who come fourth will put away R400 of the R500 that they each win.
Non finalists will also receive R250 to be held in a trust for them by Umthombo.
The money held in trust will be available to each surfer based upon their individual needs and subject to the supervision of Umthombo when spending it.
In addition, all the finalists in both divisions will receive a new wetsuit from O’Neill.
The competition, which will start at 7am and end at 1pm, is open to any youngsters who are part of Umthombo or who have been through Umthombo Street Children’s programmes. The prize giving will take place on the beach immediately after the finals and will be followed by a lunch for all the surfers and officials.
“Kushay’igagasi 2012″
Umthombo Street Children, Surfing South Africa noBombsurf bayanimema okuwesibili Umthombo umncintiiswano: “kushay’igagasi 2012!” eDairy lwandle eThekwini ngomhlaka 24 November 2012. Lomncintiiswano uvumelekile kuze zonke ezingane eziyingxenye yo Mthombo Street Children nalabo bantwana abakade bekanye nathi ohlelweni loMthombo eminyakeni edlule konke kwenzeke ngemizamo emihle yobunto of the surfing community of Durban.
Umthombo Street Children, Surfing South Africa and theBOMBsurf invite you to the 2nd Umthombo surf classic: “kushay’igagasi 2012!” at Dairy beach on the 24th November 2012.