The final event of this year’s Quiksilver Get Free Series kicks-off at Port Alfred’s East Beach tomorrow (Saturday, 29 August), and competitors are amped – especially with the forecast promising good surf on Day 1.
Port Alfred local, Warwick Heny, on a bomb at East Beach.
“The forecast looks good for the next few days,” said East Beach local David Macgregor. “Saturday looks like a cracker! There is fun waves at moment but it’s going to get even better.”
The Get Free Series features an Open division, an Under 20 Pro Junior division, plus an Under 16 grom division – all of which will see a collection of the country’s best surfers fighting it out for the Series title and the bundle of prize money on offer (over R40 000 in cash).
Kommetjie’s Mikey February took out the Open division title at Event 1 at Long Beach, while Beyrick De Vries – SA’s highest-rated surfer on the WSL Qualifying Series – claimed the win in front of his home crowd at Umhlanga’s Bronze Beach. Who’ll be crowned Series champ in Port Alfred?
Mikey February will be eyeing out a repeat of his win at Long Beach.
Stay connected to the Get Free event page on Facebook for live updates, or stay tuned for the highlights gallery, video and wrap we’ll be publishing on Monday.
Check out the press release below for more details.
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QUIKSILVER GET FREE SERIES HEADS TO PORT ALFRED FOR FINAL EVENT OF 2015
Kommetjie’s Michael February will be one of the favourites in the open men’s division going into the final leg of the Quiksilver Get Free Series 2015 in Port Alfred.
Port Alfred – The Quiksilver Get Free Surf Series will, at the end of August, head to the town of Port Alfred on the Sunshine Coast for the final event of this three-part series. On the 29th and 30th of August South Africa’s best open men and junior surfers will make their way to the pristine beaches of Port Alfred, just an hour and a half’s drive south of East London to compete for over R30 000 in prize money and the final Quiksilver Get Free titles.
All three events in the series are sanctioned by Surfing South Africa and carry 3A PST (Pro Surf Tour) ratings points with a total prize purse of R108 000 on the line. Divisions in the series and final event include open mens, U20 junior boys and U16 junior boys. Port Alfred’s East Beach is a highly regarded surf break, given favourable conditions and swell it could make for the perfect amphitheatre for a high performance showdown. “Port Alfred is definitely a top venue for an event of this nature, when the waves are on, they are on! I can’t wait to surf a heat there, the contest should be great,” said Shane Sykes, the winner of the U20 junior boys division at the second leg of the series which was held in Umhlanga Rocks, KZN.
Diran Zakarian (Melkbosstrand, Cape Town) will be one of the favourites in the U20 Junior Boys and Open Men’s division going into the final leg of the Quiksilver Get Free Series 2015 in Port Alfred.
In the Open Men’s division, favourites for the win include Umhlanga’s Beyrick de Vries who recently placed 9th in the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach and is currently on top form, Capetonian Michael February who was runner up to de Vries in the second leg of the series as well as the duo of experienced veterans Daniel Redman and Brandon Jackson, both of Durban North. Jeffreys Bay locals Matt McGillivray and Dylan Lightfoot will be strong contenders in the U20 junior boys division but other previous junior winners Shane Sykes (Salt Rock) and Diran Zakarian (Melkbosstrand) will also be serious contenders in the point-like conditions. There will be stiff competition in the U16 boys division with the likes of Sebastian Williams (Durban), Adin Masencamp (Strand) and Faulkner brothers Joshe and Angelo (Jeffreys Bay) all on top form and hungry for the final win.
Quiksilver Marketing and Sales Manager Dane Patterson has been very happy with the 2015 series and anticipates that the final event in Port Alfred will deliver great surf conditions, “I think that the series we’ve put on this year has been very well received, good for the South African surfers and for our domestic surf tour. We’re hoping that it will encourage other brands to invest more in the sport and the local surf scene. Port Alfred can be a very good venue and make for a top event when the ocean delivers, so we’re hoping that mother nature comes to the party for the final event of the series.”
Supporting sponsors to the series include Zigzag Surfing Magazine, Techniblock sunscreen, Drift action camera’s, Skullcandy, Neff and Red Bull.
For more information, videos, photos and entry details go to www.quiksilver.co.za/getfree.
