J-Bay Boardriders Win Billabong SA Interclub Champs

J-Bay Boardriders Club celebrate their victory.

The crew from J-Bay took out the hotly contested Billabong SA Interclub Champs over the weekend at Yzerfontein, claiming the bragging rights as the best surf club in SA for the next year, and winning the right to host the next SA Interclub Champs at their home break.

Press Release:
Billabong SA Interclub Championships supported by Sport and Recreation SA
Yzerfontein, Cape West Coast
Saturday February 9, 2013

The J-Bay Boardriders Club won the inaugural Billabong SA Interclub Championships which took place in icy, but contestable 3 foot surf and rainy conditions at the West Coast holiday town of Yzerfontein – some 92km from the centre of Cape Town, at the weekend.

The winning team, like many of the clubs that qualified to compete in the tournament, made the long journey to Cape Town by car, but the 8 hour drive did not seem to affect the quality performances of power surfer Dylan Lightfoot and his team mates Emma Smith, Dominique Abersalie, Kelvin Zehmke and Shannon Ainslie.

They posted a massive total score of 164.6 points to beat the Durban based Wave Wizards Surf Club, who scored 146.2, into second place. The Wave Wizards comprised power surfer Beyrick de Vries plus Craig Butcher, Nikita Kekana, Kyle Lane and Chris Leppan.

Third were enthusiastic event hosts West Coast Boardriders A Team, who scored 144.5 and missed second spot by a mere 1.7 points. Led by power surfer Ryan Payne, who was adjudged the Surfer of the Contest after posting the highest score for an individual during one of the rounds. The West Coast team included Tanika Hoffman, Diran Zakarian, Jonno Sweetman and Phillip Visagie.

The Llandudno Boardriders Surf Club, comprising power surfer Jordan Alexander plus Paul Daniels, Stacey Guy and Jasper and Logan Eales, came fourth in the final, scoring 98.7 points.

Natural Energy Surf Club and Warner Boyz Surf Club were joint 5th, CYOH and West Coast Boardriders B were joint 7th and they were followed by the Maties team from the University of Stellenbosch and Sunset Surf Club from PE.

Diran Zakarian punts at Yzerfontein for his team, The West Coast Boardriders Club. Image: John Wilkinson

The full results of the tournament will be posted on Monday February 11 on www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za.

At a well supported award ceremony held at the Melkbos Country Club, the J-Bay Boardriders were awarded the inaugural SA Interclub Championship trophy, individual gold medals and the trophy for the team that displayed the best team spirit during the event. The five members who surfed in the final, plus alternate Gina Smith and coach Etienne Venter, walked away with the bulk of the R43,000 in prizes on offer to the top four teams, courtesy of Billabong.

Respect in the form of a minute’s silence was paid to Natural Energy Surf Club founder and much loved Boland Surfing Association stalwart Taryn Pratt, who sadly passed away in December as well as Dawnsy Mieny, a long time employee of Billabong who died tragically after being mugged in Cape Town last week.

Mark Hoffman, the President of Surfing South Africa, presented the awards and Josh Enslin, Event Manager of Billabong handed over the prizes to the surfers in the top four teams. Enslin also presented a premium Billabong wetsuit to Addie Jappie, the Chairman of Sunset Surf Club.

He thanked all the clubs for competing, Dutchie Louw and West Coast Boardriders for hosting and Surfing South Africa for presenting the event and committed Billabong’s support to the next Interclub Championships in Jeffreys Bay.

In winning the 2013 championships the J-Bay Boardriders Club earned the right to host the 2014 Billabong SA Interclub Championships at a venue of their choice in Jeffreys Bay. They will not be required to compete in the Regional Interclub Championships which will be held in Durban, Port Elizabeth and the Western Cape later in the year to determine which three clubs from each region will contest the 2014 Billabong SA Interclub Championships.