Unruly seas on the opening day of the 2014 SA Masters Champs.
The waves for Day 1 of the 2014 Cool Shoe SA Masters Surfing Champs were not the best. Gusting onshore winds at Nahoon Reef made sure of that. But they say a champ should be able to prove himself in the slop just as he should when it’s firing, so the contest got underway.
Almost 100 Masters took to the washing machine lineup to represent their province, and it wasn’t long before competitors proved that there were some big scores to be found out there. Local knowledge also appeared to be a good advantage, when Border surfers, Greg Emslie and Dave Malherbe, posted some of the highest heat totals of the day in the Masters and Kahunas division respectively.
A far more settled ocean at dawn on Day 2 at Nahoon Reef.
Border are the seven-time reigning champs, but the other six provinces are determined to not let that pattern repeat. A predicted offshore wind for Day 2 has arrived, which should provide a more level playing field as the 2014 SA Masters prepares to make history as the first national surfing event to be broadcast Live.
Check out www.streamit360.tv from lunchtime today to tune into the action. (Just click the ‘SURFING’ link)
You can visit www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za for all the results from the opening day.
Read the official press release from Day 1 below.
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COMPETITORS CONQUER TESTING CONDITIONS ON OPENING DAY OF THE COOL SHOE SOUTH AFRICAN MASTERS SURFING CHAMPIONSHIPS IN EAST LONDON
The cream of South Africa’s surfers aged 31-and-over prevailed in testing conditions on the opening day of the 2014 Cool Shoe SA Masters Surfing Championships which got underway in strong onshore winds and unruly one to 1.5 metre waves at Nahoon Reef in East London today (Thursday).
A total of 23 heats featuring nearly 100 surfers in seven divisions took to the waves in the quest for individual and Provincial team honours. Border, the host association and seven-time team champions, made good use of their experience in home waters to get off to a flying start in defence of the Masters Cup they won in Mossel Bay last year.
Border’s Tyrell Johnson and former SA Open Champion Devyn Mattheys were the standouts in the Senior Men (Over 30 years) division while reigning World and SA Masters Champion Greg Emslie recorded the highest heat total in the Masters (O35) category.
David Malherbe, the World Pro Am Champion back in 1990, then posted one of the highest heat totals of the day – 16.70 out of 20 – in the Kahunas (O45) despite a back injury incurred free-surfing on Tuesday.
The hosts did not have everything their own way though with Southern KZN’s Gary van Wieringen and Carl Roux, along with Ryan Ribbink (KwaZulu-Natal Central), starring in the Grandmasters (O40); Graeme Field from Western Province, last year’s team runners-up, winning his Masters encounter and Vince King and James Elliot (both Zululand) clinching heat victories in the Grandmasters (O40) and Senior Men respectively.
Nick Pike (Border), who finished ahead of defending SA champ Robin Lavery (Zululand), and Arthur Cowan (KZN Central) were the winners of the two heats in the Grandkahunas (O50) division.
Multiple World and SA Champion Chris Knutsen (KZNC) delivered a dominant performance in the Veterans (O55) while Tasha Mentasti (Southern Cape) relegated former two-time ISA Women’s World Champion and defending SA champion Heather Clark to the runner-up berth the Women’s (O35) division.
A switch to offshore winds and an increase in swell size is predicted for both tomorrow and the final day of the event on Saturday, which should make for dramatic viewing on the live streaming feed from the event.
The Cool Shoe SA Masters Surfing Championships is the first national surfing tournament to be webcast live on the internet. All the action can be followed live by going to www.streamit360.tv and activating the SURFING button on the page from midday onwards and throughout the finals on Saturday.
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The 2014 Cool Shoe SA Masters Championships will decide seven individual South African champions and determine the top Provincial team. Each team member’s points will count towards the Masters Cup, which was won by Southern KZN in 2005 and 2006 and by Border from 2007 to 2013.
Results from all of today’s heats will be available after 8:00pm tonight on www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za
Well done Uncle Fred – representing Zulu’s