South Africa’s provincial surf teams sent their finest troops to Cape Town this past weekend, the 25th – 27th August, to do damage on the Long Beach battleground. The 51st South African Surfing Championships was treated to sunny skies and fun waves. This year’s finals saw the usual hard-to-beat surfers but also some under dogs and dark horses who have risen up the ranks. South Africa’s most seasoned surfers put on a show alongside some of the the best up and coming. Full low down and results below…
Contestants rocked up to clear skies and a very rippable Long Beach.
Surfing South Africa Press Release
Cape Town Surfriders Win Presidents Cup at 51st South African Surfing Championships
Buffalo City’s Greg Emslie and Nikita Robb Clinch Men’s and Women’s Titles
Ethan Fletcher (Cape Town) and Natasha van Greunen (Cape Winelands) Take U20 Titles
Long Beach, Kommetjie, Cape Town (Saturday August 27) – The Cape Town Surfriders team won the coveted President’s Cup at the 51st South African Surfing Championships in misty Long Beach conditions today and in doing so maintained their proud 100% record of wins in home waters.
Team coach, Chris Bond, congratulated his side on a “solid team performance” with Ethan Fletcher’s gold medal in the U20 Boys division, silvers from Tarryn Chudleigh in the Women’s and Brandon Benjamin in the Men’s and Jordy Maree’s fourth place in the U20 Boys Final certainly sealing the deal for the locals.
Buffalo City Surfriders came second but will celebrate the fact that Greg Emslie and Nikita Robb won the Men’s and Women’s titles respectively and Danica Stockigt took fourth in the U20 Girls final.
His victory sees Emslie take his place in history as the only surfer to secure five Open Men’s SA titles, one more than the legendary Chris Knutsen.
Robb not only won her fifth Women’s crown but was also named the Surfer of the Contest. She was the only surfer to score a perfect 10 point ride over the three days of competition.
Third place went the way of 2014 champions Nelson Mandela Bay Surfriders who’s best results came from second placed U20 Girl Britney Linder and Faye Zoetmulder, who came fourth in the Women’s final.
Cape Winelands took fourth place and will toast 2016 U20 Girls Champion Natasha Van Greunen and U20 Boys silver medalist Adin Masencamp when they celebrate their best result at a South African Championships in years.
Defending team champions eThekweni return to KZN with a bronze medal from Ntando Msibi in the U20 Boys final, a bronze from Teal Hogg in the U20 Girls final and a fourth in the Men’s final for Chris Frolich.
Llewellyn Whittaker’s third place in the Men’s Division helped Eden Surfriders finish sixth overall ahead of Ugu Surf riders who needed more finalists that just their former eight time SA champion Heather Clark to finish higher up the rankings.
The Invitation Team came eighth and uThungulu Surfriders were ninth.
51st South African Surfing Championships Final Results:
Team Title
1. Cape Town
2. Buffalo City
3. Nelson Mandela Bay
4. Cape Winelands
5. eThekweni
6. Eden
7. Ugu
8. Invitation Team
9. uThungulu
Men
1. Greg Emslie (Buffalo City)
2. Brandon Benjamin (Cape Town)
3. Llewellyn Whittaker (Eden)
4. Chris Frolich (eThekweni)
Women
1. Nikita Robb (Buffalo City)
2. Tarryn Chudleigh (Cape Town)
3. Heather Clark (Ugu)
4. Faye Zoetmulder (Nelson Mandela Bay)
U20 Boys
1. Ethan Fletcher (Cape Town)
2. Adin Masencamp (Cape Winelands)
3. Ntando Msibi (eThekweni)
4. Jordy Maree (Cape Town)
U20 Girls
1. Natasha Van Greunen (Cape Winelands)
2. Britney Linder (Nelson Mandela Bay)
3. Teal Hogg (eThekweni)
4. Danica Stockigt (Buffalo City)
Surfer of the Contest
Nikita Robb (Buffalo City)
u/20 Boys champion, Ethan Fletcher.
Open Men’s champion, Greg Emslie.
Open Women’s champion and Surfer of the Contest, Nikita Robb.
A fishing boat enjoys a break in the action.
Open Men’s finalist, Chris Frolich.
u/20 Girls champion, Natasha Van Greunen
*All Images © Ian Thurtell
