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South African surfers continue riding high after yet another local yokel took a major title yesterday.

When East Londoner Greg “The Foot” Emslie emerged as the winner of the O’Neill Cold Water Classic South Africa in Cape Town yesterday, he became the first South African to do so in home surf in the entire history of the event.

With Emslie beating Australian Dion Atkinson at Kommetjie’s Long Beach, it means that the recent South African surfing winning streak continues.

“Jordy (Smith) won the other two local events and now I’ve won the third,” Emslie said after the event. “I was thinking to myself, ‘I beat Jordy in this event, now I can’t let the guy down and lose the final’. We’ve got to keep all the trophies at home, so I’m stoked I managed to do that.”

It was close though. As the Mercury reports, Emslie’s victory over Atkinson came down to a final wave in the dying minutes of the contest.

Tags: Australia, Dion Atkinson, Greg Emslie, Jordy Smith, Kommetjie, Long Beach, O'Neill Cold Water Classic South Africa, South African surfers, Surfing South Africa
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Jordy Smith managed to become the first South African to win an ASP World Tour event since Shaun Tomson back in the ‘80s when he was crowned the Billabong Pro J-Bay 2010 champion at Jeffreys Bay on Sunday.

By accomplishing this amazing feat, during which he defeated Australia’s Adam Melling in the last round, the 22-year old also managed to secure the top spot on the ASP World Title Race Rankings, knocking the legendary Kelly Slater from his perch as the world’s number one surfer.

“This is the best day of my life,” Jordy said from the podium. “The crowd on the beach has been supporting me the last few days and hearing the cheers and the vuvuzelas just get me fired up to perform. It feels like they’re pushing me along. I couldn’t have done it without them.

“I knew the swell was dying and I had to take advantage of every wave that came through.” Referring to Adam Melling, he said: “[He] is such a dangerous surfer. He’s been in form all day and I knew that if he got the waves, he would get the scores. I went out there knowing I had to open up strong.”

Adam said: “The ocean didn’t cooperate with me in the Final so that’s a shame but I couldn’t be happier. We had amazing waves and to get the best result of my career is huge. I came into Jeffreys with a long road ahead if I were to make the mid-year cut-off, and now that I’m 19th, I feel like I have a bit of a buffer heading into Tahiti. I worked really hard to get here and I want to stay here.”

The next stop on the 2010 ASP World Tour is the Billabong Pro Tahiti from August 23 through September 3, 2010.

Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Final Results:

1 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.93
2 – Adam Melling (AUS) 10.00

Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Semi-final Results:

SF 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.83 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 14.40
SF 2: Adam Melling (AUS) 14.00 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 10.67

Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Quarter-final Results:

QF 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 16.43 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 9.20
QF 2: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 12.17 def. Sean Holmes (ZAF) 11.83
QF 3: Taj Burrow (AUS) 11.00 def. Dane Reynolds (USA) 3.66
QF 4: Adam Melling (AUS) 16.43 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 5.67

Current ASP World Title Race Top 5 (after South Africa):

1. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 28500 pts
2. Taj Burrow (AUS) 24750 pts
3. Kelly Slater (USA) 23500 pts
4. Dane Reynolds (USA) 20000 pts
5. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 19500 pts
6. Mick Fanning (AUS) 19250 pts
7. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 18750 pts
8. Bobby Martinez (USA) 16500 pts
9. Jadson Andre (BRA) 16000 pts
10. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 14750 pts

Tags: Adam Melling, Adriano de Souza, Bede Durbidge, Billabong Pro J-Bay, Bobby Martinez, Dane Reynolds, Jadson Andre, Jeffreys Bay South Africa, Joel Parkinson, Jordy Smith, Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning, South African surfers, Surfing South Africa, Taj Burrow
Posted in Industry News, South African surfers, Surf Spots, Surfing Events | | No Comments »

The world’s top pro surfers, including nine time world champ and current number one ranked Kelly Slater (USA) and number three ranked local Jordy Smith, are convened in Jeffrey’s Bay where they are participating in what is probably the most prestigious surfing event in South Africa: the Billabong Pro.

The 25th Billabong Pro kicked off in pristine conditions in this Mecca of South African surfing yesterday, Thursday 15 July 2010. Smith, Slater, 2007 Billabong Pro winner and Aussie Taj Burrow and and reigning ASP World Champ Mick Fanning, also from Australia, all proceeded to qualify for the third round yesterday.

Fanning, who was the top scorer of the day, posting rides of 8.83 and 7.87 (out of 10) to amass a total of 16.70 (out of 20), said it was important to take every heat seriously this year. “There are so many threats and even the rookies can do damage. I feel like I’ve been surfing well all year and I’m just focusing on every heat, and hopefully that takes me to a solid result.”

The Billabong Pro will continue until 25 July 2010. For more information, visit the event’s official website.

Tags: J-Bay Billabong Pro 2010, Jeffreys Bay, Jordy Smith, Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning, south africa, South African Surfing, Surfing South Africa, Taj Burrow
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Wow, but Jordy Smith really is riding a huge wave of success at the moment and that wave doesn’t appear set to come crashing down on the rocks any time soon.

If he doesn’t let up, this entire blog runs the risk of becoming all about him – but we won’t mind all that much. Just last week, we told you how the 22-year old South African professional surfer, who is ranked number two in the world after legendary Kelly Slater,  is nominated for Men’s Health Magazine’s “Best Men of 2010″ awards and how he is using his name and fame to get involved in environmental issues.

On Sunday night, Jordy received the highest honour at the 2010 South African Surfing Awards when he was crowned South Africa’s Surfer of the Year. As Sports24 reports, the rapturous applause this announcement was greeted with solidifies “his growing reputation as one of the world’s most exciting surfers, as well as South Africa’s reputation as one of the leaders in world surfing.”

Another of the night’s honorees was Cape Town’s big wave rider Chris Bertish, who received the ‘Pushing the Boundaries’ title.

Three more surfers were inducted into the Surfing Hall of Fame. They are Peers Pittard, Christine Petrucci (1942-2009) and Hugh Roe. The late Christine’s children were there to accept the award on her behalf.

The Surf Photographer of the Year award was given to Durban’s Greg Ewing, whose prolific and skillfully executed body of work has established him as one of the country’s leading surfing photographers.

Umhlanga’s Beyrick de Vries received The Blowing Up Performer Award, given to the country’s most exciting up and coming junior surfer under the age of 20.

Cecil Solomon from Cape Town received the Agent of Change award for “spreading the stoke of surfing among all communities and at all levels”  – which is a fitting description for the man who founded South Africa’s first non-racial surf club.

For a full list of the evening’s award recipients and honorees, read Sport24′s coverage of the event.

Tags: Beyrick de Vries, Cecil Solomon, Chris Bertish, Christine Petrucci, Greg Ewing, Hugh Roe, Jordy Smith, Peers Pittard, South Africa's Surfer of the Year, South African Surfing Awards 2010, Surfing South Africa
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South Africa’s top longboard surfers are descending on Jongensfontein, near Stilbaai in the Southern Cape, to participate in the KG Longboard Classic this weekend, 19 and 20 June 2010. The event is part of international World Surfing Day celebrations.

The Classic is the first of five events that form the South African Longboard Surfing Association (SALSA) Longboard Tour, of which the last event will be at next year’s SA Championships in Durban. More than 80 surfers are expected to compete in the Open division’s Ladies, Juniors, Over 50’s and Divas (Ladies over 35) categories.

Competitors for this weekend’s event include big names such as Brad Weare from KwaZulu-Natal, Justin Bing from Western Province, Michael Grendon and Port Elizabeth competitor Dylan McLeod. Last year’s winner, Ludi du Toit from Jeffreys Bay, will be returning to defend his title.

Tags: Brad Weare, Durban, Dylon McLeod, Jeffreys Bay, Justin Bing, Longboarding South Africa, Ludi du Toit, Michael Grendon, Port Elizabeth, SA Championships, South African Longboard Surfing Association
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The 2010 Border surf team has done East London proud after winning not only the President’s Cup at the 2010 SA Surfing Championships at St Mikes on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast on Sunday, but by also taking the other two team trophies, the Master’s Cup and the inaugural Surfing SA Cup.

Border beat last year’s President’s Cup winners, Central KwaZulu-Natal, who this year came second overall. Southern KwaZulu-Natal, who hosted the event, came third, followed by Eastern Province, Western Province, Zululand, Boland and Southern Cape. This has only been the third time in 45 years that Border have managed to win the President’s Cup – which is awarded to the team with the highest total scores – but it was the fourth year in a row that they have won the SA Master’s Cup.

In the SA Cup, Central KwaZulu-Natal also took second place, with Western Province in third followed by Eastern Province, Boland, Zululand and Southern Cape.

The Master’s Cup second place went to Southern KwaZulu-Natal, who beat Central KwaZulu-Natal by one point. Eastern Province came fourth, followed by Zululand, Western Province, Southern Cape and Boland.

Greg Emslie won the SA Open Men’s title and also received his national team blazer as the first member of the SA team that will compete in the ISA World Surfing Games in Peru later this year.

The SA Masters selectors will use the results of the Over 35, Over 40, Over 45 and Over 50 age groups to select trialists for the SA Masters Team that will compete in the ISA World Masters Championships in Panama in September. South Africa is the two time defending World Masters Champions.

Other individual winners include legendary five time SA Men’s champion, ISA World Over 50 champion and multiple national champion in other divisions, Chris Knutsen of Central KwaZulu-Natal; Leonard Giles from Southern Cape who won gold in the Over 55 age group; and 2001 SA Champion Shane Thorne of Central KwaZulu-Natal, who won the Over 35 division.

The younger surfers also held their own with Beyrick de Vries, the SA Junior team captain, coming third in the Men’s Final and SA Junior team member Tanika Hoffman also coming in third in the Women’s Final.

For complete results, visit surfingsouthafrica.co.za

Tags: 2010 SA Surfing Championships, Beyrick de Vries, Boland, Border, Central KwaZulu-Natal, Chris Knutsen, Eastern Province, Greg Emslie, ISA World Surfing Games, Leonard Giles, Peru, President's Cup, SA Master's Cup, SA Surfing Cup, Shane Thorne, Southern Cape, Southern KwaZulu-Natal, Surfing South Africa, Tanika Hoffman, Western Province, Zululand
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The ten young female surfers who have been invited to take part in the 2010 Roxy Invitational to take place in Ponto d’Oura in Mozambique later this month, have been announced.

The event, presented by Saltwater GIRL Magazine, will feature a mix of novices, title holders and experienced professionals. An invitation to the event is not only an incredible honour, but since competitors vie for an impressive amount of prize money (the first-place winner gets a cool R10 000), invites are therefore quite sought-after. Another enticement is that the competitors will be staying at the Turtle Cove Resort in Tofo. So when they’re not battling it out in the surf, they will be able to unwind with yoga, skin diving and horse riding.

The invited surfers from South Africa are Kirsty Delport, Chantelle Rautenbach, Sarah Baum, Heidi Palmboom, Tarryn Chudleigh, Alice McGregor, Holly Armstrong and Faye Zoetmulder. They will be surfing against internationals such as Philippa Anderson and Paige Haggerston, both from Australia.

The event will be taking place from 23 May to 1 June 2010.

Tags: 2010 Roxy Invitational, Alice McGregor, Australian Surfers, Chantelle Rauntenbach, Faye Zoetmulder, Heidi Palmboom, Holly Armstrong, Kirsty Delport, Mozambique surfing, Paige Haggerston, Philippa Anderson, Ponto d'Oura, Saltwater Girl Magazine, Sarah Baum, South African Female Surfers, Surfing South Africa, Tarryn Chudleigh, Turtle Cove Resort Tofo Mozambique
Posted in South African surfers, Surfing Events | | No Comments »

Billabong has recently announced that it is re-signing one of South Africa’s most talented young female surfers.

Tarryn Chudleigh, the 20-year old surfer from Kommetjie in the Western Cape, has been with the brand’s Girls’ Surf team since she was a tender twelve years old and she is thrilled to have their continued support. “I’m super excited to have re-signed with Billabong again this year. I feel confident going into the New Year backed by such a supportive and strong company.”

Apart from backing her surfing, the former women’s surfing champion has also collaborated with Billabong’s design department to design a co-op signature t-shirt. The shirt will form part of Billabong’s 2010 range and will be available in November. “I’ve had so much fun working on my signature tee,” Tarryn said. “It’s been a dream of mine to have something I designed from Billabong and I can’t wait to see it in store.”

Starting on the 4th of March, Tarryn will also grace our television screens in the reality series Billabong Girls Get Out There Tour. The show, which debuts on 4 March on the Vuzu channel on DStv, details Tarryn’s road trip with seven other Billabong ambassadors as they travelled from South Africa’s surfing Mecca Jeffreys Bay to Durban and on to Cape Town all along the South African coastline in a bright pink bus.

However, Tarryn won’t be hanging about on the couch to watch herself on TV. Come mid-March, she’ll be jetting off to West Australia to compete in the first World Qualifying Series contest. “My goals for 2010 are to make the Top 6 on the ‘Q.S and qualify for the 2011 world circuit.”

Go, girl! If anyone can meet those goals, you can!

Tags: Billabong, Billabong Girls Get Out There Tour, DStv, South African women's surfing champions, Surfing South Africa, Tarryn Chudleigh, Vuzu, WQS
Posted in Industry News, South African surfers, Surfing Events, Surfing Media | | No Comments »

A South African surfer managed a miraculous victory in a surf contest held in treacherous, wipe-out conditions in the U.S. over the weekend.

Chris Bertish, a 35-year old surfer from Cape Town, raked in $50 000 (about R3.85 million) when he came first in the invitational Mavericks Surf Contest at California’s Half Moon Bay on Sunday – the same event where massive rogue waves swept dozens of spectators from a sea-wall, causing serious injuries. According to the judges and the competitors, the 40- to 50-feet high waves were the biggest they have ever witnessed in a paddle-in surfing competition.

Chris, who is part of the O’Neill South Africa surfing team, became the rather unlikely champion – not merely because he emerged even after being hammered by several brutal wipe-outs, but also because he wore a borrowed wetsuit. In fact, he had even borrowed the money to pay the airfare to get to the States. Part of his winnings, he said, will be spent on paying back his brother and the friends he had loaned the money from. Fellow South African, Grant “Twiggy” Baker, was eliminated during the semi-finals.

American surfer Shane Desmond from Santa Cruz came second.

Tags: American Surfers, Chris Bertish, Grant "Twiggy" Baker, Half Moon Bay, Mavericks Surf Contest, Rogue Waves, Shane Desmond, South African Surfer, Wipe-Outs
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Entries for the prestigious, by-invitation-only 2010 Quiksilver Goodwave event to take place in Durban is now open at the event’s new and official website.

Thirty-two talented surfers will be selected according to their skill level and invited to participate in this seventh edition of the event, where they will vie for the R65 000 first prize. All in all there will be R100 000 of prize money up for grabs, and all the contestants will receive a monetary reward for their efforts.

Since this is an extremely physical event, held in typically challenging surfing conditions (GlobalSurfNews.com describes it as “grinding barrels that constitute a good day of surfing in Durban”), hopeful entrants will be subjected to a strict selection criteria which will include the surfer’s previous event performances and barrel riding experience.

Hopeful entrants have all January to submit their entries at the new website. On the entry page, surfers can state their claim as to why they should be selected to participate, upload an image of themselves. There is even a space for them to recommend three other surfers for the event.

The waiting period for the one-day event will run from beginning February 2010 to the end of December 2010.

Tags: Quiksilver Goodwave 2010, South African Surfing Events, Surfing South Africa
Posted in Surfing Events | | No Comments »