Beachbum Beachblog

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
Posted in South African surfers, Surfing Events | | No Comments »

The Quiksilver King of the Groms wrapped up yesterday in Southbroom, KwaZulu-Natal, and saw Davey Brand from Kommetjie and Beyrick de Vries from Umhlanga Rocks walking away with the  Under 16 and Under 20 wins respectively. They were also awarded the overall series titles at the final leg of the 2009 Quiksilver King of the Groms.

For winning, 15-year old Davey earned R3,500, plus another R3,500 for the series win and a trip to France to take place in the Quiksilver King of the Groms world final event.

Beyrick scored the R5,000 winner’s cheque, an additional R5,000 for the series win, and a return air ticket to Hawaii, the Mecca of all surfing, for the 2009 winter season.

The final results of the event were:

Under 16:
1. Davey Brand (Kommetjie)
2. Michael February (Kommetjie)
3. Slade Prestwich (Scottburgh)

Under 20:
1. Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga Rocks)
2. Chris Leppan (Umhlanga Rocks)
3. Brendon Gibbens (Kommetjie)

Tags: Beyrick de Vries, Brendon Gibbens, Chris Leppan, Davey Brand, Kommetjie, KwaZulu-Natal, Michael February, Quiksilver King of the Groms, Slad Prestwich, south africa, Southbroom, Surfing South Africa
Posted in Industry News | | No Comments »