Saffa Wins Surf Contest In Wipe-Out Conditions
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.
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Amputee Surfer Gets Back On Board With Special Prosthetic
A photographer and surfer who lost his leg following a hit-and-run accident earlier this year, was cheered on by family and friends as he went surfing on a regular surfboard again for the first time since his accident.
The Dispatch Online reports that Jean-Paul Veaudry went “knee-surfing” for a couple of days before he decided to go all-out again for the first time since recently being fitted with his prosthetic leg manufactured especially for a surfer designed by Roland Toogood, a medical orthotist/prosthetist. He came up with a special lightweight prosthesis with a foot that has energy storage and that is able to absorb shock.
“I’m a bit nervous because paddling on a surfboard is not quite the same as surfing. I missed surfing and I felt like a fish out of water… it is something that only surfers would understand,” he told the Dispatch.
On May 23 this year, the motorcycle Veaudry was riding was involved in a collision with a car which sped away from the scene. The driver of the car is still at large.
So how did Veaudry’s first time back on the board go with his new leg? “The whole experience was awesome, but I kept on dragging my leg in the water and I didn’t realise it,” he told the Dispatch after his session in the water. “It was also strange not being able to feel the board the same way I used to. The waves weren’t too exciting either, but I will come back.”
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SA Surf Champ Injured In Car Crash
South African surfer Heather Clarke, who is the reigning International Surfing Association (ISA) world masters surfing champion, has been hospitalised after being injured in a car crash near her home in Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal last night (October 22).
According to her mom, Dawn Clark, an alleged drunk driver hit Heather’s car so hard that it was smashed into two pieces.
“At this stage we are not sure the full extent of her injuries or how it will impact on her surfing career in the long term,” IOL.co.za quoted Dawn as saying. “[She] is currently undergoing numerous scans and X-rays [at] the Hibiscus Private Hospital, in Port Shepstone, to determine the degree of her injuries. She has already had 22 stitches to her head. She is conscious, in a lot of pain, but is trying to stay upbeat.”
The alleged drunk driver was arrested after the incident and spent the night in jail.
Global Surf News reports that Heather has no medical aid. They’re urging anyone who is able and wants to help her with the huge medical costs to contact Surfing Souh Africa at surfingsouthafrica@gmail.com
Heather has been surfing professionally for 12 years. She is the only South African surfer to have won the prestigious Triple Crown of Surfing in Hawaii.
Good luck, girl. We wish you a swift and complete recovery!
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Nixon Picks Holmes For Surf Team
Global Surf News reports that Nixon South Africa has signed local surfer Sean Holmes to be a part of their surf team.
The Wilderness native has been hailed by the international premium watch and accessories brand as an ‘accomplished, all round surfer’ and they said that he’ll make an awesome asset to the team. Holmes’ accomplishments include a quarter final result at the recent 2009 Billabong Pro Jeffrey’s Bay, being a multiple SA & WQS event champion. In 2000, he was also the winner of the Red Bull Big Wave Africa event at Dungeons in Cape Town.
Well done, dude!
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Shaun Tomson’s Book Finally Hits SA Shores
Local legend and veteran surfer Shaun Tomson published a book three years ago. But for some reason – not even he can quite explain why – it did not make it to the shores of his homeland.
But now, three years after publication in the States, Shaun’s “Surfer’s Code Twelve Simple Lessons For Riding Through Life” has finally been released in South Africa. The book is based on the life lessons Shaun learned while surfing. “The book is about what the ocean can teach you and uses surfing as a metaphor for life. It is about riding the wave of life and uses my personal experiences to illustrate each lesson.”
He used to write those life lessons out on cards and hand them out to kids at the beach. Eventually, after collaborating with American surf writer and university lecturer Patrick Moser, the wisdoms saw the light in book form, and that’s how one of South Africa’s own surfing legends entered a new chapter in his life as ‘author’.
Sounds like a great beach read!
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