And the 2009 ASP Africa Men’s Title Goes To..?
Royden Bryson!
Following the conclusion of the mid-year international surfing contest season in South Africa, 26-year old Bryson – formerly of East London and now residing and surfing in Cape Town – clinched the title after being in dominant form in the four ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) events staged in South Africa this year.
By winning the 1-Star-rated Lizzard Nandos Pro in Durban, finishing as runner-up in the 5-Star O’Neill Cold Water Classic in Cape Town and placing equal 17th in both the 6-Star Prime-rated Quiksilver Pro Durban and the 6-Star Mr Price Pro Ballito, Bryson managed to accumulate 4263 points. That’s nearly 700 more than ASP Africa runner-up Travis Logie, from Durban. Bryson also set a prize-money record by pocketing R102 350, more than double that earned by any of the other 96 ASP Africa members.
After losing their places among the top 45 ranked surfers on the ASP world Tour at the end of last year, Bryson and Logie are hoping to requalify for the 2010 Dream Tour.
Since there was only one event – the Mr. Price Pro Ballito – no ASP Africa women’s champion will be crowned this year. The 2009 ASP Africa Pro Junior men’s and women’s U20 titles will be up at the Billabong Pro Junior events at Victoria Bay at the end of September.
Read More
Brazilian Beats All To Take Title At 2009 Quiksilver Pro Durban
Brazilian Jadson Andre has taken the win at the 2009 Quiksilver Pro Durban at Ansteys Beach on Durban’s Bluff over the weekend, defeating Australian ripper Owen Wright after putting on an amazing display of backhand power surfing.
Jadson walked away with US$20,000 in prize money and 3,500 WQS ratings points for the win. With a heat score of 18.00 out of a possible 20, the highest score of the entire event, Andre proved the surfer of the event and deservedly took home the title.
In clean four foot conditions and a pushing tide, the Brazilian goofy-footer was in amazing form, blasting some inverted backhand vertical moves on his way to victory. After two early waves, Andre officially announced his intentions when he logged a 7.00 to take an early lead. Wright quickly answered back with a 5.00, but as Andre arrived back in the lineup he found himself sitting directly in the path of a heaving right. Flying off the bottom, Andre squared up and went vertically up the face to smash a huge
re-entry, sending kilo-litres of spray flying into the air. Racing down the line Andre then backed up his initial cracker with two additional turns to secure a near perfect 9.33 out of a possible 10 and leave Wright needing a combination of scores to usurp the Brazilian’s lead.
Not one to lie down, the plucky Australian paddled into a solid left-hander that walled up perfectly for him as he boosted a beautiful aerial move to pick up an 8.33 and close his required score down to 8.10. With just nine minutes to go Wright found a similar looking left and again boosted a huge 360 aerial, but unfortunately came unstuck on his second move, a vicious forehand layback, and scored only a 6.83.
In the 32nd minute of the 35 minute final, Andre put the nail in Wright’s coffin as he paddled into a big left and smashed two powerful forehand turns as the crowd on the beach showed their appreciation and the judges awarded him an 8.67 to effectively end Wright’s hopes of taking home the title.
“I’m really happy to have won this event,” said the elated victor after spraying the crowd with champagne, “and I’d just like to thank all my friends and everyone who was on the beach today supporting me. When I was out in the water I just concentrated on surfing as well as I could and I am really happy to have won such a prestigious event.”
Andre has been in great form the entire event, eliminating a host of big name surfer on his way to the final, among them world tour stalwart Victor Ribas (Brazil), superbly talented Kirk Flintoff (Australia) and Bluff local
Rudy Palmboom.
“I’ve had a great time here in Durban,” said runner-up Wright at the prize-giving, “and I’m super stoked to have made the final. This is the second final I’ve surfed against Jadson, so I guess now it’s one all buddy!”
Both semi-finals were close fought affairs with each of the winners only sneaking through on the siren. In the first semi-final new school standout Julian Wilson took on compatriot Wright. Starting off slowly Wilson was behind for most of the heat until a huge forehand 360 aerial saw the judges award him an 8.00 to push him into the lead. Needing a low six to take back the lead, Wright found a meaty looking left right on the siren, milking it all the way to the beach where he finished with his own 360 air to post a 6.33 and knock his 21 year old compatriot out of contention.
In the second semi-final Australian Matt Wilkinson found himself having to contend with an in-form Andre who had put on a phenomenal display of aerial surfing in the quarter finals to eliminate Ireland’s Glenn Hall. But as the tide pushed in, Andre changed tact and began using his rail as he carved some beautiful turns. Andre had a terrible start to the heat, breaking his board on his opening wave and losing time as he had to swim in and get a back-up of the beach. In the mean time Wilkinson went to work and began to build a lead over the unfortunate Brazilian.
Andre began his fight back but in the dying seconds Andre found himself in second and facing elimination. Needing a low score, Andre paddled into a medium size left-hander and carved it up all the way to the beach, ending in the shorebreak before stepping off his board and running on to the sand. When the commentator announced his wave score, a 5.23, enough for him to advance to the final, a clearly elated Andre punched the air with his board.
Durban’s favourite surfing son Travis Logie bowed out of contention in the quarter finals of the event as Australian surfers came to the fore and dominated the round. Fresh off a win in the Mark Richards Pro in Newcastle, Australia, Logie bowed out to a rampant Owen Wright (Australia) and was clearly disappointed at the defeat after showing great form throughout the event. Nevertheless, the fifth place finish saw the 29 year old pocket US$2,950 in prize money and 2275 points for his efforts, a substantial boost to his 2009 WQS campaign.
Logie had been one of the dominant forces through the course of the week, but found himself up against a rampant Owen Wright (Australia) in the first of the quarter finals. Wright has also been in great form this week, posting some of the highest scores of the contest in his lead up to the heat with Logie, and threw down the gauntlet in the quarters. Despite starting out the heat with a classic tube-ride, Logie came unstuck on several of his follow-up waves and was unable to answer back to Wright’s 15.57 heat score.
Another highlight of the day was the final of the Quiksilver Pro Junior which took place as a curtain-raiser to the main event’s final and saw Umhlanga Rocks surfer Kyle Lane take on Hawaii’s Kiron Jabour. Lane was
quick out of the starting blocks, finding himself in his element in the running four footers to take an early lead. Lane’s backhand attack proved too much for the young Hawaiian and as the timer ticked down Jabour found himself short of the South African’s 14.83 when the siren sounded. Lane’s win saw him walk away with US$2,500 in prize money.
“It’s been a nerve-wracking week waiting to surf the final,” said Lane after leaving the water, “so I just surfed and trained as much as I could and I guess it paid off in the end and I’m really stoked.”
The Quiksilver Pro Durban was contested by some of the world’s best surfers and carried the highest possible WQS rating and US$145,000 in prize money.
- Issued by Gorilla Creative Media on behalf of Quiksilver
Dorin Bambus and Barry Tuck
Read More
Three Saffas Advance at Quiksilver Pro Durban
Only three local surfers have advanced to participate in the next round at the 2009 Quiksilver Pro at Durban’s New Pier.
Travis Logie, one of the favourites in the competition, advanced to the next round by winning his heat yesterday morning.
The only other South African surfer to win his heat was Cape Town’s Royden Bryson.
“There were actually some fun waves out there, and I really enjoyed surfing in my heat,” said Logie after leaving the water. “It was quite inconsistent out there and I was in two minds if I should sit and wait for the good ones or just get some scores under my belt. In the end, I decided to just take off on anything half decent and went for the big turn option, and it seemed to pay off.”
The last South African to qualify to the next round yesterday was Durban’s Chad du Toit. He placed second behind Logie to move in to the next round.
By far the biggest unpleasant surprise of the day was the elimination of reigning champion David Weare of Durban, who lost out to Tahiti’s Alain Riou and Hawaiians Jesse Merle-Jones and Mason Ho.
“I’m really bummed to be out of the event,” a clearly disappointed Weare said. “I really wanted to defend my title and I blew two waves that could have put me one step closer to it. I think I just too the wrong option going for that aerial on the second wave and it cost me. I blew a wave and lost a heat.”
Weare’s bitter disappointment is understandable. This event, which pits 136 of the world’s best surfers against each other, carries the highest possible ASP WQS rating as well as a very generous US$145 000 in prize money, with the winner pocketing US$20 000 as well as wracking up 3 500 ASP WQS ratings points.
Day 3 of the event is underway with the following South Africans surfing their heats today: Greg Emslie, Rudy Palmboom, Brandon Jackson, Manfred Adrio, Haydn Mac Nicol, David Richards, Paul Canning, Ricky Basnett, Daniel Redman, Kyle Lane, Keegan Nel, Shane Thorne, Antonio Bortoletto, Kyle Beach, Beyrick de Vries and Casey Grant.
Good luck, guys!
Read More
Lizzard Nando’s Surf Pro Returns to North Beach
The seventh edition of the Lizzard Nando’s Surf Pro, again a 1* WQS rated event, will take place at Durban’s North Beach between 15 and 17 May 2009. With R100 000 in prize money up for grabs, as well as 250 WQS points for the winner, South Africa’s top international surfers will need no invitation to battle it out.
Mike Frew, Lizzard’s Marketing Manager, says “Lizzard is stoked to once again be able to put on a WQS rated surf event together with Nandos”. Frew is hopeful that the event will see South Africa’s top surfers performing in quality waves as “the month of May sees early winter swells and consistent offshore winds making it prime season for waves in Durban.”
North Beach has become a favourite venue for this event, and Frew says this is because “the natural amphitheatre of North beach means spectators can get a good look at some world class surfing.”
The Lizzard Nandos Pro occurs just after a big WQS event in Scotland, and just before another in the Maldives, which means that most of South Africa’s top surfers will be in the country.
Early favourites for the event include surfers such as Travis Logie, Royden Bryson and Ricky Basnett, as they are all top WCT competitors trying to get back onto the Championship tour. South Coast charger and Lizzard sponsored rider Gavin Roberts will be hoping that his experience as a former WQS campaigner will give him an edge. Antonio Bortoletto, who is arguably one of the most talented surfers in Durban’s waters, will also be a threat due to his intimate knowledge of the conditions at North Beach.
Other Lizzard riders who will be hoping to shine in their sponsor’s title event include Klee Strachan (Warner Beach), Shawn Dennis (Durban), Jacob Mellish (Somerset West), Dave Richards (Kommetjie), Matt Pallet (Durban) and Mark Shepperson (Umdloti).
For more information on the contest, Lizzard products, team riders and more
check out Lizzard Surf’s website. During the event, the site will feature videos, heat scores, results, pictures and news uploaded directly from the Lizzard site office at North Beach. Co-sponsors for the event are Bokomo, Nestle Pure Life Water and Bavaria. The entire event will be organised by Nerve Events.
About Lizzard: Established in 1991, Lizzard is a clothing, accessories and footwear brand with roots in authentic surf culture. From offices in Durban (South Africa) and Burleigh Heads (Australia), products are distributed to 27 countries globally. Lizzard supports independent and core retailers. Lizzardsurf.net showcases the latest ranges, making it easy to find products and to locate the nearest stores or distributors worldwide.
Read More
Travis Logie Wins Down Under
South African surfing champion Travis Logie, widely regarded by his peers to one of the best small wave surfers, secured a victory in the Mark Richards Pro Surfing competition in Australia this past Sunday (22 March 2009) in what has been described as the ‘tightest of men’s finals in many years’.
“This is huge confidence boost. I’ve been training so hard so it’s good to see it pay off,” Logie said. “This is very prestigious event and I always come here. I am stoked to win at Newcastle. Mark Richards is a true icon of the sport of surfing and to win a trophy named in his honour is unbelievable,” he added.
Read More
We support
