THE first Wave Wizards Club surfing event of the year was held on 11 February at Bronze Beach in Umhlanga.
The spring low tide shaped the banks to be very shallow but helped ensure contestable 2-3 ft waves for the duration of the morning, plus the gentle 10-12 knot north easterly wind was good for aerials and helped relieve the 31 degree heat.
There was a substantial turnout for the first event. In the Premier Open Men’s division Beyrick de Vries took to the air and won with a total heat score of 14.5 (out of a possible 20). Ever consistent Matt Kruger was close on his heels with a total of 13 points. They were followed by finalists Chris Leppan in third and Jestyn Viljoen in fourth. Beyrick also took home the highest wave score prize of the day with a high 9. ride.
Calvin Goor and Tide Lee Ireland put on an interesting display and went head to head in the U18 boys division. It was a close .5 points that got Calvin the deserved victory by scoring a total of 11.5 with Tide clocking up 11 points. They were followed by surfers Ant Pottow and Saxton Randall.
Carl Roux was the run-away winner in the Masters division winning all of his heats. It was close for second and third between Ian Duff and Rein Van De Wall, and Paul Izzard placed fourth.
In the open ladies division Kat Steffen won all her heats and took the win ahead of Olivia Brand and Gaby Lailvaux. Conditions were tricky for the ladies but they all managed to post decent mid range scoring waves on the morning.
Luke Thompson was the clear standout in the U14 boys division posting notable scores in both his rounds and beating his opponents by more than five points. Other boys who surfed well into the placings were Jordon Boschoff, Mathew Coetzer and Cameron Jacob.
Owen Slack put on a dominant show in the U12 division and impressed the judges with an eight point ride in his first heat. Owen was also rewarded with the ‘Core Surfer Prize’ for his enthusiasm and commitment to the sport. The ‘Froth Head Prize’ was given to young Indi Van de Wall who won the Novice boys division despite being stung by a blue bottle later in the day.
Chairman of Wave Wizards Club, Jestyn Viljoen, was thrilled with the first event.
“The quality of surfers that came, and the vibe that the families brought was exceptional. We are all about having an enjoyable laid back morning that involves sun and surf while honouring the kids that do well on the day. Thank you to everyone involved for an excellent start to our year,” he said.
The next event is planned for 2 April at Bronze Beach. For more information go to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2560137034.
