Girl power making waves

Crawford College North Coast recently entered two teams, a boys and girls team, into the Schools’ Surfing League this year to defend their SA Schools’ Surfing title.

As there is no girls’ league, the Crawford girls competed against the boys teams and proved yet again that girl power is not to be underestimated.

Despite a little machismo banter and attempts at gender intimidation, the girls deservedly surfed their way into the final round, where they achieved an impressive fourth place.

The final score positions had winners Northwood High School leading up front, followed by runners-up Clifton, Westville Boys in third, Crawford North Coast in fourth and Ashton International in fifth place.

The Crawford girls are all highly pedigreed surfers with long and impressive records of success in both national and international competitions.

Seven times KZN team member and team captain, Teal Hogg achieved third place in the Ballito Pro Women’s presented by Billabong and fifth place in the U20 Billabong Junior Pro Series at Jeffreys Bay. Both Hogg and Olivia Izzard have been selected to represent South Africa in the World Surfing Championships to be held later this year in California.

The other team members included Gabi Lailvaux, Kelly Simkiss and Jade Mets.

“We congratulate the girls’ team on their successful one-upmanship in the face of the masculine adversity and know that this experience will be a valuable one as they go on to smash many more glass ceilings. We also commend surfing coach and manager Brant Collins for his enduring surfing successes at school level and beyond,” said Crawford North Coast principal, Andre Loots, who expressed the school’s pride in all their pupils excelling at the sport.