Epic waves for the win
The final of the QS1,000 rated men's event saw Beyrick De Vries and Michael February from Kommetjie go head to head in a spectacular high-flying air show.
Local surfer, Beyrick de Vries clinched the men’s titles at the Vans Surf Pro Classic which was completed in epic 1.0 to 1.3 metre waves and ideal conditions at YoYo’s in Lamberts Bay on Sunday.
The first World Surf league (WSL) event to be run north of Cape Town on the West coast of South Arica, the Vans Surf Pro Classic showcased the country’s best men and junior surfers as they chased a total prize-purse of R50 000 and invaluable points on the Qualifying Series and WSL Africa regional rankings.
The final of the QS1,000 rated men’s event saw De Vries and Michael February from Kommetjie go head to head in a spectacular high-flying air show.
With a light crosswind blowing perfectly into the rights, both surfers punted manoeuvres above the lip on virtually every ride and each ended up counting a pair of eight-point scores.
It was De Vries’ rides that impressed the judges more though, and he earned his first QS event title along with R12 000 in prize-money and 1,000 points when his 8.67 and 8.47 left him a slim 0.40 of a point ahead of February’s 8.23 and 8.07. Beyrick’s points haul moved him into the top 100 on the International QS ranking, and to first place in the Africa QS ranking after just two events this year.
“Thanks to the locals for letting us use their waves and especially to Vans for bringing a QS event to a spot where the waves are so good,” said De Vries on the podium before going on to thank his sponsors and family for their fantastic support.
“Thank you to everyone who came, you looked left or right and everybody was smiling. Big ups!”
The Vans Surf Pro Classic has set the bar for performance surfing in South Africa and YoYo’s has established an instant reputation as one of the best contest sites in the country, being likened to the famous Lower Trestles in California by many of the competitors.
Results, images and video footage of the Vans Surf Pro Classic can be found on www.worldsurfleague.com.
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