HARD work and determination were two contributing factors to Durban North resident Christy Gilmour’s recent triumph at the Billabong SA Longboard Championships at Lower Point, Jeffreys Bay.

The 24-year-old was crowned the national champ in the Open Ladies division and battled it out with Tarryn King, Crystal Hulett, and Cara Stubbs.

Gilmour, who is the chairwoman of the SA Longboard Surfing Association, last held a national title in 2018.

“This has been a long time coming. I’ve been pushing to regain this title for a few years now. I’ve also been working really hard for it. Before the competition I was surfing on all kinds of waves, not only on the good days but also the bad days too, and working on shaping my board for the appropriate conditions,” she explained.
It could have all ended very differently for Gilmour who was sick with a chest infection in the latter half of the competition.

“I actually think being sick kind of helped me a little bit. It helped calm the nerves down. I didn’t have any expectations going into the final because I knew I wasn’t at the 100% best that I could give. I just kept a positive mindset and kept battling. It came down to the last 30 seconds in the competition which shows how close the competition was,” she said.

Gilmour now hopes to qualify for the World Surf League (WSL) Longboard Tour with events planned for California, Abu Dhabi and El Salvador.

“In order to be considered for that I have to do well in the upcoming eThekwini Surf Pro competition. That event is a WSL Longboard ranking event so the combined scores of the SA champs and that competition will determine who goes. They only take one man and one woman so that would be a dream to achieve. That has been my goal ever since I was a little girl – to try and get on the Longboard Tour would mean the world to me,” she said.

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