Top performances at 2012 SA Masters Surfing Champs

2012 SA Masters Surfing Championships

A premier Surfing South Africa tournament
Primary Venue : New Pier, Durban
Alternative venue : Cave Rock, the Bluff.
July 26 - 29

Top performances on the first two days of the 2012 SA Masters Surfing Championships

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 28 July, 2012 : - - Despite difficult, small surf and strong winds South Africa’s older generation of surfers gave it their all on the first two days of the eighth annual South African Masters Surfing Championships at New Pier in Durban.

Surfers from as young as 31 to well over 60 are representing eight provinces in this popular tournament which reaches its climax with all seven finals on Sunday.

Some of the standout performances on the first two days of competition came from former two time World Masters Champion and 2011 South African champion Heather Clark (Southern KZN) and two of last year’s finalists in this division Tasha Mentasti (Boland) and Michelle Van Kempen (EP).

Three time SA Champion and former ASP World Tour surfer Greg Emslie (Border) posted a 17 point score out of a possible 20 in his second round Masters (Over 35) heat which is the highest score of the event so far. Others who impressed the judges in this division were Southern KZN surfers Ben Roberts and Gary Van Wieringen.

In the “youngest” division Lyle Bottcher (KZN Central) and Alan Johns (Zululand) posted high scoring rides in their first round heats while Tim Kanigowski (WP), a champion surfer of the 60’s, showed his class with an 8.5 wave score in the Over 55 (Veterans) division on Day two.

Grandmaster (Over 40) round one performances came from John McCarthy (KZN Central) and Gareth Sepp (Border) while in the Over 45 (Kahunas) division former World and South African champion Marc Wright (KZN Central) and multiple South African Champion David Malherbe (Border) were the pick of the group.

Glen Row (Western Province) and Judge Olivier (KZN Central) dominated the Over 50 (Grandkahunas), both posting wave scores in excess of 7 out of 10 in this competitive division.

The 2012 SA Masters Championships will decide seven individual champions and determine the top Provincial team. Each team member’s points will count towards the Masters Cup, which was won by Southern KZN in 2005 and 2006 and by Border in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.

The 2012 SA Masters Championships will conclude with all the finals on Sunday. The Award ceremony will take place at New Pier straight after the last final.

Heats are posted on www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za and each day's results will be available from 8pm on this website.

Surfing South Africa is recognized by the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) as the governing body for the sport in South Africa. Surfing South Africa is a member of the International Surfing Association (ISA).

Source: Surfing South Africa

Author: Robin de Kock

Tags: SA Masters Surfing Championships

Events: Surfersvillage