Warwick Wright takes out the Lizzard Nandos Surf Pro.
Winners podium : photo Cestari/Tostee.com
Lizzard Nandos Surf Pro presented by the Weekend Witness
ASP 1 Star Mens & Womens WQS New Pier, Durban 14- 17 April 2006
Birthday Victory for Wok at Lizzard Nandos Surf Pro
Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 17 April, 2006 : - - Durban’s Warwick Wright could not have asked for a better birthday present, winning R15 250 in the Pro Mens Division of the Lizzard Nandos Surf Pro at Durban’s New Pier, on his 22nd Birthday on Monday.
Pitted against a trio of Pro Surf Tour veterans including Quinton Jones (CT), 32, Lyle Botcher (Durban), 32 and Frankie Oberholzer (Warner Beach) 33, Wok produced the kind of surfing you would expect from a World Qualifying Series event. With gauging turns, lightening fast snaps and spray as high as New Pier- there was no denying the Birthday Boy his winnings.
“I was up at 5am this morning because I was so nervous. My first heat was really hard but I got through so I was feeling super confident by the finals,” said Wok who threw away two seven scores to win his heat with an excellent 8.33 and 7.67 out of a possible 20.00 points in the final.
Warwick Wright : photo Cestari/Tostee.com
“I’ve surfed at New Pier everyday since I was a kid and it’s always good to win in front of a home crowd. Travis (Logie) was home from Australia and he’s been helping me out with my surfing the last few days. It was awesome to have him supporting me from the end of the Pier today,” explained Wok who is Travis’s traveling partner on the World Qualifying Series tour.
Quinton Jones’s fast, fluid surfing had crowds on the edge of their seats as he bashed away at Lyle Botcher’s second position, finding an open face ride in the final seconds, to knock Botcher from second down to third while Oberholzer finished in fourth.
Junior Surfing sensation Jordy Smith (Umbilo) proved once again why he is a former world Junior champion, blazing through his final heat, locking in two identical 9.17 scores to win R12 000.
Smith left his competitors singing along to ‘All I need is a miracle”, that was playing over the speakers, as his competitors found themselves in a combination situation- just five minutes into the heat.
Tearing through the choice set waves, Smith completed the required package of speed, power and flow with gauging turns, racy floaters, tail slides and laybacks that defied physics- bringing fireworks to the dreary overcast day.
“I’m super stoked and really lucky to have started the heat off with an eight and managed to consolidate to earn the R12 Gs”, gleamed Smith who’d earlier damaged his board when he accidentally rode into the water cameraman in the Expression Session.
“I did the expression session to see what the wave was doing and find where to sit and stayed out there for my final”, a strategy that certainly paid off for the young star.
Smith remained out of reach as ASP Africa champion Brandon Jackson (Durban North) and Chad du Toit pulled out all the stops, including aerials, alley hoops’ and on the rail maneuvers, in an attempt to make a dent on Smith’s lead. Despite two seven plus scores, Jackson could not shake his combination situation, finishing in second place with du Toit in third and second seed Keegan Nel in fourth.
Stacy Guy : photo Cestari/Tostee.com
The Pro Women’s final saw top seed Stacey Guy (Cape Town) take women’s surfing to the next level with powerful in the pocket surfing that resembled that of any of the best male surfers competing on the day.
Guy’s 8.5 followed by a 7.00 ride out of a possible twenty points, sent her into the lead, forcing her to defend her position against best friend and South African Junior Champion Tammy lee Smith (Salt Rock).
“I had to hustle Tammy at the end to keep her off the waves. We didn’t look at each other and kept our heads down because it’s horrible having to do that to your friend,” said Guy who earned R2000 for her efforts. “This is the second Pro Surf Tour victory of my career so I am really pleased, my board felt really good out there and I’m just stoked with how my day went.”
Smith did not back down throughout the 25 minute final and a series of slicing cut backs and critical turns earned her a second place finish ahead of five times ASP Africa champion Tamarys de Maroussem (Westbrook) and former Women’s Champion Sarah Maritz (Warner beach).
Jordy Smith : photo Cestari/Tostee.com
The Zigzag Blowing up award went to Pro Junior Surfer Josh Redman (Umdloti) while Granville West earned best wave award and Rudy Palmboom took home best maneuver in the Lizzard Expression Session. All three surfers earning R1000.
The 2006 Lizzard Nandos Surf Pro, presented by the Weekend Witnesses saw four days of explosive surfing action at Durban’s premier surf break, New Pier with over 100 surfers competing for the three prestigious titles and R92 000-prize money.
The event co-sponsors are Bavaria, Nestle Pure Life Water and Durban Africa
RESULTS
Pro Junior Semi final Heat1: Brandon Jackson 13.17; Chad du Toit 11.07; Brandon Roberts 10.92; Rory Beach 9.50 Heat 2: Jordy Smith 14.00; Keegan Nel 11.33; Klee Strachan 10.43; Kyle Jacobs 7.30
Women’s Semi Final Heat 1: Stacey Guy 17.00; Tammy Lee Smith 12.00; Penny Robarts 10.83; Tasha Mentasti 8.67 Heat 2: Tamarys de Maroussem 15.33; Sarah Johnson 10.73; Sacha Moller 9.93; Michelle Hill 9.07
Mens Semi Final Heat 1: Lyle Botcher 14.34; Quinton Jones 13.47; Simon Nicholson 11.83; Matthew Kruger 11.53 Heat 2: Warwick Wright 14.20; Frankie Oberholzer 12.17; Josh Redman 12.03; Dylan Stone 6.07
Pro Junior Final Jordy Smith 18.34; Brandon Jackson 14.80; Chad du Toit 10.77; Keegan Nel 10.40
Womens Final Stacey Guy 15.50; Tammy Lee Smith 12.50; Tamarys de Maroussem 12.50; Sarah maritz 7.44
Mens Final Warwick Wright 16.00; Quinton Jones 13.66; Lyle Botcher 12.73; Frankie Oberholzer 10.00
Men's WQS Ratings After Evt#11 Lizzards nando Pro,Durban-South Africa
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