O'Neill SA Open of Surfing

2A Men's, 2A Pro Junior & 1A Women's ASP Africa Pro Surf Tour event
Nahoon Reef, East London
27 - 28 May 2006

Matthew Kruger, Stacey Guy & Jordy Smith win Men's, Women's and Pro Junior titles respectively

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 28 May, 2006 : - - The predicted big swell which moved into the East London overnight forced contest organisers to move the final rounds of the 2006 O'Neill SA Open of Surfing from an out of control Nahoon Reef to Nahoon Corner where the swell was in the 4-6 foot range. 

Despite the move away from the popular Nahoon Reef, the standard of surfing in all three divisions remained consistently high on the final day (Sunday May 28) with a number of surfers scoring  8 and 9 point rides.According to Border Surfriding Association Chairman Tristan Johnson the standard of surfing "was the best he had ever seen in East London". 

Contest Coordinator and Surfing South Africa President Gary Gravett said that in his opinion "Royden Bryson and Jordy Smith were two of the stand out surfers in the event, scoring over 8 points on the waves they rode during most of their heats" High tide, however made things difficult for the finalists and high scoring rides were few and far between. 

Eventual 2006 Men's champion, Matthew Kruger of Durban opened the final with a 4.5 while national Under 23 teammate Granville West of Port Elizabeth posted an 8 pointer to lead the heat early. Royden Bryson of East London then banked a 6 point ride while fellow ASP World Qualifying Series campaigner, Ricky Basnett of the Bluff in Durban, could only get going with a 2.8 pointer in the inconsistent conditions and was way behind the other three from the outset. 

Kruger then scored 6.5 which gave him the lead and when the hooter went victory and R4000 was his as West needed 3.8 to win and Bryson needed a 5.1 score to take his second O'Neill SA Open title. Basnett only managed to find a 3.8 point ride to add to his earlier score and had to settle for fourth place. 

In the Pro Junior final recent ISA World Junior Championship silver medalist Jordy Smith of Durban stole the show, scoring an almost perfect 9.6 ride and a 6.8 to beat East London local Clinton Gravett into second place. On any other day Gravett's 15.25 heat score would have been good enough to win but the Zig Zag adjudicators softened his second place by awarding the local star R1000 in cash and the Blowing Up Trophy, which is a unique trophy in the shape of a hand grenade. 

Third placed Josch Schmeltzer, the SA Open 2004 Pro Junior champion, needed a combination of rides to catch Smith and Gravett as did Wesley Grey of Kommetjie, who was fourth.  

Stacey Guy of Melkbosstrand added another 2006 ASP Africa PST title to her name when she won the Women's crown with a hard earned heat score of 14 points. Guy has been training at the Sports Science Institute in Newlands and this seems to be paying dividends when it comes to her results this year. SA Junior team member Nikita Robb of East London's scored 9.90 to secure second place and 2005 ASP Africa champion Tamarys de Maroussem of Durban was third with a total of 9 points. Sarah Maritz of Warner Beach, who was runner up in the SA Championships in Cape Town at the beginning of May, took fourth spot. 

The 2006 O'Neill SA Open of Surfing paid out a total of R17 500 in prize-money to the top eight surfers in the 2A rated Men's and 1A rated Women's and 2A rated Pro Junior events.  

The O'Neill SA Open of Surfing was the fourth stand alone contest on the 2006 ASP Africa Pro Surf Tour.

FULL RESULTS 2006 O'NEILL SA OPEN of SURFING

MEN
1. MATTHEW KRUGER (DBN)         R4000
2. GRANVILLE WEST (PE)              R2000
3. ROYDEN BRYSON (EL)              R1100
4. RICKY BASNETT (BLUFF)          R900
5. SIMON FISH (EL)                         R600
    DEVYN MATTHEYS (EL)            R600
7. GAVIN ROBERTS (SCOTT)        R400
    RYAN PAYNE (ST FRANCIS)     R400 

WOMEN
1. STACEY GUY (MELKBOSSTRAND)    R1000
2. NIKITA ROBB (EL)                                R450
3. TAMARYS DE MAROUSSEM (DBN)     R300
4. SARAH MARITZ (WARNER BEACH)    R250
5. ROSANNE HODGE (EL)                        R150
    TASHA MENTASTI (DBN)                     R150
7. MICHELLE HILL (CAPE St FRANCIS)     R100
    TAMMY LEE SMITH (SALT ROCK)       R100 

PRO JUNIOR
1. JORDY SMITH (DBN)                           R2000
2. CLINTON GRAVETT (EL)                     R900
3. JOSCH SCHMELTZER (DBN)               R600
4. WESLEY GREY (KOMMETJIE)             R500
5. KEEGAN NEL (EL)                               R300
    DAVE RICHARDS (KOMMETJIE)          R300
7. JOSH REDMAN (DBN)                         R200
    JOSEPH KRONE (MOSSEL BAY)        R200 

ZIG ZAG BLOWING UP AWARD
CLINTON GRAVETT (EL)

The O'Neill SA Open of Surfing is the fourth contest on the 2006 ASP Africa Pro Surf Tour.

Previous reports:
# 1 : O'Neill SA Open sees Stone, Hodge & Nel defend titles
# 2 : O'Neill Open of Surfing starts in great surf and weather
# 3 : Coming soon
# 4 : Coming soon  

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