Billabong ‘Girls Get Out There’ Summer Surf Series

Tableview Beachfront,  Cape Town South Africa
3 - 4 February 2007

Heather Clark makes triumphant return to SA surfing in Billabong 'Girls Get Out There' Surf Series

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 4 February, 2007 : - - Heather Clark made a triumphant return to SA surfing when she scored a narrow but deserved win in the Open division of the fourth and finalBillabong 'Girls Get Out There' Surf Series event which finished in wind affected one metre waves at Tableview in Cape Town on Sunday.

Clark, the country's most successful female surfer of the past 15 years, overcame Sarah Maritz (Warner Beach), winner of the first event in Durban in September, local star Stacey Guy (Melkbosstrand) and rising contender Tammy-Lee Smith (Salt Rock, KZN) to claim the R5 000 winner's prize-purse and 1 000 ratings points for the early lead in the 2007 SSA Pro Surf Tour (PST) rankings.

Despite admitting to being nervous in her first local event since spending seven years on the ASP World Tour, Clark was in sparkling formin the earlier rounds, recording a perfect 10 point ride and an 8.67 to win her quarter-final on Sunday morning. "It was nerve-wracking as I didn't know what to expect from the local girls," confessed Clark, "But it was a great event, great crowds and well run, and it was good to see so many girls out there with so much talent."

Smith, who will be spending much of the year campaigning on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS), won the Pro Junior title at Tableview, defeating national junior team members Chantelle Rautenbach (Melkbosstrand) and Nikita Robb (East London) with 13 year-old BiancaBuitendag (Victoria Bay) showing impressive form by reaching the finalwhere she finished fourth.Future super-star Alice McGregor celebrated her birthday by making a clean sweep of the Under 15 division, adding the Tableview title to her wins in Durban and Margate.

The East Londoner's progressive manoeuvres were too good for runner-up Tanika Hoffman (Kommetjie), Morag Steele (Somerset West) and a rapidly improving Sabrina Scott (Glencairn) whose commitment was rewarded when she reached her first final in a national event. Scott received the Most Improved Local Surfer award and Smith clinched  the Best Kustomised Manoeuvre award in the Expression Session, with both  earning a pair of Kustom footwear.

Meanwhile this festival of female surfing saw hundreds of girls enjoying  activities that ranged from free Learn to Surf lessons and Softlips Yoga  sessions to adding their input to ocean themed canvasses, a live music concert with recording artists Arde and One80 on Saturday afternoon andtalks from WWF Sanlam Marine Programme conservationists on the plight of Albatrosses and on the Shark Spotting programme on the Cape Peninsula.
 
Maritz, Smith and McGregor were honoured as the GGOT Surf Series champions in the Open, Pro Junior and U15 divisions respectively at theawards ceremony and girls all over the country will be looking forward to the next edition of the series when it starts in September this year.

The 2006/7 Billabong 'Girls Get Out There' Summer Surf Series wassanctioned by Surfing South Africa and proudly supported by Soft Lips, Liqui Fruit, First National Bank (FNB), Von Zipper, Kustom, Silver Bullet and Interstage and presented by Nashua Mobile. The series started in Durban in September followed by Margate and a FunDay in Jeffreys Bay, both in December, before concluding in Cape Town.

Billabong 'Girls Get Out There' Surf Series Event #4 of 4 Results
 
Open Women
1.  Heather Clark (Port Shepstone)                       
2.  Sarah Maritz (Warner Beach, KZN)                  
3.  Stacey Guy (Melkbosstrand)                             
4.  Tammy-Lee Smith (Salt Rock, KZN)                 
 
Pro Junior (U/20) Girls 
1.  Tammy-Lee Smith (Salt Rock, KZN)                
2.  Chantelle Rautenbach (Melkbosstrand)           
3.  Nikita Robb (East London)                                
4.  Bianca Buitendag (Vic Bay)                               
 
U/15 Girls
1.  Alice McGregor (East London)                         
2.  Tanika Hoffman (Kommetjie)                            
3.  Morag Steele (Somerset West)            
4.  Sabrina Scott (Glencairn, CT)                            
 
Novices (All received Billabong hampers) 
1.  Marianna Meyer (Mossel Bay)                          
2.  Marchelle Wessels (Mossel Bay)
3.  Courtenay Ellish (Amanzimtoti)
4.  Kelly Fourie (Mossel Bay)
 
Best Kustomised Manoeuvre - in Expression Session
Tammy-Lee Smith (Salt Rock, KZN)
 
Most Improved Local Surfer
Sabrina Scott (Glencairn, CT)

Previous reports:
# 1 : Heather Clark enters SA's Billabong Girls Get Out There
# 2 : Tanika Hoffman rocks at Billabong Girls Get Out There  

www.billabong.com
www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za

More African Surfing News available here
Check the latest Africa Surf Reports and Forecasts

New! Get the latest news with Surfersvillage News-Alerts 

Life's a Beach Communications

Contests - Surfersvillage