Lizzard Nandos Surf Pro
presented by the Weekend Witness

ASP 1 Star Mens Event
ASP Pro Jr Grade 1 Event
SSA PST 2A rated Womens Event
New Pier, Durban South Africa
6 - 9 April 2007

Underdog Grey steals the thunder on day one of the Lizzard Nandos Surf Pro

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 6 April, 2007 : - - New Pier, Durban -- Relatively unknown junior surfer Wesley Grey (Kommetjie, Cape Town) surpassed an accomplished line-up of much older and more experienced competitors, posting the highest individual wave score of the day, in clean one- meter conditions, during the Lizzard Nandos Surf Pro, presented by the Weekend Witness, on Friday.

Grey, 20, who has been competing on the junior circuit for over six years, locked onto one of the bigger set waves, unleashing four powerful, vertical backhand snaps, to earn a near perfect nine point ride (out of a possible ten points), as well as the second highest heat score of the day (15.50 out of 20 points), to defeat Rudy Palmboom jnr (Bluff), Gary Muller (East London) and Callen Batham (Cape Town).

“I was nervous in the beginning because the waves where everywhere but when I got out there, I managed to find a good set wave which put me in the lead. After that I struggled to find a back-up ride until the last five seconds,” admitted Grey who seemed a little overwhelmed with his win over former South African junior team member Rudy Palmboom.

“Rudy’s definitely one of the toughest junior surfers to beat and at one stage I was only half a point ahead of him, so I was really stoked to get through.” Former winner of the US Pro Surf Tour (2000) Simon Nicholson (Morningside), 27, proved he has not lost his knack for competing at New Pier, securing the highest combined two wave heat total of 16.50 (out of a possible 20.00), which included an excellent 8.83 out of possible ten point ride.

Nicholson defeated South African Junior team captain Klee Strachan (Wilkinspruit), former South African Champion Shane Thorne (Bluff) and Kyle Beach (Durban) to advance into the Men’s Round of 40.  “I haven’t been surfing too much over last month because I’ve been so busy at work but I’ve got a great board and I guess surfing New Pier is like riding a bicycle, it takes skill but it comes back to you. I hope to get through a few more heats,” said Nicholson.

Adding to the statistics of top scoring rides where Hilton Lawrence (Durban) who posted an excellent 8.57 and Brad Mommsen (Berea) who earned an 8.33 (out of ten points). Unfortunately for both surfers it was the tactics of more experienced Stanley Badger (St Francis) and Dylan Stone (PE), that prevented them from finding back-up waves and both surfers were eliminated from the event.