Rip Curl Grom Search Southbroom

Surfing South Africa
Southbroom KwaZulu-Natal South Africa
6 - 7 October 2007

Dale Staples wins Rip Curl Grom Search Final and a trip to Australia

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 10 October, 2007 : - - Dale Staples of St Francis Bay won the Under 16 Boys Division of the 2007 Rip Curl Grom Search Grand Final in 5 foot plus perfect right hand point break surf at Southbroom on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal at the weekend. (Saturday & Sunday, October 6 & 7).

In beating Brendon Gibbens of Kommetjie in a close man-on-man final, Staples earned himself R2000 and a trip to Australia during the Rip Curl Bells Beach Pro over Easter next year where he will compete against Grom Search champions from all corners of the globe.

The U16 Boys Final was a close, ding dong affair with Staples posting 13 points to the 11.90 of Gibbens. Although he did not win the trip to Australia, Gibbens was outstanding throughout the event and was rewarded for a fine overall performance with the Zigzag Blowing Up award.

All the division finals used the exciting man-on-man format which is implemented only at the Rip Curl Grom Search Grand Final to decide the various champions. This format is used in an effort to prepare South Africa’s best grommets for when they eventually compete on the World Championship Tour where most rounds are man on man.

The total prize-purse of R14 500 and the air ticket valued at R12 000 makes this an important event on the calendar and only those surfers who did well in the Regional Grom Search contests qualified to compete at Southbroom.

Sarah Baum of Athlone Park was the star of the girls divisions and in an amazing display of surfing in the strong overhead waves she ended up winning both the Under 16 and the Under 14 girls divisions, beating Bianca Buitendag of George and Heidi Palmboom of the Bluff respectively.

The Under 14 Boys division was dominated by a supremely confident Mikey February of Kommetjie who posted an 18 point heat score in the final to beat David van Zyl of Durban while Diran Zakarian of Melkbosstrand outsmarted his opponents to take honours in the Under 12 final ahead of Daniel Buitendag of George.

The Rip Curl Grom Search Grand Final and the three Grom Search events held at St Mikes, Cape Town and Mossel Bay during the year were all sanctioned by Surfing South Africa, the governing body for surfing in South Africa. The hosts of the Grand Final were Southern KZN Surfing Association.

Results

U16 Boys
1.  Dale Staples (St Francis Bay)
2.  Brendon Gibbens (Kommetjie)

U16 Girls
1.  Sarah Baum (Athlone Park)
2.  Bianca Buitendag (George)

U14 Boys
1.  Mikey February (Kommetjie)
2.  Davis van Zyl Durban

U14 Girls
1.  Sarah Baum (Athlone Park)
2.  Heidi Palmboom (Bluff)

U12 Boys
1.  Diran Zakarian (Melkbosstrand)
2.  Daniel Buitendag (George)

Zigzag Blowing Up award
Brendon Gibbens (Kommetjie)

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Paul Botha

Groms - Surfersvillage