Davey Brand : photo Joubert

Rip Curl Gromsearch
Presented by Island Tribe

Event #2 of 4
Mossel Bay, Southern Cape
6 - 7 September 2008

Davey Brand and Tanika Hoffman take premier titles in Rip Curl Gromsearch at Mossel Bay

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 7 September, 2008 : - - The Kommetjie based duo of Davey Brand and Tanika Hoffman clinched the premier U16 boys and girls’ titles at the second stop of the Rip Curl Gromsearch presented by Island Tribe event at the Inner Pool in Mossel Bay on Sunday. 

Competing under sunny skies with light variable winds ruffling the faces of half to one metre waves, Brand took the lead from Jacob Mellish (Somerset West) eight minutes into the final and using the priority system in the man-on-man format to good effect, went on to record a narrow but well deserved victory by 11.35 points to 10.90. 

Mellish had been on fire throughout the final day, racking up 15.25 points to win his quarterfinal and then defeating Dane Staples (St Francis) in their semifinal clash. However, needing 4.85 points to regain the lead, Mellish could only muster 3.85 for his final ride and had to settle for the runner-up berth this time. 

Hoffman was in a class of her own throughout the event, winning every heat she contested and totally overwhelming her opponents in the final. The battle for second place was tight with Anna Notten (St James) just getting the nod over good friend Sabrina Scott (Glencairn) and Holly Armstrong (Kommetjie) taking fourth place. 

The U14 Boys division produced a cracker-jack final where Steve Sawyer recorded the highest heat total of the entire event, 18.0 out of 20, in defeating fellow Jeffreys Bay resident Dylan Lightfoot. Daniel Buitendag (George) produced the best result by a local surfer by finishing equal third with Benji Brand (Kommetjie) when they lost out in the semis to Lightfoot and Sawyer respectively. 

Emma Smith pipped her sister Gina as the East Londoners took the top two spots in the U14 girls’ division where Amy Bosworth (Kommetjie) and Tahra Uren ended third and fourth.

The U12 boys produced another ding-dog affair with Benji Brand, winner of both the U12 and U14 divisions in the first Gromsearch event in Durban in June, holding onto a small lead until the last 30 seconds. Then fellow Kommetjie surfer and Rip Curl team rider Max Armstrong, needing 5.85, clinched the crown with a 6.50 point ride that only finished after the siren had sounded. 

Jordy Maree (Kalk Bay), who turned 10 last month, came in third with first-time finalist Donovan Wichman (Marina da Gama) taking fourth spot. 

The top four in each division also received invitation to the Rip Curl Gromsearch SA Grand Finals to be held ‘Somewhere’ in KwaZulu-Natal on the weekend 1 & 2 November. There the winner of the U16 boy’s and girls’ divisions are awarded invitations plus air tickets to the International Grand Finals at Bells Beach in Australia next Easter. 

Rip Curl Gromsearch presented by Island Tribe 

Mossel Bay Results 

U/16 Boys
1.  Davey Brand (Kommetjie)                                  R2 000
2.  Jacob Mellish (Somerset West)                         R1 000
=3.  JC Susan (Melkbosstrand)                               R   500
=3.  Dane Staples (St Francis)                                R   500 

U/14 Boys
1.  Steven Sawyer (Jeffreys Bay)                        R1 600
2.  Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay)                          R   800
=3.  Benji Brand (Kommetjie)                                  R   300
=3.  Daniel Buitendag (George)                              R   300 

U/12 Boys
1.  Max Armstrong (Kommetjie)                              R1 000
2.  Benji Brand (Kommetjie)                                    R   600
3.  Jordy Maree (Kalk Bay)                                     R   300
4.  Donovan Wichman (Marina da Gama)              R   100

U/16 Girls
1.  Tanika Hoffman (Kommetjie)                             R1 000
2.  Anna Notten (St James)                                    R   600
3.  Sabrina Scott (Glencairn)                                  R   300
4.  Holly Armstrong (kommetjie)                              R   100 

U/14 Girls
1.  Emma Smith (East London)                               R800
2.  Gina Smith (East London)                                 R400
3.  Amy Bosworth (Kommetjie)                              R200
4.  Tahra Uren (Jeffreys Bay)                                R100

The Rip Curl Gromsearch series presented by Island Tribe is sanctioned by Surfing South Africa (SSA), the national controlling body for the sport, and forms part of the SSA Pro Surf Tour (PST) with ratings points from each event counting towards the annual PST champions. 

Entries for the Cape Town leg can be made at www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za  

Dates and venues for the 2008 Rip Curl Gromsearch events presented by Island Tribe are: 

GROMSEARCH # 1 : DAIRY,DBN : JUNE 21&22 - Completed
GROMSEARCH # 2 : MOSSEL BAY : SEPT 6&7 - Completed
GROMSEARCH # 3 : CAPE TOWN : SEP 27&28
GROMSEARCH FINAL : ‘SOMEWHERE’ in KZN : NOV 1&2

Previous report;-
# 1 : Goofy-footers dominate day 1 of Rip Curl Gromsearch

www.ripcurl.com

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