Reef Wetsuits SA National Junior Surfing Champs
Presented by Ocean & Earth SA

Surfing South Africa
St Michaels on Sea, KZN South Africa
1 - 5 October 2008

KZN win Freedom Cup at 2008 Reef Wetsuits SA National Junior Surfing Champs

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 5 October, 2008 : - - KwaZulu-Natal claimed provincial honours and the Freedom Cup on the final day of the 2008 Reef Wetsuits SA National Junior Championships presented by Ocean & Earth SA at St Michaels on Sea on the KZN South Coast today (Sunday October 5) when they beat defending champions and arch rivals Western Province by 1254 points.

Although Western Province surfers won three titles to KZN's two the Durban team’s depth and number of finalists saw them win back the trophy that they last held in 2005. KZN deservedly won the Best Team Trophy for their solid war cry, wholehearted team spirit and support of each other throughout the championships.

The Freedom Cup victory was the main goal of the KZN side and a solid performance by a whole host of finalists is the reason why the trophy is on its way back to Surf City. Although the final day of competition took place in driving rain the surf was in the four foot range and the finalists in every division posted some fine scores.

2006 SA Junior and WP captain Matthew Bromley set the standard in the Under 18 Boys Final and his 12.75 points were good enough to beat Chad du Toit (KZN) who scored 10.15 to finish second. Brendan Gibbens (WP) on 8.25 was third and Shawn Dennis (KZN) posted 5.25 to finish fourth.

Chantelle Rautenbach (Bol) will depart for the ISA World Games in Portugal on Tuesday full of confidence after taking honours in the Under 18 Girls Final. Rautenbach scored 15.5 points to the 10.75 of second placed Kirsty Delport (KZN) while Alice McGregor (Bor) edged Faye Zoetmulder (EP) into fourth by just 0.15 points.

In the Under 16 Boys final Davey Brand's 15.5 gave him a good victory over WP teammate and 2007 Under 14 champion Mikey February who scored 8.65. Jacob Mellish (Bol) was third with 7.8 points and Devin Lane (KZN) finished fourth on 7.5.

Current Under 20 Girl's champion Bianca Buitendag (S/Cape) continued her excellent contest year by taking the Under 16 Girls title in style. Buitendag scored 17.65 points, second placed Heidi Palmboom (KZN) ended her final with 9.0 while third placed Tanika Hoffman (WP) scored 8.25. Hoffman's WP teammate Holly Armstrong was fourth.

Slade Prestwich (KZN) posted 11.5 to the 9.4 of Steven Sawyer (EP) to win the Under 14 Boys title while Sawyer's EP teammate Dylan Lightfoot's heat score of 9.05 gave him third ahead of Diran Zakarian (Bol), who scored 7.80.

In the Under 14 Girls Division Sarah Baum (KZN) was in fine form and her 12 points gave her the title in style. Fellow KZN surfer Caryn MacNicol scored 7.15 in coming second while Courtenay Ellish (SKZN) and Roxy Giles (S/Cape) were third and fourth respectively.

Benji Brand blasted his way to victory over WP teammate and defending champion Max Armstrong in the Under 12 Boys Final scoring 17.0 points to Armstrong's 8.75. bJason Harris (KZN) was just 0.5 points behind in third and Matthew McGillivray (EP) posted 7.0 in coming fourth.

Plucky Inge McLaren gave Border something to celebrate when she accumulated a respectable 12.0 points to win the Under 12 Girls title. Anoush Zakarian (Bol) and Tahra Uren both scored 9.75 points with Zakarian getting the second position on a wave count. Tiny Chanelle Botha (SKZN) came fourth.

The Zigzag Blowing Up Award and R1000 was presented to Sarah Baum of KZN, and 11 year old Umzumbe surfer Simo Mkhize of Southern KZN was named as the Most Improved Surfer. Another Umzumbe local Khayelihle Ncgobo of the Southern KZN team was named Surfer of the Contest.

The Sportsmanship trophy was awarded to Amy Bosworth of Western Province who during her quarter final heat went to the assistance of a teammate who was caught in a current. The five day 2008 Reef SA National Junior championships got under way in tough onshore surf on Wednesday October 1 and ended in rainy conditions while the three days in between produced some excellent surf and fine weather.

The event was first held in 1996 and is the most important contest for junior surfers in South Africa. It not only determines National Champions in the Under 18, Under 16, Under 14 and Under 12 boys and girls age divisions but also determines the winning provincial team each year.

FULL RESULTS

U18 BOYS
1. MATTHEW BROMLEY (WP)
2. CHAD DU TOIT (KZN)
3. BRENDAN GIBBENS (WP)
4. SHAWN DENNIS (KZN)

U18 GIRLS
1. CHANTELLE RAUTENBACH (BOL)
2. KIRSTY DELPORT (KZN)
3. ALICE MCGREGOR (BOR)
4. FAYE ZOETMULDER (EP)

U16 BOYS
1. DAVEY BRAND (WP)
2. MICHAEL FEBRUARY (WP)
3. JACOB MELLISH (BOL)
4. DEVIN LANE (KZN)

U16 GIRLS
1. BIANCA BUITENDAG (S/CAPE)
2. HEIDI PALMBOOM (KZN)
2. TANIKA HOFFMAN (WP)
3. HOLLY ARMSTRONG (WP)

U14 BOYS
1. SLADE PRESTWICH (KZN)
2. STEVEN SAWYER (EP)
3. DYLAN LIGHTFOOT (EP)
4. DIRAN ZAKARIAN (BOL)

U14 GIRLS
1. SARAH BAUM (KZN)
2. CARRYN MACNICOL (KZN)
3. COURTENAY ELLISH (SKZN)
4. ROXY GILES (S/CAPE)

U12 BOYS
1. BENJI BRAND (WP)
2. MAX ARMSTRONG (WP)
3. JASON HARRIS (KZN)
4. MATTHEW MCGILLIVRAY (EP)

U12 GIRLS
1. INGE MCLAREN (BOR)
2. ANOUSH ZAKARIAN (BOL)
3. TAHRA UREN (EP)
4. CHANELLE BOTHA (SKZN)

FREEDOM CUP
1. KZN 40,740
2. WESTERN PROVINCE 38,486
3. EASTERN PROVINCE 32,442
4. BOLAND 30,078
5. SOUTHERN KZN 27,592
6. BORDER 26,506
7. SOUTHERN CAPE 26,230
8. DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY TEAM 18,040

SURFER OF THE CONTEST
KHAYELIHLHLE NCGOBO (SKZN)

MOST IMPROVED SURFER
SIMO MKHIZE (SKZN)

SPORTSMANSHIP TROPHY
AMY BOSWORTH (WP)

ZIG ZAG BLOWING UP AWARD
SARAH BAUM (KZN)

BEST TEAM
KWAZULU-NATAL

Surfing South Africa is recognised as the governing body for the sport by the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and is a member of the International Surfing Association (ISA).

Previous reports:
# 1 : Reef Wetsuits SA National Jr Champs to hit St. Michaels
# 2 : Junior Saffa's go wild at Reef Wetsuits National Champs
# 3 : Perfect point surf for Reef Wetsuits SA Junior Champs

www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za

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