Team News

International Surfing Association
Costa de Caparica, Portugal
11 - 19 October 2008

South Africa off to a perfect start at the ISA World Surfing Games in Portugal

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 13 October, 2008 : - - The South African surfing team got off to perfect start at the 2008 ISA World Surfing Games in Portugal on Sunday when all four competitors on Day 1 of the event won their opening heats.

Competing in clean one to 1.5 metre waves at Costa de Caparica, reigning ISA World Longboard champion Matthew Moir (Cape Town) started the defense of his crown with convincing victories in both his Round 1 and Round 2 heats to advance into the last eight in the winner’s stream of the double elimination format.

Moir, who won five consecutive heats on his way to clinching the ISA World title in California in 2006, faces tougher opposition in his next outing when he takes on ASP World champion Phil Rajzman (Brazil), Australian champion Harley Ingleby and Darren McBride (New Zealand).

The top two in each heat progress to the next round while those placing third and fourth drop into the sudden death repecharge rounds when anything other than first or second sees them eliminated from the event.

The second podium hosted the opening rounds of the Bodyboard divisions on Sunday where Pamela Bowren (Port Elizabeth) moved comfortably into Round 2 of the women’s event along with fellow SA team members David Lee (Umhlanga) and Sacha Specker (Cape Town) in the men’s event.

The 2008 ISA World Surfing Games, referred to as the ‘Olympics of Surfing” was officially opened on Saturday with the stirring and colourful Parade of Nations that saw 300 surfers from 29 nations march through the streets in their team uniforms.

That was followed by the Sands of the World ceremony where each nation pours sand from one of their beaches into a custom made receptacle to symbolise the peaceful union of the world through surfing. 

Long serving ISA President Fernando Aguerre opened proceedings by saying "We are here together - black, white, yellow - people of every race, colour and religion. We are a great surfing family!  We get together three times a year, united by the love for surfing."

The eight day event runs until Sunday 19 October and will award gold, silver, bronze and copper medals in men and women’s shortboard surfing, longboard surfing and men and women’s bodyboarding, the tag team event and the overall top national team determined by the accumulated total scored by the team members.

South Africa is aiming to improve on their performance in the last ISA World Surfing Games in California in 2006 where they placed fourth overall with Moir and Jordy Smith (men’s shortboard) taking gold while Rosanne Hodge (women’s shortboard) and the Tag Team earned bronze.

The South African team's attendance at the event is supported by funding from the National Lottery Board.

Team South Africa:  www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za
# 1 : South Africa names team for ISA World Surfing Games..
# 2 : South African surf team departs for ISA Surfing Games
# 3 : Coming soon
# 4 : Coming soon  

www.isasurf.org

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