Reunion Island Challenge

Surfing South Africa
Bay of Plenty KZN
16 - 17 October 2009

Central KZN team wins Reunion Island Challenge at Bay of Plenty in Durban

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 20 October, 2009 : - - A powerful Central KZN team followed up their victory at the recent SA Championships when they not only won the Team title but also bagged four of the seven individual titles in the second Reunion Island Challenge which was completed at Durban’s Bay of Plenty on Saturday (October 17).

Reunion Island were second, Southern KZN were third and the Emerging South African team took fourth place. Southern KZN team member Brett Palmboom caused one of the upsets of the event when he edged out Hugo Dubosc of Reunion Island to take first place in the premier U18 Boys Division with Central KZN surfers Devin Lane and Scott Le Fevre taking third and fourth place respectively.

Camille Davila of Reunion Island went one better than her second place in Cape Town when she beat Central KZN trio Kirsty Delport, Cape Town winner Sarah Baum and fellow SA Junior team member Heidi Palmboom in the Under 18 girls final.

South African Under 16 champion Davey Van Zyl was a classy winner in this division beating CKZN team mate Mikey Venter into second place. David Gouws and Brendan Fijac of SKZN were third and fourth.

Talented 13 year old Josh Smit of CKZN won the U12 Boys title beating Lucas Jannier of Reunion Island who was fourth in this final in Cape Town. Jannier finished ahead of third placed Byron Wigmore and fourth placed Luke McCracken of CKZN.

In the Under 14 Girls Division SA Champion Carryn MacNicol of CKZN beat up and coming star Courtenay Ellish into second place. Ellish’s SKZN team mates Shannon McGee and Jordyn Van Houtte were third and fourth respectively.  Shane Sykes of CKZN took honours in the U12 Boys final with Reunion Islanders Lucas Bernard and Mathis Crozon ending second and third. Richard Kidd of CKZN was fourth.

Tiny Chanelle Botha of SKZN impressed all with her stylish turns and reinforced her U12 Girls SA Championship status with a victory over 10 year old Mahe Javegny, Zoe Berdu (both Reunion Island) and Jade Mets and Teal Hogg ( both CKZN).

Both days of competition in the second Reunion Challenge were held at Bay of Plenty which produced contestable surf on both days of the event. Hosted by Central KZN, the Reunion Island Challenge completed a 10 day cultural exchange by a group of 36 surfers, coaches and parents from the Indian Ocean island which is a colony of France.

Surfing South Africa is the recognized governing body for the sport in South Africa. SSA is a member of the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA).The Reunion Island Challenge series is not only part and parcel of the SA Junior Team’s preparations for the 2010 ISA World Junior Championships in New Zealand in January but is also a talent identification initiative that is part of SSA’s strategic plans.

The cultural exchange and International tournaments were supported by funding from the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDTF).  Full results and pictures can be accessed on surfingsouthafrica.co.za and recorded footage and pictures are available on //st-leu-surf-club.info/AFSD/index.html.

www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za

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Robin de Kock

Junior Contests - Surfersvillage