ISA World Champion Jordy Smith crowned SA Surfer of the Year
 

<sup>Source: Surfing South Africa - http://www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za

2006 ISA World Champion, Jordy Smith, was named South African Surfer of the Year at the inaugural South African Surfing Awards presented by Zigzag in association with Paarl Web in Durban on Saturday 17 February.

Smith was the unanimous choice for the evening’s top accolade, completing a breakthrough year in 2006 during which he won two world titles (ISA Men and ASP Pro Junior), placed third in the Billabong Pro at Jeffrey’s Bay (his first World Championship Tour event) and being awarded the title of Vans Triple Crown ‘Rookie of the Year’ in Hawaii.

The 18 year-old Billabong team rider from Umbilo in Durban picked up three other awards on the night, two for his world championship event wins and another for topping the Surfing South Africa Pro Surf Tour (PST) Pro Junior (U20) ratings.

Fellow Billabong team riders Warwick ‘Wok’ Wright and Grant ‘Twiggy’ Baker were also honored with Wok producing the acceptance speech of the night while collecting the trophy for winning the PST men’s title and Baker collecting one award for his victory at the Mavericks Surf Contest and another as the SA surfer who ‘Pushed the Boundaries’ of performance during 2006.

The Riverside Hotel Conference Room in Durban was packed to capacity with over 220 of the nation’s newsmakers in surfing, legends of the sport and media personalities. Compered by 5FM’s Kevin Fine, the glittering occasion was the first of its kind held in South Africa to honour top local surfers performances over the last twelve months, both locally and on the global stage.

The legends of SA surfing were also acknowledged with stalwarts Max Wetteland and Dereck Jardine representing the group who few remembered had been inducted into SA surfing’s Hall of Fame back in 1998. They in turn presented leis to new inductees including 1977 world champ and six-time Gunston 500 winner Shaun Tomson; three-time South African champion George Thomopolous; Cape Town big wave legend Jonathan Paarman; winner of the first Gunston 500 (1969) Gavin Rudolph; Mike Larmont and posthumously to 1960’s and 70’s standout and enduring style master Ant van den Heuwel.

Well deserved accolades went to internationally renowned surf photographer Alan van Gysen, surf journo and former Zag editor Craig Jarvis and Surfing South Africa General Manager Robin de Kock whose stewardship of South African surfing started as a club administrator way back in 1974.

The feats of the country’s largest ever contingent of ASP World Tour campaigners were recognised when Greg Emslie, Travis Logie and WCT rookies Ricky Basnett, Royden Bryson and Rosanne Hodge received awards for reaching the pinnacle of competitive surfing.

Organisers were overwhelmed by the response to the prestigious function and tickets were sold out well over a month in advance. Attendees were well catered for and the slick presentation and format garnered complimentary comments.

“From Zigzag’s side we are stoked to be able to host an inaugural event of this nature,” commented Zigzag Publisher Mike Frew. “Jordy Smith was a deserving winner of the Surfer of the Year title and it was awesome to have living legends present for the induction to the Surfing Hall of Fame.”

SA Surfing Awards presented by Zigzag

Results:

2006 Pro Surf Tour winners:
Nikita Robb – Pro Junior girls
Jordy Smith – Pro Junior boys
Sarah Maritz – Open women
Warwick Wright – Open men

International event winners:
Grant Baker – Mavericks Surf Contest (California)
Ricky Basnett – Mr Price Pro (Durban)
David Weare – Rip Curl Boardmasters (England)
Royden Bryson – Yumeya Billabong Pro (Japan)
John Whittle – Red Bull BWA (Cape Town)
Matthew Moir – ISA World Surfing Games – Longboard (California)
Jordy Smith – ISA World Surfing Games – Men’s Open (California) and Billabong ASP World Junior Champs (Australia)
Chris Knutsen – World Masters Championships – Kahuna division (Puerto Rico)
SA Masters Team – World Masters Champs (Puerto Rico)

Photographer of the year:
Alan van Gysen

Writer of the year:
Craig Jarvis

Contribution to surfing:
Robin de Kock

Hall of Fame:
Max Wetteland
Harry Bold
Derek Jardine
Mick Pollock
Moreen Campbell
Merle Milne
David Lee
Graham Hynes
James Bell
Shorty Bronkhorst
Baron Stander
Peter Milne
John Whitmore

Hall of Fame – New Inductees:
Mike Larmont
Tony van den Heuwel
Jonathan Paarman
Shaun Tomson
Gavin Rudolph
George Thomopolous

Pushing the boundaries:
Grant Baker

2007 WCT qualifiers:
Rosanne Hodge
Ricky Basnett
Royden Bryson
Travis Logie
Greg Emslie

Surfer of the Year:
Jordy Smith</sup>
 

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