By Robin de Kock – Surfing South Africa - www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za

SENIOR CONTESTS
2008 ISA WORLD SURFING GAMES
Matthew Moir of Cape Town won Gold in the Longboard Division of the ISA World Surfing Games in Portugal. In doing so, Moir retained his 2006 title and maintained his record of winning every single heat in the 2006 and 2008 ISA World Surfing Games.
 
2008 SOUTH COAST SURF CARNIVAL
Former SA Team longboarder and two time ISA World Surfing Games Longboard finalist Jason Ribbink won the title at the South Coast Surf Carnival presented by Jeep on October 26.
Dylan Mc Cleod of Port Elizabeth won the inaugural South African SUP Title during the annual event which takes place at Scottburgh on the KZN South Coast.

JUNIOR CONTESTS
2008 REEF WETSUITS SA JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS presented by OCEAN & EARTH
KZN narrowly beat defending champions Western Province to take the Freedom Cup at the annual SA Junior Surfing Championships which was completed at St Mikes on the KZN South Coast on October 1.

SA Junior Team captain Matt Bromley (WP) won the U18 boys title, fellow national junior team member Chantelle Rautenbach (Boland) won the U18 Girls division and two other 2008 SA Junior Team members, Davey Brand (WP) and Bianca Buitendag (Southern Cape) took honors in the U16 Boys and U16 Girls divisions respectively.
Slade Prestwich and KZN teammate Sarah Baum won the U14 golds, Benji Brand (WP) and Inge Mc Claren (Border) took the U12 titles and Khayelihle Ncgobo (SKZN) was named Surfer of the Contest.

Eleven year old Simo Mkhize (SKZN) was named the Most Improved Surfer.

RIP CURL GROMSEARCH  GRAND FINAL 
Durban surfers Beyrick de Vries and Sarah Baum won the premier U16 boys and girls titles in the 2008 Rip Curl Gromsearch Grand Finale held at Southbroom on the KZN South Coast on October 26.

They will now travel to Australia next Easter to compete in the Rip Curl Junior International.

Both de Vries and Baum will be winging their way to Oz courtesy of Red Bull.
U 14 winners were Benji Brand and Baum (again) and the U12 Gromsearch champion is Max Armstrong.

2008 REEF WETSUITS SA SCHOOLS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Durban High School successfully defended their 2007 title when they beat Fellowship High School of Melkbos into second place in the annual Interschools Championships at Muizenberg Pavilion.

Sun Valley won the Primary School title for the second year in a row beating Kommetjie Primary into second place.

Sixteen schools from all parts of South Africa competed in the event.

GENERAL
South African surfers have teamed up with local marine scientists to launch a campaign aimed at the conservation of sharks.

The Wavescapes Surf Film Festival and Save Our Seas Foundation will use the opportunity of the film festival to educate the public about the global plight of sharks which are being killed at the rate of 100 million a year.

Global head of the SOSF, Chris Clarke, says that it was critical to create awareness about the plight of sharks and said that they wanted to pass on tips to help reduce the risk of accidental encounters with the animals.

Festival Director Steve Pike said that a perceived irony of surfers coming out in support of their "traditional nemesis" was based on misinformed views. Pike agreed that surfers were at the frontline but said that this campaign aimed to prove that a healthy shark population would benefit not threaten surfers.
 
UP AND COMING
2009 National Junior Team selection Trials: November 22, 29 & 30
Roxy Wahine Cup in Durban on December 4-6

About International Surfing Association
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the World Governing Authority for surfing, bodyboarding and surfriding. It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running world championships since 1964 and the Junior World Championships since 1980. 

ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of over 50 countries on six continents. Its headquarters are located in San Diego, California. It is presided by Fernando Aguerre, first elected in 1994 in Rio, and re-elected six times since.  The ISA's four Vice Presidents are Alan Atkins (Australia), Robin de Kock (South Africa), Maile Aguerre (Hawaii) and Mike Gerard (USA).

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