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

SENIOR CONTESTS
SOUTH AFRICANS QUALIFY FOR 2009 ASP WORLD TOUR
Former ISA World Men's gold medalist Jordy Smith of Durban has qualified for a second year on the ASP World Championship Tour in 2009.

Despite a knee injury, which has kept him out of the water recently, Smith ended 27th for the year.

The 2007 South African Surfer of the Year will be joined on the 2009 WCT by David Weare of Durban and 2008 SA Open of Surfing champion Greg Emslie of East London after they finished 7th and 10th respectively on the WQS.

2002 ISA World Champion Travis Logie and 2002 ISA World Junior Championship runner up Ricky Basnett as well as Royden Bryson all failed to re qualify for 2009.

Rosanne Hodge of East London, the bronze medal winner at the ISA World Games in 2006, has also re qualified for the ASP World Tour.
 
2008 VOLCOMSTONE BABOONFISH CONTEST
Craig Johnson of Muizenberg won his maiden national tournament at Misty Cliffs in Cape Town on November 16. He beat Junior winner Brendan Gibbens of Kommetjie in the Open Final.

Tarryn Chudleigh of Kommetjie won the Women's title and another Kommetjie local, Jarred Veldhuis, took honours in the groms division.
 
 2008 ROXY WAHINE CUP
Tarryn Chudleigh ended 2008 in style when she won the Open title in the 2008 Roxy Wahine Cup at Suncoast Beach in Durban on December 7.

She pocketed R10,000, the biggest prize purse for women on the SSA Pro Surf Tour. Her teammate at the recent ISA World Surfing Games, Chantelle Rautenbach of Melkbosstrand, was second.

Nikita Robb, fresh from a campaign on the ASP WQS, won the Under 20 crown, 2009 SA Junior team member Tanika Hoffman of Kommetjie won the U16 title and fellow SA Team member Sarah Baum of Durban cruised to victory in the Under 14 final.
In the Novices Division a stoked Mia Hordyk won the title, some prize money and a 12 month Roxy sponsorship.

This was the 10th edition of the Surfing South Africa sanctioned Wahine Cup, Africa's only stand alone contest for women. 
 
JUNIOR CONTESTS
2008 LIZZARD TAG SERIES # 4
The Earthworms won the fourth Lizzard Tag Series at Salt Rock in Northern KZN on November 22. They shared R2500 while the second placed Bintins pocketed R1250.
The Tarentellas were third and had to settle for R750 while the fourth placed Skulls took home R500.

The SSA sanctioned Lizzard Tag Series involves surfers of all ages and is a team event only. There are no individual heats.

165 surfers competed in the four Lizzard contests held around South Africa in 2008.
 
2009 SA JUNIOR TEAM SELECTED
A strong South African Junior Team for the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Championships in Ecuador has been selected.

Nick Godfrey, Shaun Joubert, Matt Bromley and Dale Staples are the U18 boys, Mikey February, Davey Brand, Dane Staples and Slade Prestwich are the U16 boys and Bianca Buitendag, Sarah Baum, Tanika Hoffman and Kirsty Delport are the U18 girls.

The team has a total of 25 caps between them.
 
GENERAL
2008 ISA World Surfing Games competitor Matthew Kruger of Durban won Men's Division of the Surfing South Africa Pro Surf Tour while Tammy Lee Smith of Salt Rock took honours in the Women's Division.

Klee Strachan of Winkelspruit, another member of the SA Team at the recent ISA World Games topped the U20 Boys Division while SA Junior Team member, Bianca Buitendag of George claimed the U20 Girls top spot.
 
SA Team member Chantelle Rautenbach is the 2008 U18 Girls Champion while Beyrick de Vries of Umhlanga and Tanika Hoffman of Kommetjie are the U16 Boys and Girls champions respectively.
  
SSA LETS GO SURFING CLINIC
Surfing South Africa officially ended 2008 with a highly successful Lets go Surfing Clinic on December 14 at Strandfontein Pavilion in the Western Cape.
The Clinic attracted over 150 eager budding surfers from the disadvantaged communities in the area and under the guidance of SSA President Cecil Solomon, his wife Natalie and their team of coaches the two days of fun in the sun were a huge success.
 
UP AND COMING
A really busy 2009.........
Happy holidays everyone.
 

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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