Pallet reclaims Africa number 1 ranking

AFTER consecutive podium finishes in Nelson Mandela Bay and Port Alfred, La Lucia’s Nicole Pallet broke through to clinch the World Surfing League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) rated Mitchum Buffalo City Surf Pro, presented by Reef Wetsuits women’s title at Nahoon Reef.

The Surfing South Africa (SSA) sanctioned event which forms part of the City Surf Series is worth 1000 international ranking points to Pallet and put her back on top of the WSL Africa rankings.

“I am so stoked that I won. I sat further out and got the bigger waves. I was not that happy with the final; I was happier with my other heats,” said Pallet who also managed to scoop the highest wave score of the day (9.00) on her way to the final, her second of the series after scoring a 9.25 two weekends ago in Nelson Mandela Bay. “I was quite tired in the final and I think Kai was also quite tired. We both had just like jelly legs,” she said.

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Pallet’s opponent in the final, Kai Woolf from Jeffreys Bay won the junior women’s title only an hour before her dual with Pallet. This is Woolf’s third title in the series after claiming both the women’s and junior women’s titles in Nelson Mandela Bay and takes the second spot on the WSL Africa women’s ranking. Woolf also holds the number one spot on the WSL Africa junior women’s ranking above Kirsty McGillivray (second) and Zoe Steyn (third).

The defending men’s champion, Kevin Sawyer saw his dreams of lifting the trophy again in East London shattered in round three when he went down against an on-fire Jordy Maree and Dylan Lightfoot.

Not only did Maree win his third round heat to go through to tomorrow’s quarter final, but he also put up the highest wave score of the day with his 8.75 that together with a solid 7.00 gave him a heat score of 15.75 (the highest of the day).

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