DURBAN North’s very own Sam Christianson secured his third consecutive national title in the SPAR SA Longboard Champs Open Men’s division in Jeffreys Bay recently.
Representing KwaZulu-Natal, Christianson showed a level of skill and strategic surfing that was a notch above his competitors through the competition.
The talented longboarder now holds three SA senior titles and a junior title.
“Representing KZN at the competition was a massive honour – my blood is black and white. I’m very excited and stoked with my performances at the SA Champs. My goal going into the competition wasn’t centred around three consecutive victories but rather about taking each competition as it comes. I think I’ve grown in confidence, which comes from experience. I feel I’m better prepared mentally and physically, which all contribute to my success,” he explained.
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Giving his traditional salute as he closed out his performance with a mammoth heat score total of 18.36, Christianson also said he was grateful to his family for their support.
“I was lucky enough to have my dad come to watch me at Jeffreys Bay. It is a special moment that he was there. I wish that he could be there for all my competitions with my mom and sister,” he said.
Speaking on the competition at this year’s SA Champs, Christianson paid tribute to the chairperson of the South African Longboarding and Durban North resident, Christy Gilmour.
“The level of competition this year was very heated. Overall, I feel all the competitors raised the bar but more notably, the Junior divisions. They have really started to shine, and that is a positive for the sport. I can see the competitors in the U14, U16 and U18 levels really push more experienced surfers in the open division. All that success has to be accredited to Christy Gilmour who has worked tirelessly to make the championship more competitive, especially in the Girls’ division. This year saw the debut of the U14 Girls’ division, and the young surfer girls put on outstanding shows,” he said.
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