[VIDEO] Chill Chanelle set for Summer Surf

WARNER Beach surfer Chanelle Botha will contest the  Lizzard Hurricane Summer Surf 2016 at Umhlanga Main Beach on 10 and 11 December, in the hope of sealing another division win in the popular contest.

This popular surf event opens up the Umhlanga Summer Festival, supported by Just Juice and sanctioned by Surfing South Africa.

Chanelle previously won the Lizzard Summer Surf event in the U14, U16 and U18 categories.

At last year’s event, she won the U18 girls and made the women’s final, finishing fourth. “I’m hoping to improve on that, but there is going to be some stiff competition. If I can surf my best, I’m confident I can take the win,” said the 19-year-old surfer.

“This year I haven’t competed too much, as they changed the age divisions from U20 down to U18, and I was too old. There was a Roxy Summer Surf Jam, where I was happy to make the final of the open women’s division, and I am currently ranked fourth on the Surfing South Africa women’s pro tour,” added Chanelle.

She also competed in the USSA Varsity SA champs, finishing in third place in the final and helping the Varsity College team scoop the overall girls trophy.

“With fewer contests, I have decided to move away from the rigid contest coaching type surfing, and just surf for fun, with less pressure. I’m feeling refreshed and hoping to make an impact in the senior ranks locally. We have a few WQS events scheduled for SA next year, so I would like to finish in the top four on the WSL Africa rankings in 2017. This has been a quiet year to kind of just find the fun in surfing again, which has been cool.”

While the competitive surf scene has been rather quiet, Chanelle and her industrious brothers have produced  a short film ‘Close to Home’ by Woodfish Creative.

Watch the video here:

“This fun project was to kind of boost my confidence and just to see how I was surfing. My brother Wade has stepped in as my coach and he spends the time on the beach filming my free surfs, so we can go home and go through and and look for where I can improve or what I need to change. My oldest brother Zayne put it all together, edited it and got creative for the finished product which turned out great. The title is based on the fact that most of the footage was filmed at Warners, my home break, and the sound track was Gus Brown’s new single and they’re a local band so the whole film was locally based.”

For entry forms and more information of the Summer Surf, email corrine@savevehiclesecurity.co.za or call Wave Wizards Surf Club chairman Jestyn Viljoen on 082-464-8808.

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