SATURDAY morning, 6 August dawned to frigid conditions brought by the icy offshore wind which swept in from the interior of the province.
Far from being a deterrent, the line-up in the second 2016 Bluff Boardriders surf contest was packed by 6.30am, with surfers and bodyboarders eagerly anticipating the start.
The events are growing in stature and this contest saw entrants come from the north and south coasts and even as far afield as California. The Bluff Boardriders thank Wentworth Bodyboard Club for the enthusiastic support of the event.
With a full tide, the early rounds saw the bodyboarders exhibit their brand of aerial antics on the shorebreak section at Ansteys Beach. Having contestants execute spectacular manoeuvres mere metres from the sand makes for great viewing and it wasn’t long before a substantial crowd had gathered to enjoy the show. Michael Ostler would ultimately emerge victorious in this hotly contested division due to his full repertoire of body torqueing moves.
Half a point separated second to fifth place and the judges’ nod went to Dylan Sharpe in second and Teegan Coulonval in third.
The women were next in the water and the action moved out to the backline with the dropping tide. Heidi Palmboom demonstrated her vast experience in competitive surfing and claimed first place from division stalwarts, Brittany Gadd and Candice Lategan, with her trademark graceful style.
Overall points for the year are very close and it will go down to the wire in the final contest of the year to determine who will represent the Boardriders at the inter-club contest at Seal Point in the Eastern Cape next February.
It was great to see some new faces in the U21 heats after an appeal was made to boost the ranks of this age group. American entrant Tyler James put on a flamboyant display of progressive moves to take out the top spot in the finals. Dieter Petraschke (second) and Nathan Fletcher (third) impressed with solid surfing but could not match the flair of the international contestant.
With the winter sun warming things up, the under 10s took to the water. Nine-year-old Kye Hall from Umdloti raised the bar and looked like a mini-Mick Fanning as he shredded every wave in sight on his way to victory. Connor Padt (second) and Braden Pratt (third) showed good improvement and will be the ones to watch in future events.
Once again the open division saw the highest number of entrants with great support coming from the Bluff. The final had local participants Ross Solomon and Scott Venter pitted against Durban surfer Mark Zunckel and American Tyler James, who decided he would also compete in the open event. Scott executed some critical turns for an excellent score early in the heat but could not find a backup wave and succumbed to the consistency of the Californian entrant, who blasted his way to the podium. Mark Zunckel’s fluid style earned him third place.
The raffle for the Sector 9 skateboard was won by a beaming Braden Pratt.
The second Boardriders contest of 2016 was a huge success and made good strides in uniting the community and advancing the cause of competitive surfing and bodyboarding. The organisers felt it was great to see families enjoying the atmosphere and getting the youngsters involved in a healthy lifestyle.
The only real loser of the day were the appalling facilities at Ansteys Beach. Neglect by the municipality since 2011 has resulted in the previously lush lawns becoming a rubble-strewn wasteland unfit for beachgoers. Previous attempts by the Bluff Boardriders in 2015 to offer assistance to the municipality to upgrade amenities and install erosion preventive measures were snubbed due to the supposed imminent start of the beach upgrades. Some measures need to be taken and to this extent, the Bluff Boardriders will incorporate this into the agenda for the remainder of the year.
Huge thanks go the sponsors who generously provided fantastic prizes. They are: Island Style factory shop, Heidi’s Café, Hands On Mobile Sports Massage, Volcom, Scarfini Fins, Surf HQ, KZN Business Training, Quiksilver, Rudy’s Ding Repairs, O’ Neill Wetsuits, Billabong. Also thanks to Warren Le Roux of Surfskate SA for having a range of skateboards to keep the grommets entertained between heats.
Visit the Facebook page for updates and save the date for September 17 to participate in the International Coastal Cleanup Day.
