A light drizzle that cleared later did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the competitors and spectators at the festival of female surfing action in Durban on Sunday as Sarah Maritz took the premier Open women’s title in the first of four Billabong “Girls Get Out There’ Summer Surf Series events.
While ideal head-high waves peeled into Bay of Plenty and girls participated in Yoga classes, played impromptu beach volleyball games and hung out in the Liqui Fruit Lounge, former WQS campaigner Maritz from nearby Warner Beach dominated a top quality final to pocket the R5 000 winners pay cheque.
Second was top seed and current WQS #8 Rosanne Hodge (East London) with national junior surf team members Tarryn Chudleigh (Kommetjie) and Nikita Robb (East London) collecting third and fourth places overall.
Chudleigh had earlier collected the R2 000 for winning the Pro Junior (U20) crown and the Billabong team rider was also awarded the Best Kustomised Manoeuvre accolade for an outrageous ‘fins free’ turn during her semi-final victory.
Hodge was again the runner-up in the Pro Juniors where Robb placed third and Tammy-Lee Smith from Salt Rock, just north of Durban, took fourth.
The highly competitive U15 event was won by Alice McGregor (East London) whose exciting talent was sufficient to give her victory over Kommetjie’s Holly Armstrong in the final despite the Capetonian winning all her earlier heats, recording the highest individual score of the event – 8.85 out of a possible 10 – and also receiving the Most Creative Surfer award.
McGregor earned R1 000 and looks likely to be collecting plenty of prize-money in the future, while fellow East Londoner Cara Macdonald secured third place ahead of Morag Steele from Somerset West.
The Novices event displayed the strength in depth of the rising tide of South African female surfing talent being fostered by the Girls Get Out There initiative when winner Cara MacNicol from Scottburgh recorded an outstanding 8.67 point ride, the second highest of the entire weekend.
MacNicol relegated Annie de Vries (Umhlanga) to the runner-up berth in the final while Nikita Kekana (Glenwood) secured third place and tiny Chanelle Botha (Warner Beach) won her semi to cruise into the final where she finished fourth overall.
All the Novice finalists took home valuable Billabong hampers and the finalists in all four divisions won Cell C starter-packs courtesy of presenting sponsor Nashua Mobile.
Upgraded to the biggest all-girl surfing series yet to be staged in South Africa, the four events in the 2006/7 Billabong “Girls Get Out There’ Summer Surf Series offer a whopping total R60 000 in prize-money and loads of product prizes.
The events are sanctioned by Surfing South Africa, the national controlling body for the sport and the Open and Pro Junior events are also accredited by ASP Africa with the ratings points earned counting towards the respective Pro Surf Tour titles.
The series is proudly supported by Soft Lips, Liqui Fruit, First National Bank (FNB), Von Zipper, Kustom, Silver Bullet and Interstage and presented by Nashua Mobile.
The next event in the 2006/7 Billabong ‘Girls Get Out There’ Summer Surf Series will be held in Margate on the KZN South Coast on 5 & 6 December, followed by a Fun Day in Jeffreys Bay on 17 December and the series concludes in Cape Town on the weekend 3 & 4 February 2007.
Billabong ‘Girls Get Out There’ Summer Surf Series Event #1 of 4
Bay of Plenty, Durban
Results
Open Women
1. Sarah Maritz (Warner Beach, KZN) R5000
2. Rosanne Hodge (East London) R3000
3. Tarryn Chudleigh (Kommetjie) R1500
4. Nikita Robb (East London) R1000
=5. Stacey Guy (Melkbosstrand) R600
=5. Chantelle Rautenbach (Melkbosstrand) R600
=7. Tasha Mentasti (Durban North) R400
=7. Tammy-Lee Smith (Salt Rock, KZN) R400
Pro Junior (U/20) Girls
1. Tarryn Chudleigh (Kommetjie) R2 000
2. Rosanne Hodge (East London) R900
3. Nikita Robb (East London) R600
4. Tammy-Lee Smith (Salt Rock, KZN) R500
=5. Chantelle Rautenbach (Melkbosstrand) R300
=5. Nicole Annells (Warner Beach) R300
=7. Kirsty Delport (Berea, Durban) R200
=7. Michelle Imeson (Warner Beach) R200
U/15 Girls
1. Alice McGregor (East London) R1000
2. Holly Armstrong (Kommetjie) R700
3. Cara Macdonald (East London) R500
4. Morag Steele (Somerset West) R300
Novices (All received Billabong hampers)
1. Caryn MacNicol (Scottburgh)
2. Annie de Vries (Umhlanga)
3. Nikita Kekana (Glenwood)
4. Chanelle Botha (Warner Beach)
Best Kustomised Manoeuvre
Tarryn Chudleigh (Kommetjie)
Most Creative Award
Holly Armstrong (Kommetjie)
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