The 2006 SA Surfing Team will leave Cape Town for the United States tomorrow (Tuesday October 10) to compete in the ISA World Surfing Games which gets under way in Huntington Beach California on Saturday October 14.
The South Africans will be one of 37 nations competing in this biennial event which is regarded as the "Olympics of Surfing".
The last World Games were held at Salinas in Ecuador and South Africa finished third behind Australia and Brazil.
The hosts USA, defending champions Australia, Brazil and Hawaii have all entered strong teams and will be as determined to do well as the South Africans.
Multiple SA champion Rosanne Hodge (East London), currently ranked number 8 on the World Qualifying Series and Tammy Lee Smith (Salt Rock), another top-ten WQS surfer, are the two women joining the men’s team of Jordy Smith, Matthew Kruger, WQS campaigner Gavin Roberts, Granville West, Josh Salie, Matthew Moir and Kwezi Qika.
The Manager is Surfing South Africa President Cecil Solomon (Gordon’s Bay), Bruce Jackson (Durban North) is head coach, Wade Sharp, a 1996 SA Team surfer who now lives in Huntington Beach, is Assistant coach and Rory Beach (Durban North) is the technical coach.
Jonathan Channing (Durban), one of South Africa’s top adjudicators will travel to the World Games and officiate at the event as a member of the International Judges panel, while Surfing South Africa General Manager Robin de Kock will attend the World Games as a member of the ISA Technical Committee, and in his capacity as an ISA Vice President.
De Kock, who was first elected in 1998, is one of five candidates nominated for the four Vice President positions which will be decided at the AGM in Huntington Beach on October 18.
The team’s camps and travel expenses have been funded by a grant from the National Lottery Board (Lotto), and the side has received support from O’Neill South Africa, Island Style and Reef Wetsuits.
The South African team received their colours at an Awards ceremony at the Mowbray Golf Club on Monday evening.
Messages for the team can be emailed to [email protected] or smse’d to 082 454 1149.
Information on the ISA World Surfing Games during the event will be available on the ISA website, and from the Surfing South Africa website.
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