South Africa’s most lucrative and prestigious all-girls surfing series reaches its finale this weekend, when the fourth and final event in the R110 000 Billabong ‘Girls Get Out There’ Summer Surf Series event is staged at Scottburgh on the KZN South Coast.
Featuring the country’s top female surfers in Open, Pro Junior and U15 contests and catering for aspiring surf stars in a Novices event, the series has encouraged girls countrywide to try the free ‘Learn to Surf’ and Yoga sessions, participate in painting and beach-related competitions, and win prizes in numerous promotions at these festivals celebrating the beach lifestyle.
The stakes in the premier Open women’s event have been upped for the Scottburgh event, which will be a 4A-rated Pro Surf Tour (PST) event offering a total prize purse of R20 000, with R8 000 going to the winner.
Tarryn Chudleigh comes into the event full of confidence after taking the ratings lead in both the Open and Pro Junior (U20) divisions, following her double victory in Cape Town earlier this month.
The 17 year-old from Kommetjie has won national titles in every age group, represented the country on half a dozen occasions, and will be seeking her first Open series title.
However, the likes of former ASP World Tour campaigner Heather Clark from nearby Port Shepstone, Stacey Guy (Melkbosstrand) and defending series champion Sarah Maritz (Amanzimtoti) are close on Chudleigh’s heels in the ratings race, and are also determined to pocket the bulk of the increased prize-money.
Former multiple SA champion Tamarys de Maroussem (Westbrook) makes her first appearance in the 2007/8 series at Scottburgh, and by all accounts she still poses a major threat to the top contenders, as will Tammy-Lee Smith (Chaka’s Rock), who was rated no. 32 on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) at the end of 2007.
The talent-laden trio of 14 year-olds comprising Bianca Buitendag (George), Sarah Baum (Athlone Park) and Heidi Palmboom (Bluff) are also capable of upsetting their older opponents, as they have on several occasions during the summer, and they will also be up against Chudleigh in the 3A rated, R10 000 Pro Junior event.
The highly competitive U20 event includes the likes of Chantelle Rautenbach (Melkbosstrand), Kommetjie’s Lisa Mace and the fast improving Kirsty Delport (Berea, Durban), all of whom will be aiming to topple the ratings leader.
The U15 division, where there is R2 500 in Billabong vouchers up for grabs, sees the continuation of duel between the Kommetjie duo of Holly Armstrong and Tanika Hoffman. Armstrong has finished ahead of Hoffman in each of the first three events, but cannot afford to slip up as the results of all four events count for the final tally.
Cara McDonald (East London) forced her way into contention by winning the last event, while the determined Sabrina Scott (Glencairn) will being going all out to clinch third place in the ratings with a another good performance.
The R1 000 in Billabong vouchers at stake in the Novices division has attracted a field of 10 newcomers keen on becoming surf stars of the future.
The event runs from 8am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday 16 & 17 February with the finals in each division scheduled for the Sunday when the spectacular Von Zipper Expression Session will showcase the event’s top performers cutting loose with their most innovative and progressive manoeuvres.
The Billabong ‘Girls Get Out There’ Summer Surf Series is sanctioned by Surfing South Africa (SSA) and proudly supported by Soft Lips, FNB, Von Zipper, Kustom, Tropitone and Seventeen Magazine. Lifestyle and action coverage of the events will appear in the Seventeen Magazine publication, at the Seventeen website, and on SuperSport in television documentaries produced by Silver Bullet Productions.
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