Stacey Zooms up Series Rankings

Stacey Guy took honours at the second of four Billabong ‘Girls Get Out There’ Summer Surf series in Jeffreys Bay, after winning the Open Women’s title on Sunday 16 December, 2007. Picture: Dave Allan courtesy Billabong.

Third seed Stacey Guy from Melkbosstrand captured the premier Open women’s title in the second leg of the R110 000 Billabong ‘Girls Get Out There’ Summer Surf Series at Magnatubes in Jeffreys Bay on Sunday.

In a closely-fought final, the Capetonian posted rides of 6.5 and 5.5 in the clean 0.5 metre waves to finish ahead of Heather Clark (Port Shepstone), Tarryn Chudleigh (Kommetjie) and 2006/7 series champion Sarah Maritz (Warner Beach), with the top three separated by just 1.10 points.

Victory in the 3A rated R12 500 event earned Guy R5 000 and moves her into second place on the series ratings, behind Margate winner Clark, with two of the four events now completed. 

Tarryn Chudleigh proved her surfing mettle by participating in the top two women’s surfing divisions, and emerged winner of the Pro Junior (U20) category, also finishing third in the Women’s Open division. Picture: Dave Allan courtesy Billabong.

On an overcast day with occasional showers that saw just the competitors, their families, friends and the officials on the beach, no surf lessons, Yoga sessions or promotions were conducted and all the attention was focused on the country’s best female surfers in the waves

The 3A rated R10 000 Pro Junior (U20) event produced late fireworks. Chantelle Rautenbach from Melkbosstrand led from the outset, starting with a manoeuvre packed 7.0 point ride and then adding a 5.5 shortly thereafter. With just four minutes remaining top seed Tarryn Chudleigh produced an outstanding 8.6 point ride to take over the lead. 

Holly Armstrong takes control after winning the U15 title in the second of four Billabong ‘Girls Get Out There’ Summer Surf series in Jeffreys Bay, on Sunday 16 December, 2007. Picture: Dave Allan courtesy Billabong.

And as the countdown for the last 10 seconds started, Nicole Annells
from Warner Beach took off and jammed a series of critical manoeuvres
into a long ride to be awarded a near-perfect 9.9 points out of a
possible 10 and leapfrog from fourth to second with the highest scoring
ride of the whole event. This left Rautenbach third and Lisa Mace
(Kommetjie) in fourth.

Holly Armstrong was again the standout performer in the Under15 division, leading throughout the final to clinch her second successive title ahead of fellow Kommetjie surfer Tanika Hoffman. East Londoners Catherine Lee and Cara MacDonald placed third and fourth respectively.

The Novices received plenty of support from those present and an exciting duel resulted in Jeffreys Bay local Tahra Uren securing the win with a 7.75 and a 5.75 which was too good for Inge McLaren (East London), Janine Pretorius and Nina Cressey, who finished in that order. 

Event organisers laid on the best of beach entertainment in the second of four Billabong ‘Girls Get Out There’ Summer Surf series in Jeffreys Bay, including

The Von Zipper Expression Session title deservedly went to Chantelle Rautenbach for a radical ‘off-the-top’ manoeuvre in the shore break while Tahra Uren received the Kustom Kreative Award for the best performance by a local and Chantelle and Chloe earned themselves free Underwear for a year from Girl Inc for painting the best picture of an ‘Endangered Species’.

The series started in Margate last weekend and after Jeffreys Bay the next stop will be in Cape Town (2-3 February 2008) before wrapping up in Scottburgh on the KZN coast on 16-17 February where the 2007/8 Billabong ‘Girls Get Out There’ Summer Surf Series champions will be crowned.

Stacey Guy demonstrates the form that brought her top honours in J-Bay. Picture: Dave Allan courtesy Billabong.