Tanika Hoffman put on a stellar performance in the 1.5 metre (4 foot) surf at Tableview in Cape Town on Saturday as the top seeds dominated proceedings on the first day of Billabong ‘Girls Get Out There’ Surf Series.
Hoffman took to the surf and promptly left her opponents needing a combination of scores, as she recorded 9.33 and 7.67 point rides in the first four minutes of her under 15 division opening heat.
The 15 year old from Kommetjie went on to win the heat comfortably, and advanced directly to round three along with fellow heat winners Alice McGregor (East London), Sabrina Scott (Glencairn) and Morag Steele (Somerset West) and their respective runners-up.
The top seeds in the R12 500 open women’s division all moved through to the quarter-finals with Sara Maritz (Warner Beach) and local standout Stacey Guy (Melkbosstrand) winning their heats.
Nikita Robb (East London) finished second to former ASP World Tour star Heather Clark (Port Shepstone) and Tarryn Chudleigh, who was competing with a cast on her arm after a bicycle accident on Friday, was runner-up to Tammy Robarts (Strand).
Despite entering late and losing her seeding, Tammy-Lee Smith from Salt Rock won her opening encounters in both the Pro Junior (U20) and Open divisions, and diminutive 13 year-old Sarah Baum (Athlone Park, KZN) continued her giant-killing performances by joining the seeds in the last 16 of the Open category.
The Novices division showed great determination in what was well overhead surf for most of them and Courtney Ellish (Amanzimtoti), Brittany Maree (Gordons Bay) and Adele Outin (Oranjezicht, CT) triumphed in their respective first round heats.
Ruth Armstrong, at 8 years-old, the youngest in the event, finished second in her repecharge heat to remain in contention for Sunday’s final.
A forecast of smaller waves and sunshine weather on Sunday promises a grand finale for the event when R20 000 in prize-money and ratings points on the Pro Surf Tour rankings will ensure red-hot surfing action and all the beach festival fun will continue.
The fourth and final leg of the Billabong ‘Girls Get Out There’ Surf Series is sanctioned by Surfing South Africa and proudly supported by Soft Lips, Liqui Fruit, First National Bank (FNB), Von Zipper, Kustom, Silver Bullet and Interstage and is presented by Nashua Mobile.
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