by Chris Couve | Sep 25, 2015 | Stand Up Paddle, SUP Events, SUP Racing
| Witsand SUP race – September 2015 |
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+/- 7km course |
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| Position: |
Name: |
Time: |
| 1 |
Dylan Frick |
00:42:20 |
| 2 |
Chris Couve |
00:45:00 |
| 3 |
Kimon Dos Santos |
00:46:04 |
| 4 |
Rory Smyth |
00:47:19 |
| 5 |
Matt Maxwell |
00:49:02 |
| 6 |
Michael Oxley |
00:50:43 |
| 7 |
Dave Maxwell |
00:50:59 |
| 8 |
Guy Bubb |
00:51:58 |
| 9 |
Shayne Chipps |
00:52:16 |
| 10 |
Joshua Robertson |
00:52:23 |
| 11 |
Jackie de Billot |
00:55:07 |
| 12 |
Craig Girdleston |
00:57:16 |
| 13 |
Grant Donald |
01:01:30 |
| 14 |
Graham Kirk |
01:03:03 |
| 15 |
Lande Williamson |
01:03:53 |
| 16 |
Mishka Steyn |
01:04:45 |
| 17 |
Emmy Ruddock |
01:09:57 |
| 18 |
Craig Mincer |
01:14:42 |
| 19 |
Clinton Santilon |
01:15:10 |
| 20 |
Nick King |
01:21:20 |
| 21 |
Bruce Johnston |
01:25:38 |
| 22 |
Danny Greeff |
01:26:23 |
| 23 |
Jolene Harris |
01:35:48 |
| 24 |
Lollo Wollheim |
01:36:01 |
| 25 |
Ellene Smyth |
01:46:13 |
| 25 |
Jen Koopmans |
01:46:13 |
|
Cameron Tripney |
DNF |
|
Caroline Hossack |
DNF |
|
Sieko Skrzypczak |
DNF |
by Chris Couve | Sep 22, 2015 | ISA, Stand Up Paddle, SUP Surfing
The International Surfing Association (ISA) has welcomed Norway as its newest Member Federation, further driving the global expansion of the sport.
Global development is a key element of the ISA’s strategy and the consistent growth and reach amongst young people is a driving force behind the ISA’s ambitions of making Surfing an Olympic sport.
Stadt Landet, one of Norway’s picturesque Surfing backdrops. Photo: Hallvard Kolltveit
Filled with youthful values and energy, Surfing has a unique ability to connect with young people around the world. It is hoped that providing more Surfing opportunities and better access to equipment and facilities for young people can help instill Surfing’s core values of excellence, respect, fair-play and innovation.
With a rugged coastline and spectacular Fjords, Norway has many untouched Surf and StandUp Paddle spots that are drenched in natural beauty. Led by President Tore Kramer, the Norwegian Surfing Club is aiming to continue its development under the guidance of the ISA and boost the growth of Surfing amongst young people in the country.
Norway will also send an athlete to the inaugural ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship Presented by Challenged Athletes Foundation, Hurley, Stance and the City of San Diego, which takes place in La Jolla, California this week. Team Norway is also expected to make its debut at the 2015 VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, October 11-18 in Oceanside, California.
Luca Guichard surfing in Norway. Photo: Hallvard Kolltveit
Fernando Aguerre, ISA President, said:
“Surfing continues to grow worldwide and the addition of Norway as a new member is testament to the ISA’s global development strategy. There are 35 million surfers globally who participate in more than 100 countries and our aim is to spread the sport even further by providing better access to Surfing opportunities and equipment for more people around the world.
“With its unique culture, expressive nature and special connection with young people, Surfing is a sport that excites, thrills and captures the imagination of participants and fans from all corners of the world and backgrounds. Together, these factors are what fuel our ambition to place our wonderful sport and inspirational athletes on the greatest sporting stage at the Olympic Games.”
Tore Kramer, Norweigan Surfing Club President, said:
“We are delighted to join the ISA and to have access to ISA programmes and the many other benefits that come with our membership. We believe this is vital for the future growth of our organisation and the development of Surfing in Norway. We also believe that the ISA World Championships are the best stage for competitive Surfing and our athletes are looking forward to taking part in many world class events in the years ahead.”
Original Article and Images Supplied by ISA
by Chris Couve | Sep 21, 2015 | Stand Up Paddle, SUP Racing
About the
SUP-11City Tour : SUP paddlers will experience the ultimate challenge as they paddle 220 kilometers (136 miles) in five days with weather conditions varying from windless, beautiful and sunny to cold, rainy and stormy.Besides the ultimate challenge the
SUP 11-City Tour is also a unique experience. 200 national and international paddlers are expected to get to know Friesland, the northern province of Holland, from the water. Open fields with windmills, cows, and sheep will present itself along the water ways exchanged by eleven historical cities built from 1700 onwards.
6 brave South Africans ventured out to
Friesland, Holland this year to take part in this Epic SUP 11-City Tour Challenge of paddling 220km over 5 days. This is their story…
The South African team having a great time at the SUP 11 City Tour
*Rory Smyth (CPT)
*Elleni Smyth (CPT)
*Craig Girdlestone (CPT)
* Shayne Chipps (Durban)
* Jolene Harris (CPT)
* Guy Bubb (CPT)
Arriving in Amsterdam we took in a few sights and ventured of to the Naish 1 Inflatable event were Shayne Chipps was taking part. This was a fun day out with a well organised event and meeting all the super stars from Naish like Robby Naish, Chuck Paterson and Casper Steinfeld. Shayne did well and represented South Africa proudly. Rory Smyth also took part in the Team Relay event which was full of action. This style of a event is great for spectators and participants, and SupA hopes to bring events like this to South Africa soon.
The team then headed of to Leeuwarden up north which would be the start of the tour. We went by train and was a great way to see the country side of Holland. On arrival we ventured off to meet the organiser and Mistral who supplied all the Capetonians with their boards. It was great to have Mistral and there profesional team helping us with suport and the great boards. Bad weather had arrived already and we were all nerves about the winds and rains but all the competitors had to SUP in the same conditions. We boarded our boats that woulD be our accomodation for the next 6 days. These boats are over 100 years old and were very comfortable and great having the whole team together and meeting other competitors from other countries. Lucky for us we were on the winning boat as both Steve and Seychell were on our boat – Mistral team riders who won the event.
Registration day and nerves all round surrounded by some of the best in the world and meeting and greeting. We all looked around to see what others were doing what fins they were using, what boards and timing devices. It was great to meet our fellow SUP’ers from around the world.
This is from another competitors blog,
Furio Vitali, and aptly describes how we felt:
“As I am walking around the SUP village holding my goodies bag tight with my right hand I am stoked to spot few notorious faces of the SUP world, faces that I have only seen on magazines and a bit shy and intimidated I limit myself to take a look around, seeing what the pros are doing, what board they have, what fin they use, I would want to ask them few question but I hold back when I cannot help notice a guy which has just registered for the event too and is now sitting while looking inside his goodies bag humbled by the surrounding as he quietly reaches inside his bag, all I can see his a reflection of myself: Scared, inexperienced and alone.”
This is how I think we all felt walking around and taking in the atmosphere and preparing for the next day. First up was the prolugue paddle through Leeuwarden which was lots of fun! Give a South African the chance to represent and we go wild. Dressed up in our flags colorful wigs and headgear we, the South Africans, had arrived…
Day one and it had arrived after all that training and hard work we were getting ready for this Epic Challenge. Unfortunatly Elleni had come down with some flu but this was a blessing in desguise as she was the best support for the 5 of us – she was at every rest stop come rain, wind and thunder feeding keeping us warm and making sure our day packs were ready. So from the 5 of us we say thanks Elleni for all you did.
Without going through each day here is a brief run down of the event ~ it was windy, wet and challenging but this is why we were there to experience this epic SUP tour and to challenge ourselves. With so many like minded people at this event is what made each day so fun. 46km a day is no small feet especially with head and cross winds and rain coming down side ways but we all made it and we all finished each day. The great thing about this race is the people you SUP with are all in the same conditions and everyone is pushing each other and motivating the ones they pass or the ones that are passing by you. The camaradery is great and this is the reason I will be back. The atmosphere of this tour is one of team spirit and unlike any race I have ever done.
Team South Africa did great and we all managed to reach our personel goals and more. With Rory Smyth finishing 15th overall this was a great placing if you only see the names in the top 20 these are all super races. Guy Bubb in 31 and Shayne Chipps 36 and Craig Girdlestone 47… all in the our team, once again, all doing superbly well! Jolene Harris who has only been SUP’ing since January 2015 completed the tour placing 3rd in the woman overall – what a fantastic achievement. So all winners and showing the true South African sportmanship, we all made lots of new friends and we will be back and hope you will join us in 2016.
Yes its tough, and yes its a long distance, but its fun and the personel challenges it gives you at the end is worth every blister, cramp and curse word. So join us next year and remember you can paddle the team event or the weekend event as you don’t need to do all 220km – just come along and be part of this the experience of a life time.
For more information feel free to contact any of us for personnel experience or follow the Tour on the bellow links.
Words: Guy Bubb | Pictures: Supplied
by Chris Couve | Sep 15, 2015 | Stand Up Paddle, SUP Surfing, Surfing South Africa
The inaugural Tigers Milk Surf Classic was completed on a high note at Muizenberg Corner yesterday (Sunday, September 13th) and the large crowd who gathered to watch the unique multidiscipline event were treated to some top class performances in each of the divisions.
As the strong southeaster backed off conditions at Surfers Corner improved and the competitors posted some high scores. South African Men’s SUP Champion Justin Bing showed his class, scoring the only 10 point ride of the event while two time World Longboard Champion Matthew Moir came close with a couple of 9 point rides as he worked his way to the Final.
Women’s Surfing Champion Nikita Robb. Photo Graeme Field
Others who impressed on the final day of competition were four time South African Surfing champion Nikita Robb, Jeffreys Bay sisters Emma and Gina Smith, talented young surfer Jordy Maree, Muizenberg locals Dillon Fernandez and Paul Sampson Chudleigh, longboarders Tristan Lev, Alfonso Peters,Kay Holt and Simone Robb and SUP exponents Chris Bertish,Tammy Robarts and Roxy Davis.
The inaugural event celebrated a number of firsts.These included a shark sighting which brought a premature close to the proceedings on Saturday, a dispute with local law enforcement officers who issued Tigers Milk with a fine for displaying advertising banners on the beach,the introduction of a Varsity Division into a surf contest and the running of a surf event from inside a restaurant.
Surf contests are usually run from gazebos or structures positioned on the beach but over the weekend officials were able to judge from behind the front window of the restaurant which displayed the live scores on a large screen. The commentators had the perfect vantage point to comment on each ride, the judges were able to see each ride perfectly from the elevated vantage point and for the first time a set of red and green lights, positioned inside the restaurant, was used to indicate the beginning and end of each heat.
All in all, the Tigers Milk Surf Classic, the first major surfriding event to take place at Muizenberg Corner in over 25 years, was completed on schedule, eight champions were crowned, R50,000 in prize money and prizes was handed out at the prize giving and competitors in the Men’s and Women’s Surfing divisions added some Pro surf Tour ratings points to their annual tally.
Justin Bing wins the Mens SUP Wave event with almost prefect performance
The SUP Women’s champion was Tammy Robarts of the Strand with Roxy Towill of Kommetjie taking second spot ahead of Penny Stemmet of Strand. Khara Tompson of Hout Bay was fourth. Justin Bing put on an almost flawless display in the Men’s SUP Division to take the win. Fellow Hout Bay rider, Chris Bertish was second, Dylan Frick of Strand was third and Nic Walker of Bloubergstrand took fourth.
Star of the Sea schoolteacher and former South African surfing champion Kay Holt of Muizenberg beat current World Champion Simone Robb of Kommetjie to take the Women’s Longboard title. Jessie Marjaan Goodman was third and fellow Muizenberg longboarder,Angela Craemer came fourth.
World Champions Simone Robb and Matthew Moir with their ISA 50th Gold Medals
Two time world Longboard Champion Matthew Moir of Kirstenhof took the honours in the Men’s Longboard Division ahead of talented Tristan Lev of Cape St Francis. Muizenberg local Alfonso Peters was third and longboard stalwart Michael Grendon of Scarborough placed fourth. As part of the occasion SA Longboard Team manager Deon Bing presented commemorative International Surfing Association gold Medals to World Champions simone robb and Matthew Moir. The medals have been presented to all previous ISA World Champions in celebration of the World governing body’s 50th Anniversary.
The Women’s Varsity Final was won by Gina Smith, who not only earned R2000 for the victory but also won a custom made Simmons Surfboard for her efforts. Anoush Zakarian came second, Nikita Kekana was third and Dayni Sanderson was fourth. Norman Lotz won himself a Gul wetsuit and R2000 for his victory in the Varsity Men’s Final. Top surfing judge Dillon Lowenthal swopped his clipboard for a surfboard and secured second place in this division while Ben Alheit took third and Daniel Wilson was fourth.
The Women’s Surfing title went the way of four time South African champion Nikita Robb of Cape Town. Robb beat Emma Smith of Jeffreys Bay into second place with Kommetjie based Tarryn Chudleigh taking third spot ahead of Pippa Jones of Marina da Gama.
Jordy Maree of Kommetjie beat Muizenberg local Dillon Fernandes into second place in the Men’s Surfing Final with Kommetjie’s Paul Sampson Chudleigh third and Brandon Benjamin of Retreat fourth.
Men’s Surfing Champion Jordy Maree. Photo Graeme Field
Chris Bertish, the author of the book Stoked, presented local surfer Craig Johnson with a signed copy in recognition of Johnson’s passion and commitment to the sport.
In a special finale to this highly successful event Tigers Milk partners Michael Townsend and Niall Smith committed to sponsoring the Tigers Milk Surf Classic for a further four years and confirmed that the prize money would be increased.
Full results and photo gallery can be viewed here…
Surfing South Africa is the governing body for the sport in South Africa and is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA).
by Chris Couve | Sep 10, 2015 | Stand Up Paddle, SUP Surfing, Surfing South Africa
The tough onshore conditions and a large swell predicted for this weekend’s Tigers Milk Surf Classic is sure to favour the Muizenberg locals competing in this unique multi discipline surfing event and it will come as no surprise if they dominate the results.
In the Men’s surfing division fourth seed Reza de Nicker leads the locals charge at the R5000 prize purse and PST points. He will be challenged by recent SA Champs bronze medal winner Craig Johnson who is seeded sixth in this division while SA Champs Under 20 Division finalist Brandon Benjamin, a Surfers Corner regular, is seeded seventh.
Tarryn Chudleigh will be ripping it this weekend | Photo Credit: Claire Butler
In the Women’s surfing division multi capped provincial and national team member Tarryn Chudleigh grew up surfing the Corner and it will be no surprise to see the second seed in the final come Sunday. Another surfer with total local knowledge is Danielle Johnson who although only seeded sixth in this contest surfs the contest area pretty much every day and must be in the mix for a berth in the Final.
Double World Longboard Champ Matt Moir is set for this weekend’s event
Double World Longboard Champion Matthew Moir stood up on a wave for the very first time at Muizenberg Corner some thirty years ago and has honed his skills as one of the world’s best longboard surfers thanks to his ability to surf difficult “berg surf”. It will take a lot to beat him over the weekend but according to another local, Kwezi Quika, nothing is impossible.
Simon Robb makes it look all too easy…
Kommetjie based Women’s World Longboard Champion Simone Robb honed her skills in the rough and tumble that is Muizenberg and she, along with Jessie Marjaan Goodman and seven time SA Champion Kay Holt will be the locals to watch in this division at the weekend.
Current Women’s SUP Wave Champ will be competing at her home ground
Local businesswoman Roxy Davis is the stand out local in the Women’s SUP division. She will be representing South Africa at the next ISA World SUP Championships but this talented waterwoman would have been a standout in the surfing or longboard divisions had she decided to compete in either of them. Davis has national colours in all three disciplines.
Durbanite Justin Bing will be down to prove his mettle
Justin Bing, a national longboard and national SUP representative, has been based in Durban for about a year but the Corner is a surfspot that has helped him achieve a number of milestones so he is by default, a local. He has the strongest pedigree in the Men’s sup Division but he will have to keep an eye on young Dylan Frick who has just returned from competing in Japan and has a point to prove..
The judges will be adjudicating the event from behind the glass windows of the restaurant which overlooks the contest area and a monitor will be installed in Tigers Milk on both days which will show the live scoring in each and every heat.
The 2015 Tigers Milk Surf Classic is the major tournament to take place at Muizenberg Corner in thirty years. It is also the first multidiscipline event to be held at this venue and offers a total of R50000 in prizemoney and prizes across the six divisions.
The contest is scheduled to kick off at 8am on both Saturday and Sunday and Tigers Milk will be open for breakfast from 8am on both days. The prizegiving will take place inside the restaurant immediately after the last final on Sunday September 13th.
As safety is paramount in a big event such as this and because September sees an increase in offshore shark activity along the False Bay Coast and Surfing South Africa has engaged the services of the Shark Spotters for the duration of the event.
Event: Tigers Milk Surf Classic
Where: Surfers Corner, Muizenberg
When: September 12th & 13th, 2015
Words: Robin de Kock | SSA General Manager
The heats and provisional contest schedule for the 2015 Tigers Milk Surf Classic are posted on www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za
Surfing South Africa is the governing body for the sport in South Africa and is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA).
