Back to Back SUP at the BERG & VLEI CLASSIC
The Berg & Vlei classic – a spectacular weekend-long SUP competition which turned into a mini-reunion!
The Berg and Vlei Classic spanned two days, showcasing Cape Town’s vibrant Stand-Up Paddle (SUP) community with a mix of surf and flatwater competitions. Day one kicked off with an exciting SUP Surf competition at Muizenberg, a popular SUP surf spot. On day two, the action moved to the flatwater venue for a series of races. The event’s name, “Berg and Vlei,” reflects these two iconic locations, both cherished by Cape Town’s SUP paddlers. This year’s Classic brought together competitors and fans for an unforgettable celebration of SUP sports across diverse settings.
In attendance were some paddlers from bygone days who came out of their self-imposed exile to churn up some serious wave riding scores, just as if they’d always been in the business. This was especially noticeable in the SURF OPEN MEN’s division, where we had some champs from previous years competing against each other: Henco Scholtz (SA SUP Team 2018), Dylan Frick (SA SUP Team from 2013-2019), Tom King (SA SUP Team 2015-2023), Gary van Rooyen (SA SUP Team 2017, 2021) and Jethro Johnson (SA SUP Team 2023). It was a real feast of SUP surf on display! The judges were lapping it all up, saying “This is what we want to see… it’s ticking all the boxes!”
A new ladies social section was introduced which turned out to be a hit.
All levels of SUP ability were able to join as they went into the surf. The leaders of the local Saltwater SUP Squad, Tarryn King and Missy Volker, taught some basic competition skills to get a feel for the working of surf comp heats.
The ladies also got to practice with the workings of the “lollipop” sign that controls the timing of heats. Getting comfortable in the competition zone is a huge paddling asset!
All the paddlers enjoyed it and we will certainly endeavour to keep it as a permanent fixture in SUP surf events.
Rarely does a weekend competition have predictable weather – but this time, the weather could not have been better on both competition days!
Sunday rolled in as a dazzling day on the Zandvlei canals and the paddlers warmed up with the ladies and gents’ technical races. After a short break,they undertook a variety of longer distances ranging from 5km, 10km or even the brave 15km route for those looking to qualify for the ISA World champs later in the year.
Two local Prone athletes – also previous achievers, joined in the mix for a chance to earn some points towards ISA world champs team qualifications. As can be seen by the images to follow, it was better to not get in their way!
Our sponsors, Olympic and Race food – were more than generous with incredible gifts of apparel and edibles for every spot in the rankings.
In addition we held a late handover of the SUPSA President’s award. This floating trophy was awarded earlier in the year to our SUP athlete Jethro Johnson for his contribution towards the growth of SUP in his hometown in the Eastern Cape.
Should you wish to enquire about getting involved in this sport or joining our events, please contact us at supsasecretary@gmail.com.