Rockstar Games Pipeline Pro: The Saffa Take
posted on 13th January 2006
Just currently down on the North Shore with a bunch of SA bodyboarders charging it in the water or proving their support from the land! With all the hype up to the Pipeline Trials / Contest approaching there has been much training and sleeping going on while nerves have been growing for the forthcoming days.
With the main announcement of the Rockstar Games Pipeline Pro started at Ala Manoa Shopping Mall with all the pro's there for signings and a good chat with fellow bodyboarders and fans. Many thanks to Town & Country for sponsoring this with loads of prizes to be given out! The SA crew were down on the scene with much support to the fans as to the big name riders scooping up loads of freebies and exchanges of friendship and collecting autographs. After this there was an after party held at Mai Thai which sponsored all the riders much food and drinks to get things underway for the afternoon. After a full day down at the opening we all headed back to the North Shore to get ready for the first day of the trials kicking off the next day. A few phone calls were also made to Hawaii that night by the parents wishing their sons good luck for the day ahead which was a pretty cool thing and owes were stoked!
The whole house was pretty much up by 6:30am and cooking 2 minute noodles to get some breakfast before jumping on the bikes and heading down to contest. By 8am everyone had checked their heats and was now just a matter of waiting and watching the surf to get amped. However, the surf wasn’t that good with only about 1-3 peaks coming through and not very consistent.
Daniel Worsley made it through Round 1 with some good riding and placed into Round 2 against fellow South African Brandon Foster. Unfortunately Daniel got knocked out due to lack of good waves and a little help from Brandon when he picked up a good set wave. Donovan Bassett was pretty much right behind Daniel and got through to second round which started with a solid opening with a 7.0 ride with a good backdoor barrel and finishing with a good roll. Sadly due to the lack of waves this was the only one of the heat and got pushed out after looking strong to beat Brad Huges and Mark Klein. Lloyd Pereira was seeded through to Round 3 with a good start to the contest and taking 1st place to advance. Brandon Foster got knocked out in Round 3 in the prone division.
Round 4 kicked off today with conditions about 6-10ft and clean! Another good start was Lloyd's opening heat with 2 solid barrels knocking out Eddie Solomon and Trend Mitchell and placing Harry Dixon in 2nd leaving him with a stoked 1st place once more! All good things must come to an end at some point and Lloyd got knocked out by locals Wade Asto and Jarret Lau in a hard heat of the 1st Round of the Main Pipeline event. Vijay Maharaj was seeded through to Round 4 and was also beaten in his first heat of the day.
Well another year at Pipeline and unfortunately all SA riders have been knocked out of the event. But there has been marvellous support from all riders. Despite poor weather conditions and a lot of rain on the first day it didn’t break the SA's support for each other and we all stuck it out in the rain on the beach.
A BIG well done to all the SA crew on the North Shore this year and I’m sure everyone at home was sending there support! The season isn’t over yet and loads more busting to do out there.
Thanks / Mahalo!
SA Crew 2005/06
Click here to view the Heat Sheets
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