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Husband and Wife Make History by Winning Wimpy/Rossi Pro Am

posted by Olivia Jones on 30th April 2007

Alistair and his wife Karla Taylor (both Durban) completely dominated the Wimpy/Rossi Pro-Am held at Margate Beach over the long weekend. The couple won the Pro and Ladies divisions in testing surf which ranged between 3 to 8ft over the three-day 4A Rated South African Bodyboarding Association (SABA) event. The Taylor’s victory has cemented the pair in the history of SA bodyboarding, and possibly even bodyboarding worldwide for being the first time that a husband and wife have won the premier titles at the same contest – this achievement bodes well for their three year old son Joshua who has already proved to be passionate about bodyboarding.

The 2007 Wimpy / Rossi Pro Am, was the second stop on the SA Bodyboarding Association National Circuit, and proved to be a real exercise in endurance this year. Day two of the three day event saw a cold front with gale force SW winds blow its way up the Hibiscus Coast, sending in solid 4-8 ft waves for the final day of competition at Margate Beach. Along with the strong winter swell came a freight train of a current that wreaked havoc with competitors' paddle outs in every heat.

The Pro division saw some amazing bodyboarding throughout the three days of the event as competitors went all out to secure the lion’s share of the R10, 000 cash up for grabs. Daniel Worseley from Cape Town ended up winning wave of the contest for his amazing air in round two of the event.

In the semi finals, current SA champ Alistair Taylor escaped elimination from the contest when he got his required scoring ride with just 10 seconds remaining in the heat after he had been washed some 150m down the beach by the notorious sidewash. He took 10 minutes to return to the lineup where he caught a set wave, launched into a massive air-roll-spin rotation, and landed it on the hooter to end the heat. Taylor’s 9 point score boosted him from fourth to first in an instant.

Other notable performances in the Pro division were Dane Beales, who finished third in the Pro final. Beales is not only a Junior division competitor, but has just come up from the Boys U14 division. Also making a name for themselves were North Beach locals, Michael Ostler and Chales Pass, also both Junior division competitors, that made it all the way into the elite Pro semi finals.

In the Pro final, conditions had deteriorated with the onshore wind, but the swell had picked up a notch. Unfortunately Vaughn Harris, Dane Beales and Ian Kruger were all more or less shut down by the difficult wind conditions and rising high tide, while Alistair Taylor lucked into two big set waves that opened up some hollow sections for him, allowing him to launch into some big aerial rolls and carving turns and 360s to nail the win.

The drama began early in the day with Ladies competitor Jocelyn Norton being dispatched to the hospital emergency room after a mistimed jump from the rocks into the water. Because of the near impossible paddle out from the main beach, contestants were forced to use an access point about 100m away, which was nothing more than barely exposed rock being smashed every few minutes by large surf. As dangerous and intimidating as it was, it was the only real option in getting out to the back line.

The Ladies division was owned by none other than two times women’s world champ from Brazil, Karla Taylor. Not only did she throw out scores that made most of the male competitors blush (like her stunning 9 point ride in the final), but she also competed in the Men’s Pro Division and went as far as the quarter finals, finishing 13th in a field of some 40 or so of the best in the country.

Also taking on the scary paddle out was the diminutive Sebastian Koopmans from Cape Town – the half pint sized 12 year old was out in surf twice his size, but still went out and surfed with reckless abandon. He made the finals, where he was unlucky to finish in fourth place.

The Factory7 DK division was taken out by local boy Derek Footit, with some clean carving turns, and hot on his heels were Factory7 team guy Sean Tickner, Cape Townian Vaugh Harris in 3rd and Durban's Wayne du Preez in 4th.

Vaughn Harris also busted out one of the craziest moves of the event with an attempted DK air/tailslide combo on a huge section that he narrowly failed to land, but was awesome to see nonetheless.

The Masters division was taken out by a local too, Kevin Williams, who has been out of the contest scene for years, and he was followed by another guy that has also emerged from “hibernation”, Justin Klusener from Durban. Tying up the third slot was the evergreen finalist Michael van Huyssteen, the ex-Durbanite now hailing all the way from Gauteng.

In the juniors, SABA Junior champ Jared Houston, who in the semis boosted an amazing and super progressive aerial maneuver, was narrowly pipped by local standout Jaryd Enslin. Two more South Coast rippers filled the final slots with Emile von Vollenhoven and Justin Zietsman in third and fourth respectively.

In the Men’s division there was some solid riding going on all day – one of the standouts of the final was Jake Rosenberg, from the Bluff that has just come up from the Junior division – Rosenberg was surfing brilliantly all throughout the event, and was unlucky in the final to not find the waves that showed his earlier form, and he took fourth behind local rider and event organiser Wayne Beekman. In a tight jostle for first and second were David Hartman, and the eventual winner all the way from Blouberg in Cape Town, Donovan Basset.

SKZNBA would like to thank Wimpy Margate Beach, Rossi Boards, Factory 7, sixty40, Surf M’Ocean, Island Style, O’Neill, Ocean Eyewear, Realty1, No Friends USA, SABA, Coca Cola and Criss Cross Security. Thanks also go to all the judges, totalisers, spectators and everyone who helped make the event a success.

Results:

Pro: 1 Alistair Taylor (CN) 2 Vaughn Harris (SC) 3 Dane Beales (CN) 4 Ian Kruger (WP)

Boys: 1 Andrew Raath (WP), 2 Conrad Bernhardt (SKZN), 3 John Williams (CN), 4 Bas Koopmans (WP)

Ladies: 1 Karla Costa-Taylor (CN) 2 Tamra Aaron (SKZN) 3 Liezl van Vollenhoven (SKZN) 4 Jocelyn Norton (SKZN)

Masters: 1 Kevin Williams (SKZN), 2 Justin Klusener (SKZN) 3 Mike van Huysteen (CN)

Mens: 1 Donovan Basset (WP) 2 David Hartmann (SKZN) 3 Wayne Beekman (SKZN) 4 Jake Rosenberg (CN)

DK: 1 Derek Footit (SKZN) 2 Sean Tickner (CN) 3 Vaughn Harris (SC) 4 Wayne du Preez (CN)

Juniors: 1 Jaryd Enslin (SKZN) 2 Jared Houston (WP) 3 Emile van Vollenhoven (SKZN) 4 Justin Zietsman (SKZN)

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