Sport Unlimited Cape Classic - Day 2
posted by Gareth White on 22nd March 2008
Upon arrival contenders were greeted by clean 2 to 4 foot peaks, with plenty of opportunity to score highly on the bigger sets, provided that they had the courage to wait out the long lulls in between sets.
First in the water were the Masters, who made the most of surfing the uncrowded length of the beach and pulled into a couple of gems. Standout performances came from newly wed, Steven Polinski, who pulled off the first tweaked invert of the day.
Ever eager and rearing to go, the Boys Division riders took to the water, for their semi-finals, in what turned out to be the last of the clean conditions. Weather forecasts had predicted a strong South Easter for the day and by the end of the Boys heats it had started to pump. Highlights from the division included a solid invert from Storm Prestwich and a deep barrel by Bas Koopmans.
The Boys Division Final is as follows: - Andre Blignaut, Storm Prestwich, Bas and Ethan Koopmans.
Unfortunately for the Pro’s the wind decided to grace them with its loving presence making conditions even more challenging - the perfect testing ground for our counties best. Down on the beach a gazebo took flight, nearly impaling event sponsor, Ross Painter from Sport Unlimited, while swirls of sand pelted the onlookers and competitors scrambled for the constantly shifting peaks.
Needless to say there were some upsets, but at the end of the day the waves were there and those willing to wait out the lulls, and had the luck to be in the right place at the right time, scored a couple of crackers. Jonathan Maritz, Jared Houston, Ian Kruger, Chris Elliot, Justin Lindsay, Cobus Bosman, Jonothan Oliff and David Lilienfeld all fell at the hands of their rivals and I am sure that they all felt the same way as Jared Houston, who said he was incredibly bummed with his result.
Highlights from the Pro Division included a couple of big inverts from Derek Footit and Vaughn Harris, and all out battle between Alistair Taylor and Sacha Specker, who both performed some of the biggest and best flips of the day.
The Pro Division Semi Finals are as follows:-
Heat 1 - Mark Watts, Duart MacClean, Daniel Worsley and Alistair Taylor.
Heat 2 - Dane Beales, Derek Footit, Sacha Specker and Vaughn Harris.
Towards the end of the Pro Division and throughout the Juniors Division heats there was a slight increase in the size of the swell and first peak started showing a little bit of potential with the occasional hollow bowl opening up and begging to be utilised.
The Juniors Division Semi Finals are as follows:-
Heat 1 - David Lilienfeld, Dane Beales, Jonathan Mellish and Chris Elliot.
Heat 2 - Janek Ferrandi, Andrew Raath, Gareth Kaatze and Aden Kleeve.
With the majority of the contest already completed, and the relentlessness of the near gale-force wind, organisers chose to close the contest for the day after the conclusion of the Juniors heats and run the remaining heats tomorrow.
Other Semi Finals and Finals are as follows:-
Mens Division Semi Finals:-
Heat 1 - Michael Meyer, Jamie Higgins, Henkus Loubser and Ian Thurtell.
Heat 2 - Simon Heale, Darryn Campbell, Wesley Potts and Bernard Hoogendijk.
Ladies Division Finals: - Janneke de Kok, Pamela Bowren and Kym Richardson.
Masters Finals: - Mike van Huyssteen, Steven Polinski, Marcel Habets, Len Bradford, and Riaan du Preez.
The Drop Knee Division Quarter Finals will be held tomorrow.
“Today scores a 2 out of 3 in my books. We had the waves, we had the warmth of the sun, but the wind pumped and made things a little too uncomfortable. Calling the event off is actually a blessing in disguise as it offers everyone a much needed break from the gruelling routine of any contest. According to the weather and swell forecasts for tomorrow we are looking at a 9 foot open ocean swell and light South East winds, which should be favourable for running the event at Caves again, commented WPBA Chairman, Deon Meyer.
The WPBA bus service will be leaving the V&A Waterfront, next to the newly developed area (near toy store infront of main shopping complex), in the bus parking area, at 07:00am sharp tomorrow morning, so don't be late if you want a free ride!
“We would like to start the Final day by 08:00am, so would all competitors please be at the beach by no later than 07:45am in order to ensure that you do not miss your heats”, added Meyer.
For more information on the Sport Unlimited Cape Classic please contact WPBA Contest Director,
Jamie Higgins on,
072 236 2788 or call the
WPBA hotline in order to find out where the contest is being held,
079 737 7403.
The WPBA would like to thank the event sponsors.
Sport Unlimited,
Spur Steak Ranches,
Science Bodyboards,
Reef Wetsuits,
BondiBlu,
Sanuk and
Aloe Up for their support.
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