Conditions Improve on Day 2 of The Wedge Classic 2008.
posted by Gareth White on 9th July 2008
The predicted super swell misses The Wedge Classic 2008, but competitors were still granted reasonably consistent 2 to 4 foot hollow wedges, lightly glazed by offshore winds, on which to ply their trade.
When it comes to The Wedge I have come to learn that one should take swell reports with a massive pinch of salt as they are, in my experience, rarely incredibly accurate.
With that said, there was nothing worth complaining about when competitors arrived to find the highly contestable conditions on offer at The Wedge this morning.
Early morning high tide swells averaged in the region of 3 to 4 foot and by 08:30 it was time for the Juniors to take to the water for round 2. Eager to stamp their mark onto the division, Current SA Boys division Champ, Adam Waites, and current SABA tour Boys division Champ, Andrew Raath, stood out during the early rounds having both claimed victory in their respective heats. Later in the day, as the sun disappeared behind the mountains and a damp chill settled over the beach, it was time for the Juniors division to enter into the quarter final heats. Both Waites and Raath were able to carry their good form into the quarters and stood head high above the rest when it came to performing radical manoeuvres. Aden Kleeve and Dane Klusner were among the big names to fall leading up to the semi finals.
The Juniors division Semi Final line up is as follows.
Juniors Semi 1 - Dane Beales, Andrew Raath, Bradley Moys and Iain Campbell.
Juniors Semi 2 - Jason Selby, David Lilienfeld, Jayden Alford-Loots and Adam Waites.
As the morning wore on and the tide began to turn the Pro division riders paddled into round 2. To begin with there were more than enough waves to go around, but as the heats went on conditions deteriorated and the long lulls seen the day before were back with a vengeance. Top riders like Charles Pass, Adam Morley and Jared Houston just couldn’t find the right waves during their heats and were all prematurely eliminated from the competition. Other riders like Terence Pieters, David Lilienfeld, Jason Selby and Dane Beales, who are primarily Juniors division competitors, excelled in the fading surf and forged their way into the quarter finals.
The Pro Quarter Finals line up is as follows.
Pro Quarter 1 - Sacha Specker, Daniel Worsley, Darryn Campbell and David Lee.
Pro Quarter 2 - Terence Pieters, Marc Jucker, Vaughn Harris and Iain Campbell.
Pro Quarter 3 - Justin Lindsay, Samuel Kamffer, David Lilienfeld and Jason Selby.
Pro Quarter 4 - Jonathan De Lauwere, Michael Ostler, Dane Beales and Mark Watts.
The Mens division kicked off today and went straight into the quarter final stage of the contest in what turned out to be some of the most mediocre conditions of the day.
Needless to say, the lack lustre conditions didn’t hold back the all out assault by competitors vying for a spot in the semi finals. DK dominator, Sean Tickner, was among the first to impress with his solid prone skills. Early upsets included the elimination of Ian Thurtell, who won the division at the Sport Unlimited Cape Classic and was expected to pose a serious threat to title hopefuls.
The Mens division Semi Final line up is as follows.
Mens Semi 1 - Sean Tickner, Darryn Campell, Simon Heale and Wesley Potts.
Mens Semi 2 - Jamie Higgins, Ryan Jucker, Jonathan De Lauwere and JP Nortier.
After the running of the Juniors division quarter finals the day was fast approaching it’s conclusion when the Boys division riders rode their semi finals. Stand out performances came from Murray Van Vuuren, Sebastian Koopmans and local, Niklas Martin.
The Boys division Final line up is as follows.
Boys Final - Sebastian Koopmans, Murray Van Vuuren, Niklas Martin and Chris Kleynhans.
With most of the divisions nearing their final stages and very little swell predicted for Friday organisers are aiming to complete the running of The Wedge Classic 2008 by the end of tomorrow. Swell for tomorrow is said to be in the region of 14 foot South, South West open ocean swell, with a good wave period of 10 second and offshore winds. According to the locals all of this jargon might translate to incredibly epic conditions for The Wedge. Once again we await the dawn to know for sure, but rest assured that tomorrow will be epic!
The Wedge Classic 2008 is proudly brought to you by
FNB,
Robberg Fine Foods,
Reef Wetsuits,
Science Bodyboards and
Pam Golding Properties in association with Off the Hook seafood cafe', Surf Cafe' and Flashbacks.
Wedge Classic Heat Sheets 3135 views
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