Eden Surfriders win John Pfaff Trophy again

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GEORGE NEWS - Defending champions and event hosts Eden Surfriders secured the John Pfaff Team Trophy for the second year in a row when they won the annual Vic Bay Quad in pounding six-foot surf at Victoria Bay on Sunday 29 May.

Eden posted 34 353 points, Buffalo City scored 32 495 points to take the runner-up spot, Nelson Mandela Bay were third with 28 859 points, Cape Winelands scored 27 598 for fourth place and Cape Town ended fifth with 23 761 points.

Eden surfers won five of the eight titles on offer with father and son, Forest and Stephen Hair, winning the Open Men's and Over 60 titles respectively.

Other surfers who ensured that Eden took team honours were 2013 ISA World Champion and 2021 Open Men's winner at this event, Shaun Joubert, who this year won the Over 30 Division, Mark Zunckel who took gold in the Over 35 Division and Charles Reitz who won the Over 45 Final for the second consecutive year.

PHOTO GALLERY: Surfing contest at Victoria Bay

Defending Over 50 Division champion Wayne Monk of Buffalo City continued his annual success at the Vic Bay Quad and his East London teammate, Tyrell Johnson, won the Over 40 division.

Open Women

The Open Women's title was deservedly won by dedicated Danielle Powis, who was the toast of the Cape Winelands team. This is the first major win for Powis, who has been competing since she was eleven years old.

She is the daughter of Barbara and sister to Brionee, Craig and Avro Johnson, one of Cape Town's most famous surfing families.

All the results of the Vic Bay Quad in Memory of John Pfaff are available on Liveheats and can be accessed by going to www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za and clicking the Liveheats tab.

Sean Holmes of Eden Surfriders came second in the Over 40 Division.

1st Vic Bay Quad

The first Vic Bay Quad was held 46 years ago, ironically at Wilderness Beach as the surf was too small at Vic Bay for the event to be held there. It was originally contested by Southern Cape (known as South Western Districts back then and now called Eden), Western Province (now Cape Town), Eastern Province (now Nelson Mandela Bay) and Border (now Buffalo City).

In the early 1980s, Boland (now Cape Winelands) sent a team to the event, but it retained its name as the Vic Bay Quad, even though five teams took part. In the 1980s a team from the SA Defence Force also competed.

After a break of nearly a decade the Vic Bay Quad was added to the Surfing South Africa calendar in 2012 as a memorial to its founder member, John Pfaff.

At the end of the contest every surfer's allocated scores determine the team champions. The John Pfaff Trophy is awarded to the winning team.

The 2022 Vic Bay Quad in Memory of John Pfaff was presented by Surfing South Africa and hosted by Eden Surfriders. Participants were honoured that the mayor of George, Leon Van Wyk, came down to Vic Bay to watch the finals and present the trophies and medals to the winning team and the finalists.

Elated Eden Surfriders with their trophy. Mayor Leon van Wyk (second from left, back) and George Tourism manager (to his left) share in the team's joy.