SA Masters Surfing Championship at Vic Bay

GEORGE NEWS - Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, Victoria Bay is gearing up to host another key event on the South African Surfing calendar.

For the very first time, the SA Masters Surfing Championships will take place at Victoria Bay from Thursday to Sunday, 19 to 22 August.

Eight teams from across South Africa will take part in the event, which kicks off, or "paddles out" at 07:00 tomorrow, Thursday 19 August.

Surfers will compete in seven divisions, ranging in age groups from over 35s to over 60s. But don't be mistaken - these surfers are not on the downward slope of their surfing careers. With decades of competitive surfing under their wetsuits, these guys are more serious than ever.

The first SA Masters Championships took place in 2006 and this is the first time that the event is being hosted by Eden Surfriders at Vic Bay.

It has already been a monumental year for Eden Surfriders. Just two weeks ago, Vic Bay local and Eden Surfrider, Bianca Buitendag, made surfing history when she won a silver medal for South Africa in the Tokyo Olympics. Prior to that, Eden Surfriders were the winners of the annual Vic Bay Quad for the first time in over two decades.

The question is, can Eden make it a hat trick of victories and win the coveted SA Masters Championship?

According to Robin de Kock, general manager of Surfing South Africa, local knowledge of the top-class point break at Vic Bay is key. And if you are in and around Vic Bay over the next few days, you will see the surfers training hard under the watchful eye of their coach, 1982 Springbok surfer Leonard Giles.

The legendary Vic Bay surfer is putting the surfers through their paces, in and out of the water, as they prepare for next weekend's event. This is sure to give them even more of an advantage, but the competition is stiff.

Leonard Giles at the Vic Bay Quad, which is held in memory of his best friend John Pfaff.

The defending Masters Cup champions are the Buffalo City Surfriders, who will be guided by Olympic coach Greg Emslie. According to De Kock, Emslie will also be defending his over 40 title which he won in East London in 2019, and his team will be looking to reverse the Vic Bay Quad result where Eden pipped them to the victory post.

The Nelson Mandela Bay Surfriders, Cape Town Surfriders and Cape Winelands team members all spend plenty of time surfing at Victoria Bay and many of their surfers have produced good results at the annual Vic Bay Quad over the years. All three districts are hoping to do well in this year's contest.

Durban-based Ethekweni Surfriders have been training hard over the last few weeks and are determined to make their mark at this year's competition.

The Ilembe Surfriders team will travel all the way from the KwaDukuza Municipality in the north of Kwa-Zulu Natal to the Garden Route, while the six-member team of UGU Surfriders, who are based in Southern KZN, boast two defending champions in Heather Clark and Gary van Wieringen.

Seven national champions will be decided on the day of the finals and the district with the highest number of points will win the Masters Cup. All the awards will be presented by Olympic silver medal winner Bianca Buitendag.

All Georgians are encouraged to come out in force and support our local Eden Surfriders.

Come rain or shine, they will be in the water, hustling for waves and chasing every point in an effort to bring the championship home. So let's line the point and cheer them on.

The 2021 SA Masters Championship is presented under strict Covid-19 protocols by Surfing South Africa and is hosted by Eden Surfriders. The Western Cape Department of Culture, Arts and Sport and the George Municipality are supporting the hosting of the championships along with assistance from Décor Pro in Port Elizabeth.

Surfing South Africa is the national governing body for the sport and is recognised as such by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. SSA is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA).

Eden Surfriders coach Leonard Giles (left) and team manager Robert Pollock.