Sports extravaganza a success

EASTER weekend’s sporting extravaganza, the Royal St Andrews Easter Festival, was a smashing success, showcasing a variety of sports talent and providing a visual feast on Port Alfred’s beaches.

The festival is the brainchild of local organisers Zwelinzima Nkwinti and Dave Lawson, and the first under the banner of Amazing Events, sponsored by the Royal St Andrews Hotel and other businesses.

The weekend kicked off with the Royal Alfred Marina Mile open water swimming race on Good Friday.

The top three were siblings Slater Black, 15, and his 14-year-old sister, Page, with Joao Felizardo third.

On Saturday, there was plenty to see, with the West Beach Warfare bodyboarding championships at West Beach, and on the other side of the river mouth, the East Beach Easter Surf Classic and rubber duck racing a little further down the beach.

Local evergreen ripper Andrew Donaghy again ruled the waves in the premier men’s division to hold off Alex van Rijswijck of Port Elizabeth who had dominated the semifinal.

In the pro section of the bodyboarding competition, the top prize of R10 000 went to world fourthranked Iain Campbell.

In second place, Codi Butterworth took R2 160, and third place was shared by Rory Fellows-Smith and Teagan Coulonval, who split the R1 440 cash prize.

In addition to the rubber duck circuit racing in the East beach surf on Saturday and Sunday, a highlight was the resurrected Barnacle Challenge inflatables race.

Rubber duck racing results: pro stock class – 1st Kyle Kolbe and Ross Templeman, 2nd Jaco Kloostezul and Antonio Sequeria, and 3rd Josh Myburgh and Sarah Hawkes; modified class – 1st Chad Romans and Candice Hatting, 2nd Mike Hatting and Caitlin Young, and a combined 3rd place between Travis Hawkes and Jonty Craniey, and Elandré Human and Rikus Human.