Help EL man get to worlds
R45k needed for world champs
SOUTH African waveski open champion Bruce Viaene is gearing up to represent South Africa at the Waveski World Championships taking place in Spain later this year.
The East Londoner first took to the waves on a waveski in 2000 and since then his passion has grow with the help of his mentor and sister, Michelle Powell.
“It’s always been incredibly special to share waveskiing with my best friend and sibling. She really took the time to teach me the basics. I remember my first heat ever – I was up against her and she kicked my a**,” Viaene shared.
He competed in the SA Waveski Championships in August last year. Waveskiing incredibly throughout his heats, Viaene proved he was not only worthy of the New Age title, but also the open division’s title.
The open event, where all age groups compete together, has proven to be the most hotly contested event of the competition. In a breathtaking four-man final, it was Viaene (Border) who captured the waves and pulled off the manoeuvres needed to claim gold.
Neil Stephenson (Western Province) showed great class taking second place ahead of Steph le Roux (WP), followed by Gerhardus van Zyl (WP) who obtained fourth place.
“I think it’s a funny thing to be seeded No 1, especially because I don’t perceive myself to be that. I still feel like I haven’t reached my pinnacle yet, and therefore believe that by competing at world champs this year, I will have an opportunity to test the boundaries in search of where that pinnacle is,” said Viaene.
In order to obtain his dream of competing in this year’s world championships, Viaene will need to raise R45 000 to cover his travels and expenses.
As his first fundraising event, Viaene has pledged to run the full Discovery Surfers Challenge, carrying his board (the Viking Flamingo) the entire way to raise funds for his journey. Individuals and companies are invited to sponsor each kilometre completed by Viaene and may do so by contacting him directly on 072-087-5012.
“I remember surfing Yellowsands as a kid, seeing thousands of people line up to run the Surfers, and thinking; I want in! So I stashed my board in the bushes and joined them for their run. This event has some significance to my surfing life and therefore I thought it would be an appropriate way to start my fundraising journey that would pave the way for a Running for Worlds campaign,” concluded Viaene.