Staples makes a splash
J Bay surfer wins QS series event
ETHE Mitchum Buffalo City Surf Pro saw Jefferys Bay local, Dale Staples, win his first ever World Surfing League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) event in spectacular style.
In a battle between Jeffreys Bay locals, Staples opened the QS1000 rated men’s final on Sunday with an outstanding combination of 8.75, followed by a 7.00, leaving keen contender and fellow Jeffreys Bay local, Matthew McGillivray, unable to recover.
Despite earning the highest wave score of the day and the day’s highest heat score of 15.75 during the semifinal with a stellar 9.25 and 7.25, McGillivray was unable to get on the score board.
Unfortunately his first points on the board were tainted by an interference penalty and he never managed to progress passed the 5.00 mark.
“I just want to congratulate Matt. He has been cooking throughout the contest and surfing well in all of the QS’s,” said Staples.
“Surfing is definitely not my main focus but maybe after this I might give it a little go,” he added.
Durbanite Nicole Pallet won the women’s QS title this weekend, reclaiming Africa’s No 1 ranking.
Pallet managed to scoop the highest wave score of the day (9.00) on her way to the final, her second high score of the series after scoring a 9.25 at the VW Nelson Mandela Bay Surf pro recently.
“I am so stoked that I won! she said.
The junior women’s and men’s QS titles were won by Jefferys Bay local Kai Woolf and Durbanite Luke Thompson respectively.
This is Woolf’s third title in the series after claiming both the women’s and junior women’s titles in Nelson Mandela Bay. She takes the second spot on the WSL Africa women’s ranking.
Woolf also holds the No 1 spot on the WSL Africa junior women’s ranking above Kirsty McGillivray (second) and Zoe Steyn (third).
The women’s QS1000 longboard champion in Port Alfred, Crystal Hulett (Cape St Francis), came second against Seal Point’s Faye Zoetmulder at last weekend’s Women’s Longboard Invitational.
The Men’s Longboard Invitational was dominated by the Eastern Cape onslaught. The event was won by St Francis’s Michael Hill and runner-up was Steven Sawyer from Jefffreys Bay.