Sur f’s up at Amanzi Festival

WITH just under eight weeks to go, local and international surfers are planning their trip to Port Alfred’s Amanzi Festival to take part in the surfing competitions, planned to run for Friday April 6 to Sunday April 8.

Already discussions have taken place between event organisers and the municipal environmental officials and traffic officers to ensure minimal congestion and that there is plenty of room for spectators of the event.

“We need to clear sand from the East Beach car park and make sure spectators are able to access the beach,” Amanzi Festival organiser Sxeaks Nkwinti said.

“This event alone will put Port Alfred firmly on the map as the home of South African water sports. Together with other events, such as bodyboarding, the Marina Mile Swim, the 8km trail run through the dunes and along the beach, as well as the rubber duck and jet-ski races, we intend to create an interest in water sports and to develop the sport in the area.”

Nkwinti also mentioned the boost to local tourism the Amanzi Festival will bring to the Sunshine Coast.

Ryan Payne, head of surfing at Accelerate Sport, the sports marketing company organising the surfing section of the Amanzi Festival, is confident that a plethora of international athletes will attend the event. He said that many international surfers were competing in events around the world at the moment but that they will undoubtedly make an effort to take part in what Surfing South Africa has scheduled in its programme of events as the Port Alfred Classic.

“We have a lot of big names from the surfing community who have expressed interest in this event. So far we have world champions who have committed to attending, and we will inform everyone of who will be surfing here when we have finalised the arrangements,” said Payne.

“Accelerate will be managing the surfing event, as well as looking after the logistics and setting up the competition site,” Accelerate Sport head of operations Hannelie Schoeman said.

This is also an opportunity for local surfers to watch some of the world’s top surfing talents, she said.