Surfriders clinch Freedom Cup
Club from Cape Town victorious after competitive junior battle for glory
CAPE Town Surfriders clinched the coveted Freedom Cup for the team accumulating the highest points across all divisions at the Billabong SA Junior Surfing Championships at Lower Point in Jeffreys Bay on Sunday.
The victory margin was the closest in the 21-year history of the trophy, with the team from Cape Town reclaiming the cup they won in 2015 by scoring just 63 points more than their archrivals from eThekweni.
The Capetonians also claimed two of the eight individual national titles at stake and provided five of the 32 finalists, earning a total of 42 840 points.
eThekweni (42 777) finished runners-up, with hosts and defending team champions Nelson Mandela Bay (41 792) third and Buffalo City (40 277) in fourth.
They were followed in the team standings by Cape Winelands, Ugu, Eden, debutants Ilembe and the SA Development Academy.
The championships will be remembered for the incredible waves across all five days, producing exciting competition.
Ford van Jaarsveldt (Cape Town Surfriders) was consistent in the U18 boys’ division, winning every heat he contested.
He was elated to improve on his runner-up position in the U17 boys’ division at the SA champs last year by claiming the premier boys’ title this year.
Nelson Mandela Bay surfer Joshe Faulkner was relegated to second place by a mere 0.21 of a point.
Kirsty McGillivray (Nelson Mandela Bay) added another SA title to her name with her powerful and precise surfing, capturing the crown in the dying seconds of the U18 girls’ final.
Nina Harmse (Eden) maintained her runner-up berth from last year.
After a heat total of 19.47 in his semifinal, Eli Beukes had unshakeable confidence in the U16 boys’ final, sealing his title with a big air-reverse on his last wave.
Aya Gericke (Eden) read the waves beautifully for a secondplace finish.
The talented U16 girls had a slow final but Nelson Mandela Bay surfer and Jeffreys Bay local Kai Woolf knew just the right waves to pick to claim another SA title with her ferocious backhand attack.
Runner-up S’nenhlanhla Makhubu (eThekweni) was a good match for Woolf on her backhand and held the highest single score in the final, an 8.5, but struggled to find a heat-winning back-up ride.
The U14 boys were blowing up throughout the contest but in the end it was Buffalo City’s Mitch du Preez who claimed his first SA title with a total of 16.44, despite only surfing three waves in the 20-minute final.
Teammate Daniel Emslie finished close behind in second.
Zoe Steyn (Buffalo City) had a fantastic final in the U14 girls, dominating proceedings and winning with a 16.33 heat total. Katie Winter (Cape Town Surfriders) finished in second place.
The U12 groms were a pleasure to watch as they fearlessly charged the overhead waves.
In the girls’ final, Gabbi Herbst (eThekweni) held the lead with a series of great scores while Scarlette van Jaarsveldt (Cape Town Surfriders) came second in her first SA champs.
The charismatic Kyra Bennie (Cape Winelands) was chaired from the water’s edge to the podium by his teammates after taking out the U12 boys’ title.
Nate Colby (eThekweni), who on Saturday scored the only perfect 10-point ride of the contest, finished runner-up.