Notten makes a splash to take the title
WESTERN Cape’s world champion Nicholas Notten had no equal in the male senior division at the recent General Tire Lifesaving South Africa Inter-provincial Surf Championship at Clifton.
Notten’s exploits in winning several golds influenced the Western Cape being crowned champions ahead of KwaZulu-Natal. Western Cape took overall first and also won the senior division. Western Cape B was third overall.
KwaZulu-Natal took first in the juniors ahead of Western Cape but the hosts reversed the score in the Nippers section to edge KZN into second place.
Notten won gold in the iron, run/swim/run and in the board race and the single ski. He is the single ski world champion and was dominant at the General Tire Lifesaving South Africa National Interclub Championships in Port Elizabeth, where he won the award for top senior male competitor.
It was a brilliant day for the Notten family, with brother Dominic in the medals and sister Anna as inspirational for her province as she was for her Fish Hoek club in Port Elizabeth. Notten beat Dominic into second place for the iron title and the two combined later to celebrate gold.
The interprovincial provided the opportunity for South African sprint champion Ryle de Morny to confirm his status as the fastest in the country. De Morny beat KZN’s Jonathan Rorke to exact revenge for his defeats to Rorke at the 2017 and 2018 National Club Championships. De Morny won gold at this year’s National Club Championships after Rorke was disqualified in the semifinals for a false start.
If there was any sense De Morny felt a hollowness in the Port Elizabeth success, this time the feeling could only be elation as he completed the National Club and Interprovincial double sprint gold, with Rorke in the final.
KZN’s Carmel Billson has been near unstoppable this year, be it in stillwater, pool or surf competitions. She added golds in the iron senior women and single ski to her rich harvest of golds in 2019. She also combined with sister Natalie to add to KZN’s coming so close to winning the senior title.
The brother and sister duo of Connor and Tatum Botha also prospered in the junior men and women divisions. The Bothas, children of iconic South African lifesaver Dylan, consistently placed in the medals with (Connor) Botha winning the iron race.
Regular winners Kira Bester, Paige Horn, Cheyne Haupt, Kim van Gysen and Sasha-Lee Nordengen were again among the medals.