Young surfers riding high on the wave of success
PLETTENBERG BAY - Young local surfers proved their mettle at the 2022 Western Cape Grommet Games in Muizenberg over the past weekend, helping the 24-strong Eden Surf Riders team to an overall victory.
For some of the youngsters it was the first time leaving their home "surf", but this did not deter them as they secured three third places and a fourth place.
It was no easy feat, as they had to trump some of the strongest surfing regions in the province.
Nine local young surfers made the cut for the team and participated in their various age categories.
Most of these are students at the Garden Route Surf Academy (GRSA) based at Robberg 5 beach and six of them are part of GRSA's Adopt a Surfer NPC programme. You can see them in action training on Thursday afternoons and Saturday mornings at Robberg 5.
Local surfer Brendan Harker was also selected as coach for the team.
Harker discovered his passion for surfing when he was part of the GRSA Adopt a Surfer programme and represented Eden (then Southern Cape) at the SA Grommet Games in 2007.
The GRSA and Learn to Surf Plett were thrilled to have Brendan on board and, in their words, "sharing the stoke, changing lives".
The Plett representatives were: Luka Oosthuizen (U16 boys), Kihara Philander (U16 girls), Phoebe Wiesie (U16 girls), Roheesha Williams (U14 girls), Veruscka Frans (U14 girls), Angeline Nyuamba (U14 girls), Avery le Fleur (U12 girls), Luc Jackson (U10 boys), Sophia de Rosner (U10 girls) and Harker as coach.
Harker said that the first day got off to a tricky start with howling onshore conditions, but the young surfers gave a "brilliant performance" with four making it into the finals in their respective age groups.
On Sunday, the conditions cleared up and allowed the youngsters to deliver a stellar performance which led to three third places and a fourth place.