Team South Africa celebrate their ISA World Team Champions title on the podium at the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games in Panama with their gold medals, the Fernando Aguerre World Team Champions Trophy and IOC President’s Trophy. (From left to right) Mikey February, David van Zyl, Davey Brand, Men’s ISA World Champion Shaun Joubert (Capt), Tanika Hoffman, Faye Zoetmulder, Etienne Venter. Photo: ISA / Rommel Gonzales

The South African surfing team celebrated a famous double at the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games in Panama yesterday when they were crowned the ISA World Team Champions and captain Shaun Joubert clinched the ISA Men’s World Champion title.

Team SA fought a see-saw battle for the most prestigious team title in world surfing, leading the standings on Days 5 and 6 before slumping to fourth place going into the final day when Joubert’s outstanding victory saw them overtake perennial rivals and defending champions Australia, emerging surfing powerhouse Peru and Brazil who earned silver, bronze and copper medals respectively.

In addition to the gold medals, the team collected the Fernando Aguerre World Team Champion Trophy, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President’s Trophy and the once-off 5th Century Cup of the Discovery of the Pacific Ocean for winning the title for the first time outside South Africa and third time overall, after their triumphs in Durban in 2001 and in East London in 1978.

Joubert, who was the oldest member of the SA squad after turning 22 earlier this month, led his team victory by dominating the Men’s division from start to finish, advancing directly to the Grand Final by never finishing outside the top two in any of his seven heats, posting four of the top eight single ride scores, including the highest (9.87 out of 10), and three of the top six heat tallies.

Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay) boosts a ‘superman air’ on his way to the 2013 ISA World Champion title at the Reef ISA World Surfing Games in Panama

After demolishing his opponents on the last day, leaving them needing a combination of two rides totalling 17.50 points as he advanced to the last four, Joubert then topped that in the final by racking up rides of 9.33 and 8.33 for a 17.66 point total.

The current ASP No. 104 and multiple SA age-group champion used a canny combination of excellent wave selection, superior heat management and long rides punctuated by explosive manoeuvres, with his variety of carves, cutbacks, vertical re-entries and aerials setting him apart from the rest.

“I really enjoyed the waves in Panama, we had amazing waves all event,” said an elated Shaun Joubert on the awards podium. “It’s nice to come as a team and actually be at the beach cheering the other guys and you want your team to do well. It’s fun to see all the flags and people from other countries, it’s a special event.”

In an interview shortly after the final, Joubert also explained how he had felt in tune with the waves at Santa Catalina in Panama ever since the team’s arrival a couple of days before the event started, comparing them to the similar right point breaks found around his home town of Mossel Bay. He also expressed his appreciation for the support of his teammates and how comfortable the entire team had been at the event which is a tribute to manager and coach Etienne Venter who motivated the team with an average age of just 20 to beat the world’s best.

While Joubert’s crown was the cherry on the top and contributed significantly to the team title, the performances of every team member was vital. Mikey February, fellow Kommetjie surfer Davey Brand, David van Zyl (Glenashley), Tanika Hoffman (Clifton) and Faye Zoetmulder (Cape St Francis) all finished in the top 16 in their respective divisions as Team SA triumphed over the other 23 national teams and 120 surfers at the event.

For the record, Jean Carlos “Oli” Gonzalez (PAN) produced a fairytale result for the host nation when he became the first Panamanian surfer to earn a medal at the ISA World Surfing Games, finishing second and the only surfer capable of overtaking Joubert with one ride. Former ISA World Junior Champion, Cristobol de Col (PER), took the Men’s bronze medal and Russell Molony (AUS) the copper.

Australia dominated the Women’s event where Dimity Stoyle took gold, teammate Codie Klein the silver with the bronze going to Suelen Naraisa (BRA) and the copper to Ella Williams (NZL).

Full results and high resolution images from the 2013 ISA World Surfing Games can be found at www.isawsg.com Additional news and images of Team SA can be found at www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/surfing.sa

The 2013 South African surfing team has been provided with kit by RVCA.

Surfing South Africa (SSA) is the recognized governing body for the sport in South Africa. SSA is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA)

2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games (Santa Catalina, Panama)
Results

Teams
1. South Africa – Gold medal + Fernando Aguerre World Team Champion Trophy + IOC President’s Trophy + 5th Century Cup of the Discovery of the Pacific Ocean
2. Australia – Silver medal
3. Peru – Bronze medal
4. Brazil – Copper Medal

Men
1. Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay, RSA) – Gold medal
2. Jean Carlos “Oli” Gonzalez (PAN) – Silver medal
3. Cristobal de Col (PER) – Bronze medal
4. Russell Molony (AUS) – Copper medal

13. Mikey February (Kommetjie, RSA)
13. Davey Brand (Kommetjie, RSA)
16. David van Zyl (Glenashley, RSA)

Women

1. Dimity Stoyle (AUS) – Gold medal
2. Codie Klein (AUS) – Silver medal
3. Suelen Naraisa (BRA) – Bronze medal
4. Ella Williams (NZL) – Copper medal

11. Tanika Hoffman (Clifton, RSA)

13. Faye Zoetmulder (Cape St Francis, RSA)

Overall Team Standings

1. South Africa- 11,102 points
2. Australia- 10,332 points
3. Peru- 9,636 points
4. Brazil- 9,146 points
5. Panama- 7,946 points
6. Costa Rica- 7,678 points
7. Argentina- 7,422 points
8. Chile- 7,286 points
9. Venezuela- 7,000 points
10. Mexico- 6,752 points
11. Ecuador- 6,630 points
12. New Zealand- 6,620 points
13. Puerto Rico- 6,520 points
14. Japan- 6,116 points
15. Italy- 6,060 points
16. El Salvador- 5,400 points
17. Guatemala- 4,866 points
18. Switzerland- 4,504 points
19. Uruguay- 3,732 points
20. Jamaica- 3,096 points
21. Turkey- 1,152 points
22. Canada- 720 points
23. Sweden- 720 points
24. Russia- 576 points

The top 7 placed teams qualified for the ISA China Cup, the ISA’s signature event, that is held annually in January on Hainan Island in the South China Sea, where South Africa will be the top seeds in 2014..

ENDS

Issued on behalf of:

Robin de Kock
General Manager
Surfing South Africa
0824541149
surfingsouthafrica@gmail.com

Compiled & distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

Team captain Shaun Joubert blasted his way into the final day of the of the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games in Panama with manoeuvres like this yesterday Photo: ISA / Tweddle

The South Africa surfing team’s hopes of both a team and an individual medal at the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games rest squarely on the shoulders of captain Shaun Joubert as the ‘Olympics of Surfing’ heads into the final day at Santa Catalina in Panama today (Sunday).

Joubert was the shining light for Team SA yesterday, posting the highest heat total in Men’s qualifying Round 5 to move within one heat of the Grand Final and a gold, silver, bronze or copper medal with a stellar display of high performance surfing in the crumbly 0.5 to one metre waves.

The rest of the team fought courageously until the end of every heat they contested to earn as many points towards the team total as possible before bowing out.

Kommetjie teammates Mikey February and Davey Brand finished equal 13th overall contributing 1 800 points each while David Van Zyl (Glenashley) ended his campaign in equal 16th place with a haul of 1 652 points.

Tanika Hoffman (Clifton), who produced several of the highest heat totals in the Women’s division during the event, had her charge halted in repercharge Round 5, placing equal 11th and earning 950 points, with Faye Zoetmulder (Cape St Francis) eliminated one round earlier in equal 13th place which added 900 points to the team tally.

With only one team member still in contention, Team SA slipped to fourth place overall in the provisional team standings behind Brazil, who have four (two men and two women), defending team champions Australia with one man and two women and Peru with one man and one woman heading into the final day.

The valuable contributions by the five South Africans eliminated in yesterday’s action leave Team SA over 1 500 points ahead of fifth placed Costa Rica who, along with Argentina, Chile, hosts Panama and Italy, all still have one team member chasing a medal.

Surfline, the official surf forecasters for the Reef ISA World Surfing Games, predict better surf for the final day with chest to head-high and occasional overhead waves, growing larger during the day, and light offshore winds in the morning, becoming onshore later.

The final day of the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games starts with The Morning Show at 6:20am (1.20pm SA time) followed by the surfing action when conditions are suitable.

Reef ISA World Surfing Games (Santa Catalina, Panama)
Schedule for Final Day (SA surfers in brackets)

Open Women’s Repercharge 6
Open Men’s Repercharge 8
Open Women’s Qualifying 5
Open Men’s Qualifying 6 (Shaun Joubert)
Open Women’s Repercharge 7
Open Men’s Repercharge 9
Open Women’s Repercharge Final
Open Men’s Repercharge Final (TBD)
Final Women
Final Men (TBD)

All the action can be followed live via webcast at www.isawsg.com Additional news and images of Team SA can be found at www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/surfing.sa

The 2013 South African surfing team has been provided with kit by RVCA.

Surfing South Africa (SSA) is the recognized governing body for the sport in South Africa. SSA is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA)

ENDS

Issued on behalf of:

Robin de Kock
General Manager
Surfing South Africa
0824541149
surfingsouthafrica@gmail.com

Compiled & distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

Tanika Hoffman carves of the top of a wave on her way to the highest women’s heat tally on Day 6 Photo: ISA / Rommel Gonzales

South Africa retains the lead in the provisional rankings for the team title as they head into the penultimate day of the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games in Panama with all four members in action yesterday progressing to the next round in their respective divisions.

A revised schedule due to a late start caused by onshore winds, small waves and a low tide saw only two rounds of repercharge heats run with Tanika Hoffman and Faye Zoetmulder securing first and second places in their Round 3 heat while Mikey February and David van Zyl both won their Round 5 encounters.

Hoffman was the standout of the Women’s competition, racking up a heat total of 15.27 out of 20 with rides of 8.0 and 7.27 to finish 2.54 points ahead of Zoetmulder as the pair eliminated Pamela Verboonen (Mexico) and Malena Toral (Panama) from the event.

February was just as dominant in his clash, earning scores of 8.17 and 7.0 as he left Russell Molony (Australia) needed a near perfect 9.0 for the heat victory. David van Zyl ground out a narrow win over Brazilian standout Ruda Carvalho with a pair of five point rides in the tricky surf and the pair eliminated Gilbert Brown (Costa Rica) which helped to extend SA’s lead in the team standings.

With all six team members still in contention, Team SA now has a significant lead ahead of second placed Brazil who had one of the four men eliminated early in the event. Defending champions Australia, with two men eliminated, have overtaken Peru and Costa Rica to move into third place.

The team accumulating the highest points total wins gold medals along with the Fernando Aguerre World Team Champion Trophy, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President’s Trophy and the “Copa V Centenario Del Descubrimiento Del Oceano Pacifico,” or 5th Century Cup of the Discovery of the Pacific Ocean.

The top seven nations also qualify to compete in the ISA China Cup, the ISA’s signature event that is held annually in January on Hainan Island in the South China Sea.

The event got underway at 2pm SA time today with Shaun Joubert advancing to the last six in the Men’s qualifying stream when he finished second behind Cristobol de Col (Peru) in a low-scoring clash in the tiny waves.

Davey Brand finished third in his qualifying Round 4 heat and joins teammate David van Zyl in Heat 1 of repercharge Round 6 where they will be hoping to oust their opponents from Costa Rica and Australia.

Reef ISA World Surfing Games (Santa Catalina, Panama)
Schedule for Day 7 (SA surfers in brackets)

Open Men’s Qualifying Round 4 (Davey Brand – Heat 1, Shaun Joubert – H2)
Open Women’s Qualifying Round 3
Open Women’s Repercharge Round 4 (Tanika Hoffman – Heat 1, Faye Zoetmulder – H2)
Open Men’s Repercharge 6 (Davey Brand & David van Zyl – Heat 1, Mikey February – H3)
Open Men’s Qualifying Round 5 (Shaun Joubert – Heat 1)
Open Women’s Qualifying 4
Open Women’s Repercharge Round 5 (TBD)
Open Men’s Repercharge 7 (TBD)

All the action can be followed live via webcast at www.isawsg.com Additional news and images of Team SA can be found at www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/surfing.sa

The 2013 South African surfing team has been provided with kit by RVCA.

Surfing South Africa (SSA) is the recognized governing body for the sport in South Africa. SSA is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA)

ENDS

Issued on behalf of:

Robin de Kock
General Manager
Surfing South Africa
0824541149
surfingsouthafrica@gmail.com

Compiled & distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

Shaun Joubert boosts and aerial to remain in the Men’s qualifying stream going into Day 6 of the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games in Panama Photo: ISA / Tweddle

The South African surfing team leads in the provisional standings heading into Day 6 of the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games in Panama and is now the only country with all six team members still in contention for medals at the event known as the ‘Olympics of Surfing’.

After a full day of action in inconsistent waist to chest high waves yesterday, team captain Shaun Joubert and Kommetjie’s Davey Brand posted hard fought second place finishes in the their Round 3 heats to remain in the Men’s qualifying stream.

Tanika Hoffman and Faye Zoetmulder won their Women’s repercharge Round 2 heats and will be up against each other Round 3. Mikey February and David van Zyl, who dropped into the repercharge rounds after placing third and fourth respectively in their Round 3 heats, both then safely progressed to Men’s repercharge Round 5.

Van Zyl, who occupied fourth spot at one stage in his repercharge heat, kept active and eventually earned a 3.17 that moved him into second place ahead of Gabriel Villaran, who was the first Peruvian to be eliminated from the event, giving Team SA sole possession of the rankings lead.

Hoffman earned a produced a couple of five point rides to eke out a narrow heat victory over Nao Omura (Japan) with a heat tally of 11.53, the highest women’s total of the day.

Small waves and extreme tides continue to delay the start of each day’s competition at Santa Catalina. Today’s action is scheduled to get underway at 12noon (7pm SA time), conditions permitting, and all six SA team members will be competing.

Reef ISA World Surfing Games (Santa Catalina, Panama)
Schedule for Day 6 (SA surfers in brackets)

Men repercharge R4 ( Heat # 6)
Women repercharge R3 (Tanika Hoffman & Faye Zoetmulder – Heat 1)
Men qualify R4 (Davey Brand – Heat 1, Shaun Joubert – H2)
Women qualify R3
Men repercharge R5 (Davey van Zyl – Heat 1, Mikey February – H2)
Women repercharge R4 (TBD)
Men repercharge R6 (TBD)

All the action can be followed live via webcast at www.isawsg.com Today’s webcast begins with the Morning Show at 6.10pm (SA time) followed by competition starting when the conditions are suitable.

Additional news and images of Team SA can be found at www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/surfing.sa

The 2013 South African surfing team has been provided with kit by RVCA.

Surfing South Africa (SSA) is the recognized governing body for the sport in South Africa. SSA is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA)

ENDS

Issued on behalf of:

Robin de Kock
General Manager
Surfing South Africa
0824541149
surfingsouthafrica@gmail.com

Compiled & distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

Mikey February, seen here while winning his Round 1 heat on Sunday, will be going all out to place 1st or 2nd in his Round 3 heat today and stay in the qualifying stream at the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games in Panama Photo: ISA / Tweddle

All six members of the SA surfing team will be in action today, Day 5 of the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games at Santa Catalina in Panama, as the four men contest their respective qualifying stream Round 3 heats while the two women face do-or-die encounters in repercharge Round 2.

After a day off yesterday (Wednesday) when three rounds of men’s repercharge rounds were completed, Shaun Joubert, Mikey February, Davey Brand and David van Zyl will be primed to maintain their positions in the upper tier of the double-elimination format and take another step towards the Grand Final and one of the gold, silver, bronze and copper medals on offer.

Tanika Hoffman and Faye Zoetmulder will be just as determined for a successful start to their arduous passage through the women’s repercharge rounds where finishing lower than second in any heat will mean elimination from the event.

Yesterday’s action saw 30% of the men who started the event eliminated, leaving South Africa and Peru heading the provisional points standings as the only countries with all six team members still in contention for individual titles.

Brazil, the 2011 team runners up, along with Costa Rica and Venezuela have each had one team member ousted from the event while defending team champions Australia, Mexico, Ecuador, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, hosts Panama, Puerto Rico and Japan have all ‘lost’ two members.

The swell remains around 0.5 to one metre in Panama and with an extremely low Spring tide at 9.26am local time, the start of today’s surfing action is likely to be delayed until around noon (7pm SA time).

Reef ISA World Surfing Games (Santa Catalina, Panama)
Schedule for Day 5 (SA surfers in brackets)

Men’s qualifying Round 3 (Mikey February Heat 1, David van Zyl H3, Davey Brand H4, Shaun Joubert H6)
Women’s repercharge Round 2 (Tanika Hoffman Heat 1, Faye Zoetmulder H3)
Men’s repercharge Round 4 (TBD)

All the action can be followed live via webcast at www.isawsg.com Each day’s webcast begins with the Morning Show at 2.40pm (SA time) followed by competition starting when the conditions are suitable.

Additional news and images of Team SA can be found at www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/surfing.sa

The 2013 South African surfing team has been provided with kit by RVCA.

Surfing South Africa (SSA) is the recognized governing body for the sport in South Africa. SSA is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA)

ENDS

Issued on behalf of:

Robin de Kock
General Manager
Surfing South Africa
0824541149
surfingsouthafrica@gmail.com

Compiled & distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

Tanika Hoffman cuts back on a small wave on Day 3 of the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games in Panama on Tuesday Photo: ISA / Tweddle

Challenging conditions including an extreme low tide and tiny waves forced organisers of the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games to delay the start of Day 3’s action at Santa Catalina in Panama yesterday (Tuesday).

When the contest did get underway, Team SA’s Tanika Hoffman and Fay Zoetmulder struggled to find waves with any scoring potential and even resorted to riding left breaking waves at the predominantly right-breaking reef, before finished fourth and third respectively in their Round 2 heats. This resulted in the pair dropping out of the qualifying stream and into the repercharge rounds in the double-elimination format.

In a low-scoring encounter that saw just 1.4 points separating first place from fourth, Hoffman and Australian Dimity Stoyle both had scored less than one point with three minutes remaining when the best set waves of the heat rolled in. Stoyle earned 7.17 on the first wave to leapfrog into the lead and leave Hoffman needing 6.83 for second place.

The 20 year-old from Clifton came up just short on the next wave with a 6.0 that left her requiring 1.50 points. But the ocean went flat and Nataly Bernold (Switzerland) hung onto second place with Valeria Sole (Peru) joining Hoffman in the repercharge rounds.

Zoetmulder (Cape St Francis) also came agonizingly close to securing second place. After Australia’s Codie Klein had jumped out into an unassailable lead by posting scores of 5.83 and a near perfect 9.50 to combo her three opponents in the first six minutes, Zoetmulder fought her way back into second spot, but was overtaken by Maria Lucia Cosoleto (Argentina) in the last minute.

Both SA girls now face a gruelling schedule of seven heats in the next four days to reach the Women’s Grand Final and earn a medal. Anything other than first or second place in those heats will see them eliminated from the event.

Team SA remains one of 14 countries who still have all six of their competitors still in contention after three days. That is expected to change significantly today when 18 Men’s repercharge heats will be run.

Today’s action at the Reef ISA World Surfing Games comprises Men’s repercharge Rounds 1, 2 and 3. As all four South African men are safely through to Round 3 in the qualifying stream, Team SA has a day off from competition and our next report from the event will be on Friday 10 May.

Reef ISA World Surfing Games (Santa Catalina, Panama)
Schedule for Day 4 (SA time)

3pm Men’s repercharge Round 1 (Heats #11 & 12)
3.40pm Men’s repercharge Round 2(12 x Heats)
6.40pm Men’s repercharge Round 3 (6 x Heats)

All the action can be followed live via webcast at www.isawsg.com Each day’s webcast begins with the Morning Show at 2.40pm (SA time) followed by surfing action starting at 3pm.

The 2013 South African surfing team has been provided with kit by RVCA.

Surfing South Africa (SSA) is the recognized governing body for the sport in South Africa. SSA is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA)

END

Issued on behalf of:

Robin de Kock
General Manager
Surfing South Africa
0824541149
surfingsouthafrica@gmail.com

Compiled & distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

Shaun Joubert completed this spectacular air-reverse to post the Men’s highest single ride score of the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games in Panama on Monday. Photo: ISA / Rommel Gonzales

The South African surfing team continued to post impressive performances on Day 2 of the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games in Panama when all six team members advanced to the next round in their respective qualifying streams and captain Shaun Joubert produced the highest scoring single ride of the Men’s event to date.

Making excellent use of the morning’s clean but tricky head-high conditions at Santa Catalina, Joubert briefly took an early lead in his Round 2 match-up with a 5.83 before being overtaken by Mexico’s Adrian Rodriguez who negotiated his way past the fast breaking third section of the wave to earn an 8.50.

Realising the difficulty of getting long rides, Joubert dropped into his next wave and blasted a vertical off-the-lip manoeuvre, carved a roundhouse cutback and then launched a high-flying air reverse that he landed cleanly to get a massive 9.87 from the judges, two of whom rewarded him with a perfect 10 point score.

Joubert couldn’t improve on his second highest score of 5.83 and was eventually overtaken by the smooth surfing Mexican who added a 7.50 to his total in the dying seconds of the 20 minute heat, but both safely progressed to Round 3 of the Men’s qualifying stream well ahead of their two opponents.

Earlier Mikey February set the standard for Team SA when he squeezed past Italian standout Frederico Pilurzu to record his second straight heat victory at the event with a narrow 10.16 vs. 10.10 result.

Kommetjie teammate Davey Brand then showed his superior heat management skills by holding onto second place after producing a pair of 6.33 point rides in his Round 2 encounter. Left trailing when Australian Thomas ‘Tiger’ Woods, who grew up and learned to surf in Kommetjie, opened his account with a sensational 9.57 point ride, Brand staved off the challenges of Luca Santamaria (ARG) and Michael Tudela (PER) to earn a berth in Round 3.

David van Zyl followed that up with his second heat victory, ending ahead of WQS campaigner and big-wave charger Gabriel Villaran (Peru) in a see-saw battle. Looking much more comfortable riding his own surfboard, which had been lost in transit on the long trip to Panama, van Zyl steadily accumulated a trio of mid-range scores before shredding a set wave for an 8.0 to take the lead from Villaran with just three minutes remaining.

After Joubert’s heroics and the onset of the customary midday onshore breeze, South Africa’s two women took the waves. Tanika Hoffman demonstrated the experience she gained by spending most of 2012 living in France and competing on the WQS when she comfortably maintained second place behind New Zealand’s Thandi Tipene in her first heat at the event,.

Faye Zoetmulder, like Hoffman a goofy-foot surfer (rides with right foot in front), then posted a similarly strong performance in her opening encounter. Despite the freshening onshore wind making the waves crumble, the 21 year-old from Cape St Francis managed to find a couple of runners on which she delivered a series of manoeuvres that earned her second place and progression to Round 2.

With all six team members remaining in the qualifying stream of the double elimination format, South Africa holds a psychological advantage over the other 23 nations at the event, all of whom have at least one competitor already in the cutthroat repercharge rounds, including defending team champions Australia and second seeds Brazil, both of whom have three members who will have to take the long and gruelling route to the finals.

Today’s action at the Reef ISA World Surfing Games will see the first competitors eliminated from the event when the Women’s repercharge Round 1 heats are run. Hoffman and Zoetmulder will contest their Women’s qualifying Round 2 heats while the SA men have the day off as none of them are in the Men’s repercharge rounds.

Reef ISA World Surfing Games (Santa Catalina, Panama)
Schedule for Day 3 (SA time and SA surfers in brackets)

3pm Women’s repercharge Round 1
3.40pm Women’s qualifying Round 2 (Tanika Hoffman Heat 2, Faye Zoetmulder H3)
5.40pm Men’s repercharge Round 1

All the action can be followed live via webcast at www.isawsg.com Each day’s webcast begins with the Morning Show at 2.40pm (SA time) followed by surfing action starting at 3pm.

The 2013 South African surfing team has been provided with kit by RVCA.

Surfing South Africa (SSA) is the recognized governing body for the sport in South Africa. SSA is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA)

ENDS

Issued on behalf of:

Robin de Kock
General Manager
Surfing South Africa
0824541149
surfingsouthafrica@gmail.com
Compiled & distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

Davey Brand carves off the bottom of an overhead wave on Day 1 of the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games in Panama. Photo: ISA / Tweddle

The South African surfing team got off to a perfect start when all four men won their heats on the opening day of the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games at Santa Catalina in Panama on Sunday.

Competing against 80 competitors from 24 countries in the ‘Olympics of Surfing’, the SA quartet of team captain Shaun Joubert, Mikey February, Davey Brand and David van Zyl all posted heat totals that were in the top 10 on the day, with Joubert also producing the joint highest single ride score of 9.43 out of 10.

February was the first to take to the excellent 1.0 to 1.5 metre offshore waves peeling along the reef and the lanky 19 year-old from Kommetjie immediately took control of proceedings by grabbing the lead in the third minute with a long ride punctuated by high risk manoeuvres that earned him 7.0 from the judges.

Maintaining the lead with three average rides, February then sealed the heat victory with a 6.33 in the dying seconds of the 20 minute encounter, leaving runner-up Guillermo Satt (Chile) needing 8.50 points to overtake him and dispatching Matt Lewis-Hewitt (NZL) and Michael Banton (JAM) to the repercharge rounds in third and fourth places respectively.

Kommetjie teammate Davey Brand was next up for Team SA and he tore into the classic overhead waves on his backhand, posting scores of 8.0 and 6.67 that left his closest challenger requiring a near perfect 9.50 for victory.

As the conditions deteriorated in the light onshore wind, David van Zyl (Glenashley) racked up an even larger winning margin, leaving his opponents floundering 9.66 points behind while racking up a pair of seven point rides on his way to Round 2 of the qualifying stream in the double-elimination format.

Shaun Joubert, the former Mossel Bay based surfer now resident in California, completed Team SA’s clean sweep by producing a blistering performance in the crumbling waves. After dominating the heat with scores of 7.83 and 8.0, Joubert then caught a bumpy set wave on which he gouged a series of bottom turns and spray-generating lip blasts, finishing off with perfectly executed air-reverse that he rode out of smoothly.

The judges deliberated for some time with one awarding him a perfect 10 out of 10 before the score averaged out at 9.43, giving Joubert a heat tally of 17.43 out of 20, the third highest the day, and leaving the other three surfers in a combination situation where they needed to improve both their scoring rides to overtake him.

Surfline, the official surf forecaster for the Reef ISA World Surfing Games, predict that the swell size will ease slightly with mostly waist to head waves fanned by light offshore winds in the mornings and a light to moderate onshore flow in the afternoons through Monday and Tuesday.

Monday’s schedule starts with the 12 heats of Men’s qualifying Round 2, featuring all four SA men, followed by the 12 heats in the Women’s qualifying Round 1 that will see SA’s Tanika Hoffman (Clifton) and Faye Zoetmulder (Cape St Francis) opening their campaigns at the event.

Reef ISA World Surfing Games (Santa Catalina, Panama)
Schedule for Day 2 (SA time and SA surfers in brackets)

3pm Men’s qualifying Round 2 (Mikey February Heat 3, Davey Brand H5, David van Zyl H7, Shaun Joubert H9)
7pm Women’s qualifying Round 1 (Tanika Hoffman Heat 1, Faye Zoetmulder H8)

All the action can be followed live via webcast at www.isawsg.com Each day’s webcast starts with the Morning Show at 2.40pm (SA time) followed by surfing action starting at 3pm.

The 2013 South African surfing team has been provided with kit by RVCA.

Surfing South Africa (SSA) is the recognized governing body for the sport in South Africa. SSA is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA)

ENDS

Issued on behalf of:

Robin de Kock
General Manager
Surfing South Africa
0824541149
surfingsouthafrica@gmail.com

Compiled & distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

All 24 nations represented on the podium during the opening ceremony of the 2013 ISA World Surfing Games in Panama on Saturday Photo: ISA / Rommel Gonzales

The 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games officially opened in Panama yesterday (Saturday) as over 150 athletes and team officials from 24 countries paraded through the streets of Sona and participated in the Sands of the World ceremony where each delegation poured sand from their local beaches into a glass container, symbolising the peaceful gathering of nations through the love of surfing.

“It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games in Panama, in this incredible place of Santa Catalina and it’s amazing Panamanian waves that are feeding us a lot of energy that will transform this into a historic championship,” remarked ISA President Fernando Aguerre, before welcoming speeches from Vice Minister of Tourism, Ernesto Orillac, and Panama’s National Olympic Committee President, Camilo Amado.

The surfing action starts at Santa Catalina at 8am local time (3pm SA time) today (Sunday) when all 24 heats in the Open Men’s qualifying Round 1 will be run. The finals will be run on Sunday 12 May.

Team SA comprises Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay), David van Zyl (Glenashley) and the Kommetjie pair of Mikey February and David Brand in the Men’s division and Tanika Hoffman (Clifton) and Faye Zoetmulder (Cape St Francis) in the Women’s. The team is managed by Etienne Venter (Jeffreys Bay).

Although young, the South Africans all have recent international experience with Joubert, the team captain and now based in California, currently ranked No. 106 on the ASP World Tour. Van Zyl and Brand are both in the 160’s and February No. 243 while Zoetmulder and Hoffman were Nos. 68 and 84 respectively in the Women’s rankings at the end of 2012.

Round 1 of the Men’s event sees the Saffas pitted against opponents from New Zealand, Chile and Jamaica with the top two finishers in each heat advancing to the next round in the qualifying stream of the double elimination system used at all ISA events.

The surfers placing third and fourth drop into the do-or-die repercharge rounds where any result other than first or second sees them eliminated from the event. By remaining in the qualifying rounds a competitor will compete in six rounds before reaching the Grand Final while those in the repercharge rounds need to contest a total of 10 rounds to win a medal.

The team and individuals are competing for gold, silver, bronze and copper medals with each member contributing points towards the team total based on their final position in the event.

The team accumulating the highest total also wins the Fernando Aguerre World Team Champion Trophy, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President’s Trophy and “Copa V Centenario Del Descubrimiento Del Oceano Pacifico,” or 5th Century Cup of the Discovery of the Pacific Ocean. This commemorative trophy marks the discovery of the Pacific Ocean by the Conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa during the colonial era 500 years ago.

Australia are the defending team champions while South Africa finished seventh when the event was last held in 2011.

All the action can be followed live via webcast at www.isawsg.com

The 2013 South African surfing team has been provided with kit by RVCA.

Surfing South Africa (SSA) is the recognized governing body for the sport in South Africa. SSA is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA)

ENDS

Issued on behalf of:

Robin de Kock
General Manager
Surfing South Africa
0824541149
surfingsouthafrica@gmail.com

Compiled & distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

Greg Emslie is carried from the water’s edge by triumphant teammates after clinching the ISA World Masters title in Ecuador Photo: ISA / Rommel Gonzales

The South African Masters surfing team finished runners-up to Hawaii with Greg Emslie and Chris Knutsen winning gold medals and Andre Malherbe and Heather taking silver at the 2013 ISA World Masters Surfing Championships which ended in Montanita, Ecuador yesterday (Sunday)

Team SA staged a magnificent comeback at the business end of the event which featured 20 national teams and more than 120 surfers over the age of 35, climbing from fifth place in the team standings heading into the final weekend to overtake the powerful USA, Brazil and Australian squads, who placed third to fifth respectively, and secure the silver medal in the team event.

Greg Emslie (East London) was the standout surfer at the event, going unbeaten throughout and posting a string of the highest single ride and heat scores including a near perfect 19.46 out of 20 in the final of the Masters (over 35) division where he was up against 2000 ASP World champion Sunny Garcia, fellow Hawaiian and ASP campaigner Kalani Robb and defending ISA Masters World champ Magnum Martinez (Venezuela).

Emslie started slowly in the inconsistent overhead surf for the final before finding a well shaped wave on which he produced the ride of the event, vaulting from fourth place into the heat lead by executing a seamless series of powerful, progressive manoeuvres that earned perfect 10 point scores from three of the judges and high nines from the other two, averaging out at 9.83.

Solidifying his lead with rides of 7.50 and 6.60, Emslie then sealed his first World Title since he won the ISA World Grommet champs back in 1994 by posting an outstanding 9.63 on his last ride, which included a spectacular gravity-defying floater over the lip of an overhead wave. That left his opponents in a combination situation where they needed to improve on both their scores to overtake him when the siren sounded .

Chris Knutsen (Durban) got Team SA off to the best possible start on the final day by racking up the best score of the Grand Kahuna (over 50) final, a 7.67, on his first ride. Five minutes later the ‘Old Fox’ showed his exceptional wave selection skills by cementing his third Grand Kahuna gold medal and his fourth ISA Masters gold overall with a 7.50, giving him a heat tally of 15.25 that defending champion Craig Schieber (Costa Rica), Alan Sarlo (USA) and Eric Graciet (FRA) could not match.

After Garcia had clinched the Grand Masters (over 40) title for Hawaii with a typically powerful performance in the only age category final where Team SA was not represented, Andre Malherbe (East London) bolstered Team SA’s charge up the team leaderboard with a great display in the Kahunas (over 45) division. All four competitors struggled to find long rides as the dropping tide caused the waves break in sections, but Malherbe took the lead at the halfway mark before being overtaken by Mike Latronic (Hawaii) in the dying minutes to secure the silver medal to add to his haul of a bronze and a copper at previous ISA Masters events.

Heather Clark (Port Shepstone), who like Knutsen had battled her way through the repercharge rounds to reach the Women’s Masters (over 35) final, was undaunted by facing a facing a stellar, all ASP World tour line-up including seven-time World champ Layne Beachley (Australia), Rochelle Ballard (Hawaii) and Andrea Lopes (Brazil).

Clark, the only South African surfer to win the prestigious Hawaiian Triple Crown back in 2000, proceeded to catch the biggest waves and deliver huge manoeuvres, racking up scores of 4.93 and 7.50 and 6.17 to hold the lead for several minutes. But Beachley, the world’s most successful female surfer and Australia’s only individual medallist, was not to be denied and posted an excellent 8.53 at the halfway mark to grab the gold medal. Clark briefly dropped to third place before earning a 6.17 that added another silver to her tally of two golds and a silver.

After Emslie produced his sensational performance in the Masters final, the Aloha Cup saw Australia profit from superior tactics in the tag-team relay event featuring the top eight national teams from the 2012 ISA Masters event where South Africa was not represented. The Australian team of four men and a woman finished ahead similar squads from Venezuela, Brazil and Hawaii.

A colourful closing ceremony was held on the beach to award the individual and team accolades with ISA President Fernando Aguerre congratulating the winners, thanking the all involved in hosting the highly successful event, including the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa the Minister of Sport and the 20 government organisations that sponsored the event, and promising to bring another ISA World Championship event to Ecuador next year.

2013 ISA World Masters Championships (Montanita, Ecuador)
Final Results

Team Medallists
Gold: Hawaii (Winners of Eduardo Arena Team Trophy)
Silver: South Africa
Bronze: USA
Copper: Brazil

Grand Kahunas (over 50)
Gold: Chris Knutsen (Durban, South Africa)
Silver: Craig Schieber (CRC)
Bronze: Allen Sarlo (USA)
Copper: Eric Graciet (FRA)

Grand Masters (over 40)
Gold: Sunny Garcia (HAW)
Silver: Marcelo Alves (BRA)
Bronze: Love Hodel (HAW)
Copper: Dean Randazzo (USA)
8th – Wayne Monk (East London, South Africa)
25th – Carl Roux (Durban, South Africa)

Kahunas (over 45)
Gold: Mike Latronic (HAW)
Silver: Andre Malherbe (East London, South Africa)
Bronze: Jojo De Olivenca (BRA)
Copper: Ricky Shaffer (USA)
13th – David Malherbe (East London, South Africa)

Women Masters (over 35)
Gold: Layne Beachley (AUS)
Silver: Heather Clark (Port Shepstone, South Africa)
Bronze: Andrea Lopes (BRA)
Copper: Rochelle Ballard (HAW)

Masters (over 35)
Gold: Greg Emslie (East London, South Africa)
Silver: Kalani Robb (HAW)
Bronze: Magnum Martinez (VEN)
Copper: Sunny Garcia (HAW)
25th – Gary van Wieringen (Warner Beach, South Africa)

Aloha Cup
Gold: Australia (Winners of ISA Aloha Cup trophy)
Silver: Brazil
Bronze: Venezuela
Copper: Hawaii

Country Final Standings
1. Hawaii- 10,844 points
2. South Africa- 8,976 pts
3. USA- 8,165 pts
4. Brazil- 8,087 pts
5. Australia- 7,882 pts
6. Argentina- 6,360 pts
7. Venezuela- 6,357 pts
8. Peru- 6,133 pts
9. Costa Rica- 6,055 pts
10. France- 6,011 pts
11. Japan- 5,955 pts
12. Ecuador- 5,580 pts
13. Puerto Rico- 5,436 pts
14. Uruguay- 4,690 pts
15. Chile- 4,675 pts
16. Spain- 4,515 pts
17. Mexico- 2,716 pts
18. Dominican Republic- 1,375 pts
19. Panama- 1,110 pts
20. Great Britain- 720 pts

All the results from the 2013 ISA World Masters Surfing Championships, along with news, photos and video footage, can be found at www.isawmsc.com.

The SA Masters Team was provided with kit by Quiksilver and Surfing South Africa. Financial support was received from Sport and Recreation South Africa, benefactors and through fund raising efforts arranged by Surfing South Africa and the team members themselves.

Surfing South Africa is the recognized governing body for the sport and is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA). All South African surfing teams that participate in international events are ratified by the Board of Directors of Surfing South Africa.

ENDS

ATTENTION MEDIA PERSONNEL

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Issued on behalf of:

Surfing South Africa
Contact: Robin de Kock, General Manager
Cell: 082 454 1149
Email: surfingsouthafrica@gmail.com

Compiled & Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Fax: +27 (0) 86 684 6250
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za
About the International Surfing Association
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the World Governing Authority for Surfing. It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running the Open Division World Championship since 1964, the World Junior Surfing Championship since 1980, the World Masters Surfing Championship since 2007, the World Bodyboard Championship since 2011, the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival in China, and the World Standup Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Championship beginning in 2012. The ISA also sanctions the World Kneeboard Titles and the World Tandem Surfing Championship, and will launch the World Longboard Championship in 2013.

ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies of 73 countries on five continents. Its headquarters are located in La Jolla, California. It is presided over by Fernando Aguerre (Argentina), first elected President in 1994 in Rio de Janeiro and re-elected seven times since. The ISA’s four Vice-Presidents are Alan Atkins (AUS), Karín Sierralta (PER), Debbie Beacham (USA) and Layne Beachley (AUS).