Sport Umlimited Cape Classic - Pre-Event Update.
Gareth White16th March 2008
Cape Town is set to host South Africa�s top bodyboarders over the Easter weekend, 21 - 23 March, as they compete in the first event on the South African Bodyboarding Association (SABA), calendar - the Sport Unlimited Cape Classic.
The annual event attracts almost 200 participants from as far a field as Richards Bay in Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal and looks set to be a gripping contest, with big swells and favourable winds being predicted for the duration of the competition.
Event organisers, the Western Province Bodyboarding Association (WPBA), have opted for a roaming venue, which spans from Gordons Bay to Yzerfontein on the West Coast. Organisers will be calling the chosen venue each morning of the contest and competitors will be driven by bus to the surf spot best suited to the prevailing wind and swell conditions.
�For the past few years we have opted to stage the contest at a designated location and have not been granted the swell that we had hoped for. This method of running a contest has been a resounding success in the past and we are sure that at this years, Sport Unlimited Cape Classic, it will be no different�, commented WPBA Chairman, Deon Meyer.
The Cape peninsula offers over 50 surf spots that favour a number of conditions and Meyer feels certain that irrespective of the wind or swell direction they should be able to find contestable surf.
I have been assured that this years Cape Classic will be the best yet and that onlookers will be treated to a spectacular display of what core bodyboarding is about - big waves, event bigger manoeuvres and loads of fun.
�I feel that this is the best way to run a contest. Bodyboarding is all about riding big, heavy waves, and in this way we should be able to ride them�, added Pro Bodyboarder, Daniel Worsley.
Worsley, 21, from Blouberg in Cape Town, is looking forward to the event as it marks the start of his quest to reclaim the title of SABA Pro Division Champion - a title he won in 2005 at the tender age of 19.
�This year I am focussing all my efforts on winning the SABA Pro Division title as well as winning SA Champs. The Pro Division is by far the most competitive and that is why I love it!� commented a confident Worsley.
Worsley will also be competing against nine of South Africa�s elite bodyboarders on the, 20th and 24th of March, as they jockey for a place on the South African team, due to represent our Nation at the World Surfing Games, to be held in Portugal in 2009. Of the 10 male and 2 female contenders only 2 male and 1 female representatives will be selected to accompany the team.
�My performance last year was not my best and this year is not going to be easy. I will have to be in top form and ride consistently in all the contests in order to reach my goals, but I am confident in my abilities. I feel that my riding is the best it has ever been�, concluded Worsley.
The event briefing will take place this coming Thursday, 20th of March, at the Big Bay Life Saving Club at 18:00 sharp, so get there well in advance.
For more information on the Sport Unlimited Cape Classic please contact WPBA Contest Director, Jamie Higgins on, 072 236 2788 or call the WPBA hotline in order to find out where the contest is being held, 079 737 7403.
The WPBA would like to thank the event sponsors. Sport Unlimited, Spur Steak Ranches, Science Bodyboards, Reef Wetsuits, BondiBlu, Sanuk and Aloe Up for their support.
The annual event attracts almost 200 participants from as far a field as Richards Bay in Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal and looks set to be a gripping contest, with big swells and favourable winds being predicted for the duration of the competition.
Event organisers, the Western Province Bodyboarding Association (WPBA), have opted for a roaming venue, which spans from Gordons Bay to Yzerfontein on the West Coast. Organisers will be calling the chosen venue each morning of the contest and competitors will be driven by bus to the surf spot best suited to the prevailing wind and swell conditions.
�For the past few years we have opted to stage the contest at a designated location and have not been granted the swell that we had hoped for. This method of running a contest has been a resounding success in the past and we are sure that at this years, Sport Unlimited Cape Classic, it will be no different�, commented WPBA Chairman, Deon Meyer.
The Cape peninsula offers over 50 surf spots that favour a number of conditions and Meyer feels certain that irrespective of the wind or swell direction they should be able to find contestable surf.
I have been assured that this years Cape Classic will be the best yet and that onlookers will be treated to a spectacular display of what core bodyboarding is about - big waves, event bigger manoeuvres and loads of fun.
�I feel that this is the best way to run a contest. Bodyboarding is all about riding big, heavy waves, and in this way we should be able to ride them�, added Pro Bodyboarder, Daniel Worsley.
Worsley, 21, from Blouberg in Cape Town, is looking forward to the event as it marks the start of his quest to reclaim the title of SABA Pro Division Champion - a title he won in 2005 at the tender age of 19.
�This year I am focussing all my efforts on winning the SABA Pro Division title as well as winning SA Champs. The Pro Division is by far the most competitive and that is why I love it!� commented a confident Worsley.
Worsley will also be competing against nine of South Africa�s elite bodyboarders on the, 20th and 24th of March, as they jockey for a place on the South African team, due to represent our Nation at the World Surfing Games, to be held in Portugal in 2009. Of the 10 male and 2 female contenders only 2 male and 1 female representatives will be selected to accompany the team.
�My performance last year was not my best and this year is not going to be easy. I will have to be in top form and ride consistently in all the contests in order to reach my goals, but I am confident in my abilities. I feel that my riding is the best it has ever been�, concluded Worsley.
The event briefing will take place this coming Thursday, 20th of March, at the Big Bay Life Saving Club at 18:00 sharp, so get there well in advance.
For more information on the Sport Unlimited Cape Classic please contact WPBA Contest Director, Jamie Higgins on, 072 236 2788 or call the WPBA hotline in order to find out where the contest is being held, 079 737 7403.
The WPBA would like to thank the event sponsors. Sport Unlimited, Spur Steak Ranches, Science Bodyboards, Reef Wetsuits, BondiBlu, Sanuk and Aloe Up for their support.
