SA Champs 2010 - more upsets on Day 5
Jonathan Oliff30th September 2010
More drama today as some big names are eliminated in this year's SA Bodyboarding Championships at SUN COAST Durban and the Southern KwaZulu Natal team push ahead in the race for the provincial 'Fishman' trophy.
World tour competitor Jared Houston (WP) and 2009 SA Champion Sacha Specker (WP) were both knocked out of the event today. Sacha, who won last year in the Pro and Dropknee divisions failed to push through both his Pro and Dropknee heats today. This means that Western Province have lost a major points provider to their team campaign relatively early and this will put a lot of pressure on their remaining riders to produce the goods in Fridays heats.
It was another amazing day down at the SUN COAST Beach for day 5 of the event. The sun was out and the crowds were thick, adding to the excitement of the event. Unfortunately the wind was blowing onshore, making things very tricky for competitors. First in the water was the Dropknee division, followed by the Pro's. Both these divisions created an awesome spectacle for beach goers as the contestants flaunted their skills in the tough but powerful conditions. Next in were the Mens division, who had to gamble with their wave selection, as not all waves could be successfully ridden to beach because of the neap tides.
Mike Galloway from Power Balance was on hand at the half day break for a demonstration on the benefits of the Power Balance band. Crowds gathered to view and attempt to understand the mysterious hologram in action and they were not disappointed.
As the competition drew to a close the Boys Semi finalists were sent into the water. They paddled out knowing that there was space for only four competitors in the 2010 Boys Final. Emerging victorious and making it into the final was Niklas Martin (EP), Wesley Coetzee (SKZN), Warren du Preez (SKZN) and Ian Viljoen (WP). Warren du Preez (SKZN) secured the highest score of the event so far, with an average of 9.5 out of a possible 10 for his last wave in the final heat of the day. Talk about dramatic!
The final day of the South African Bodyboarding Championships 2010 will start Friday the 1st of October at 07:00am in the morning at SUN COAST Beach; The South African Bodyboarding Association (SABA) would like to thank all of the Facebook SABA fans and Twitter followers for the support today. For those that would like to be kept up to date please join our network by becoming a 'Facebook fan' or 'Twitter Follower' of SABA. The 2010 SA Championships have been sponsored by the EThekwini Municipality, Suncoast Casino & Entertainment World, Nando's, Gotcha, Turbo Bodyboards and Power Balance.
World tour competitor Jared Houston (WP) and 2009 SA Champion Sacha Specker (WP) were both knocked out of the event today. Sacha, who won last year in the Pro and Dropknee divisions failed to push through both his Pro and Dropknee heats today. This means that Western Province have lost a major points provider to their team campaign relatively early and this will put a lot of pressure on their remaining riders to produce the goods in Fridays heats.
It was another amazing day down at the SUN COAST Beach for day 5 of the event. The sun was out and the crowds were thick, adding to the excitement of the event. Unfortunately the wind was blowing onshore, making things very tricky for competitors. First in the water was the Dropknee division, followed by the Pro's. Both these divisions created an awesome spectacle for beach goers as the contestants flaunted their skills in the tough but powerful conditions. Next in were the Mens division, who had to gamble with their wave selection, as not all waves could be successfully ridden to beach because of the neap tides.
Mike Galloway from Power Balance was on hand at the half day break for a demonstration on the benefits of the Power Balance band. Crowds gathered to view and attempt to understand the mysterious hologram in action and they were not disappointed.
As the competition drew to a close the Boys Semi finalists were sent into the water. They paddled out knowing that there was space for only four competitors in the 2010 Boys Final. Emerging victorious and making it into the final was Niklas Martin (EP), Wesley Coetzee (SKZN), Warren du Preez (SKZN) and Ian Viljoen (WP). Warren du Preez (SKZN) secured the highest score of the event so far, with an average of 9.5 out of a possible 10 for his last wave in the final heat of the day. Talk about dramatic!
The final day of the South African Bodyboarding Championships 2010 will start Friday the 1st of October at 07:00am in the morning at SUN COAST Beach; The South African Bodyboarding Association (SABA) would like to thank all of the Facebook SABA fans and Twitter followers for the support today. For those that would like to be kept up to date please join our network by becoming a 'Facebook fan' or 'Twitter Follower' of SABA. The 2010 SA Championships have been sponsored by the EThekwini Municipality, Suncoast Casino & Entertainment World, Nando's, Gotcha, Turbo Bodyboards and Power Balance.