MARK CARRELS and CRAIG JARVIS
Border out surfed a host of rivals on their way to winning the prestigious Master’s Cup at the annual SA Masters Championships that started off at Victoria Bay, George, and ended in Mossel Bay on Sunday.
The Border Masters surfing team, who dethroned last year’s winners, Natal, is managed by Kowie Boardrider’s Club chairperson, Mickey Wittuhn. Eight teams from across the county contested the competition from August 7 to August 11, organised under auspices of SA Surfing.
“The contest surfed over five days started off on in mediocre 3 to 4ft contestable waves and picked up a bit,” said Wittuhn. We lost 5 surfers [knocked out] in round three on the second day … and then it looked pretty dismal for border. Each team comprised 21 surfers.”
Wittuhn said it was then that the old experienced guns “came out for Border” and turned it around for the team. He said it was following a team meeting where he told them that they would have to “fight hard for victory”, that the focus returned.
“The next day the guys who were left behind made it through [their rounds] and we moved on to the second last day with a prediction that the swells would pick up drastically,” said Wittuhn.
“The surf swell was out of control the next morning – 12 to 15ft at Vic Bay. And, if anyone got out at that stage in to the surf they would have been washed up on the rocks. So we put the surfers safety first, by proposing a move to the outer pool 40km further at Mossel Bay.”
“We moved to Mossel Bay where the swells got to 4ft and very constestable with our remaining eight surfers making it through to the semi-finals and finals,” said Wittuhn.
“Eight [Border surfers] in the final proved to be quite an achievement and the end results were excellent and we won quite a few divisions,” he added.
Wittuhn said with Border Masters wresting the title from KwaZulu-Natal’s grasp, meant they have now won the title 15 out of 16 times – with one year (2020) being cancelled due to Covid.
It was a head-turning line-up of surfers past national champions and international titleholders who took on the waves in the Garden Route District Municipality. Among them were David Weare, Greg Emslie, Sean Holmes, Noel Rahme, David Malherbe, Greg Swart, Andrew Carter, Grant Baker, Cass Collier, Lynne Mackey, and Tash Mentasti.
The judges were looking for commitment and degree of difficulty, innovative and progressive manoeuvres, a combination of major manoeuvres, variety of manoeuvres, speed, power and flow.
Gordon Harmer, who beat Warren Wareing in the Men’s over 65 division, showed just that – speed, power, and flow, while Mike Burness showed a great variety of moves to take the over -60 men’s title from Stephen Hair.
Gareth Sepp beat defending champion Greg Swart to win the over 55 section while Charlie Reitz took the win in the over-50s from Cass Collier.
“I nearly opted out because my back was so sore. I did something to my back at Vic, and it was so sore that I couldn’t get up. Still, I am stoked with the win,” said Reitz.
“The waves were big and challenging at Victoria Bay, and you had the choice of getting the bigger ones with no wall or looking for the smaller ones with a pocket. But the event was cool; there was great camaraderie and good times. It’s amazing to watch some of these guys surf. It’s very inspiring,” he added.
Greg Emslie took time off from commentating to win the over-45s from Sean Holmes, who had moved up from the over-40 division and Simon Fish beat Davey Weare in the over-40s..
With less than two minutes to go in the over-35 women’s division, Tamarys De Maroussem edged in front of Tasha Mentasti, who had been out in front from the get-go. At the final buzzer, De Maroussem took the win by a mere .08 of a point.
Clinton Gravett won the Men’s over-35s on his backhand with a comfortable victory over Craig Johnson.
The Dave Fish Award for the most consistent surfer throughout the event went to Mike Burness.
READ THE FULL STORY AT https://bit.ly/TOTTMastersSurf24
- This article was first published in Talk of the Town, August 15, 2024. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
