The recent SA body boarding championships staged in Port Alfred delivered a coup when top international competition judge Reunion Island-born, Thomas Cahour, flew in from the UK to help with the judging.
“I am back in South Africa for the third time,” the friendly, laid back Cahour, who is based in the UK, told Talk of the Town during one of his breaks from judging at West Beach.
“I come back each time because South Africans are very welcoming … and, of course, you have lovely waves and really good riders, and I have a great group of judges working with me,” he said.
Cahour who was at one stage a top body boarder for his native Reunion Island before leaving his country of birth, transitioned in to competition judging in 2010.
“Part of the job is to judge the performance of riders on the waves … and they are tasked with performing to the best of their abilities and to showcase their skills. There is a clear set of rules to be followed,” he said.
“The body boarders have to follow a strict code of conduct during competition according to the World Tour rule book,” said Cahour. Points are earned based on different criteria. … the flow, speed, technique and radical manoeuvres. And how they deal with the most difficult part of the wave, and the one who combines all of the above well comes out on top.”
Top SA judge Vaughan Harris had made it clear at the tournament opening that body boarders were not under any circumstances to violate rules of conduct, for example querying judges unnecessarily once out of the water and launching disputes in an unscrupulous manner.
Cahour agreed and explained why especially at local level, it was crucial to have a strict set of rules to be followed by body boarding participants.
“They (body boarders) have to do their best to follow all the rules, so that when they join the world tour … It will be easier for them to follow the same rules – and they will be ready. If they follow a different path locally, they will be in trouble when they compete internationally,” says Cahour.
“You have had world champions in the past but at the moment you seem to have a gap with the youngsters, but it’s important to bring them up to that (international level), where they know what is required.”
Cahour, a well-travelled international judge who has judged a host of major competitions – is impressed by the standard of body boarding in South Africa.
“To be fair, the standard is actually very good, especially in the pros and men’s division. I think though there can be more improvement in terms of more women body boarders being involved in the sport … it’s improving slowly though and you have many youngsters coming in as well.
“It’s important to have more older riders and experienced riders in local competitions to assist the other younger riders.”
Cahour after leaving Reunion Island settled in Australia where he spent five years learning all the ropes moving from local to national and international judging.
“I was trained in Australia by one of the best judges in the world, Craig Hayden; he was my ‘second dad’ when I was living there … and I passed all the levels of judging.”
Cahour who is a business partner in the human resources field, is a sought-after body boarding judge and is regularly commissioned by the English, French and Scottish Federations to take charge at international events.
“I have to take annual leave to travel, and, I can of course work remotely … my laptop is always with me,” he says.
“For my own development travelling is a very good thing. It’s important, as I can learn something from other judges. In your country you have one of the top judges in Vaughan Harris. It’s been really good to judge with the South Africans – it helps me to get even better.”
- This article was first published in Talk of the Town, October 17, 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.
