Top surfing event for Durban

Sport
TOMMY BALLANTYNE
tommy’s
tidings
Hansen,
Herbert
defend
crowns
TOP seeds Adrian Hansen and
Sam Herbert retained their singles titles at the Gauche Air
KZN Closed Squash Championships at Westville Country
Club last weekend, Hansen taking the men’s crown for an unprecedented 12th time.
In both finals it was a case of
experience getting the better of
youth as Hansen and Herbert
saw off their young challengers.
Herbert employed her courtcraft as she outclassed Lee in a
well earned 3-1 victory that at
set-all may have led some to believe that the pace and athleticism of Lee might yet have
proved to be Herbert’s undoing.
But it was not to be as Herbert craftily took control of the
rallies, pinning Lee into the
back corners and forcing her
much younger opponent to
make errors or setting up opportunities for herself to attack
the front of the court with
great precision.
The big question being
asked before the start of the
men’s final was whether
Hansen would have recovered
sufficiently for another potentially physical battle against
Andrew Martin after being
taken to five sets in the previous
evening’s
semi-final
against Gary Naidoo.
Martin attacked from the
start of the first game and
raced to an early lead before
Hansen levelled at 7-7. Martin
won the next three points to
hold game ball at 10-7, but it
was precisely at this point in
the match that Hansen tightened his game up, giving little
away to save all three game
balls to level at 10-10.
From there it was “nip and
tuck” with Hansen’s experience eventually kicking in to
give the defending champion a
14-12 victory.
The second game began as
did the first with Martin taking
an early lead before Hansen asserted control of the “T” and
the court centre to round off a
11-7 win.
The third game proved to be
one-way traffic with Hansen
displaying a full range of winning shots as he raced to his
12th title closing off at 11-5.
Hansen said afterwards that
after a bit of a slow start to the
season the hard-fought win for
the KZN closed title should set
him up for the rest of the tournaments on the local circuit including the Westville Country
Club championships at the end
of the month, as well as for the
events he would contest on the
European circuit towards the
end of the year.
“One event I am particularly looking forward to coming up in less than two months’
time,” he said, “is the interprovincial Jarvis Cup which
the KZN team and supporters
are feeling very positive about
winning it for the third time in
the past four years.
“With the number of upand-coming juniors that were
up there challenging the more
experienced players like Sam
and myself for the top spots the
future of the game here looks
really rosy.”
❏❏❏
ALL last year’s defending
champions and other top lady
bowlers, including several Protea players, will be in action at
the 2013 Warwick Wealth SA
Women’s Bowls Championships that gets under way today and runs until May 26
spread among nine host clubs,
but with the headquarters at
Durban Bowling Club.
The tournament opens with
sectional play in the pairs today and tomorrow followed by
fours on Monday and Tuesday
and singles on Wednesday.
The play-offs of all three
disciplines will start on Thursday with all finals at Durban
Bowling Club next Sunday. Details of the event and daily results can be accessed via the
Port Natal Bowls website,
www.bowling.co.za
Page 31
THE INDEPENDENT
on Saturday
18 May 2013
Logie surfs up a storm
Durban man revels in rough conditions to go through in Rio
TORMY conditions
were the order of the
day yesterday for
round two of the
Billabong Pro Rio, which
launched back into life after
enduring a lengthy five-day
delay because of a lack of
contestable waves at Barra da
Tijuca.
Durban’s Travis Logie was
among the 12 round-two victors
who not only tamed their opposition but also the wild and
tricky conditions, which tested
the athletes’ fitness and endurance as much as their surfing ability.
The world No 18 surfed a
nail-biting heat against World
Tour veteran and 2011 Billabong Pipeline Master Kieren
Perrow, serving the world
No 31 his third successive
round-two loss of the season.
Logie advanced to round
three, where he joined fellow
Durban surfer and title
favourite Jordy Smith.
“It was crazy out there,”
said Logie of his win in the
testing conditions, which also
placed the water safety team
under pressure as they ferried
the surfers between the wild
waves.
“I also had some interesting Jet Ski rides as well… my
eyeballs felt like they were being ripped out by the wind
and rain. But for some reason
I enjoy surfing those kinds of
waves.”
When pressed about the
windswept conditions, Logie,
a goofy footer who has posted
some of his best results in
Brazil, said: “I don’t think
about it a lot because there’s
nothing really you can think
about other than to try to let
the waves come to you. And if
they don’t, they don’t. It’s
kind of fun in a way, but my
arms feel as though they are
about to fall off after all those
Jet Ski rides.”
S
weather
the sea
SKI BOAT
South Coast
Wind: SSE19-SSE19kt
Sea: Rough
Swell: 3m
Temp: 20°C
North Coast
Wind:SSE19SSE19kt
Sea: Rough
Swell: 3m
Temp:20°C
TIDES
PIERRE TOSTEE
HIGH TIDE
LOW TIDE
SUNSET
SUNRISE
08:56, 21:55
02:42, 15:11
17:10
06:36
SAILING
DURBAN:
Wind: SSW05-E05kt. Vis: Good. Sea
State: 2m.
MARGATE: Wind: SSW05-ENE06kt. Vis:
Good. Sea State: 2.5m
making
waves
“These Jet Ski pilots definitely have some unorthodox
methods over here, but it
works. They are really aggressive, and I guess you have to
be or you’ll just end up waiting for ever on the inside for a
break.”
Earlier in the event several
other world title favourites
sailed through their opening
heats, with Kelly Slater, Mick
Fanning, Adriano de Souza,
Joel Parkinson and Nat Young
posting solid heat wins.
Mr Price Pro Ballito champions Glenn Hall and Patrick
Gudauskas also found themselves on the winners’ list,
with rising stars Kolohe
Andino and Sebastian Ziets
also causing some havoc
among the top seeds in round
one.
With just two days left to
complete the Billabong Pro,
the organisers will no longer
have the luxury of waiting
for ideal surf conditions and
will press on regardless, with
the champion being crowned
tomorrow.
Many of the top surfers
will stay in Brazil next week
for the Quiksilver Saquarema
event just north of Rio de
Janeiro.
The Quiksilver Saquarema
is the second of nine Prime
Tour events, and will be followed by the Mr Price Pro Ballito from July 1-7.
RICHARDS BAY: Wind: SSW11-SSE04kt.
Vis: Moderate. Sea State: 2-2.5m
SODWANA BAY: Wind: S11-SSE07kt. Vis:
Moderate in showers. Sea State: 2-2.5m
SURF & DIVING
Not updated by weather service
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TURNING ON THE STYLE: Travis Logie joins fellow Durban surfer Jordy Smith in round three of the Billabong Pro Rio today.
Logie is matched against Brazil’s Gabriel Medina, with Smith pitted against Australia’s Kai Otton. PICTURE: ASP WORLD TOUR
Top surfing event for Durban
TOMMY BALLANTYNE
A NEW international surfing
and Jet Ski event is to be
launched at Durban’s North
Beach next weekend in a bold
attempt to re-establish the city
as one of the top destinations
for professional sportsmen
and women in these two maritime codes.
Sponsored by the South
African Maritime Safety
Association (Samsa), the inaugural Durban Stars Surfing
and Jet Ski Competition will
also feature sporting codes
such as beach volleyball, beach
soccer, skateboarding and
BMX.
Commander Tsietsi Mokhele, the chief executive of
Samsa, said the association
was working with Durban
Stars to ensure that the surfing extravaganza would one
day be on a par with the
famous Gunston 500, which at
the height of its success was
able to attract a million visitors
to North Beach over the four or
five days that it ran there each
year for 40 years.
The Gunston 500, which became the Mr Price Pro in 2000,
was and still is recognised as
one of the biggest and longestrunning professional surfing
events in the world, and every
year attracts many top international surfers.
However, in 2009 Durban
relinquished its right to host
the event – losing it to Ballito
– and deprived itself of one
of its biggest and best tourism
drawcards.
The organisers of the
Durban Stars Surfing and Jet
Ski Competition are armed
with a five-year plan, starting
with next weekend’s two-day
inaugural event.
From next year the contest
will be staged over seven days,
and surfers from around the
world will be invited to it.
It is hoped that by 2018 the
event will have gained the legendary status of the Gunston
500.
Some of the surfers who
have been invited to take part
in the inaugural event next
weekend are Teal Hogg, Dan
Redman,
S’celo
Travis
Zondwayo, Jordi O’Keeffe,
Ntando Msibi, Greg Bennet,
David van Zyl and Brandon
Jackson.
The KwaZulu-Natal Surfing
Association, the SA Surfing
Federation and the SA Jet Ski
Association have given their
backing to the new event, and
the eThekwini Municipality
has praised the initiative, saying it will bear positive spinoffs for the city’s tourism sector
and economy.
The surfing and Jet Ski
competition is in line with
Samsa’s stated long-term
strategy of developing marine
tourism and leisure investment in the province as well
as nationally.
Ready for the mighty Unogwaja
SUSAN FORD
THERE are just five days until
the start of the Unogwaja
Challenge, a 1 700km biathlon
from Cape Town to Durban
over 11 days.
The competitors will take 10
days to cycle from Cape Town
to Pietermaritzburg and then
run the Comrades Marathon
on day 11, all to celebrate a
determined South African who
did this in 1933 because he
could not afford the train fare.
Phil Masterton-Smith desperately wanted to run the
Comrades Marathon again,
having been the youngest winner in 1931 when he was 19.
But Masterton-Smith didn’t
have the cash for the train
ticket from Cape Town to
Pietermaritzburg. So he cycled
there in 10 days and ran the
Comrades on the 11th day – and
managed to finish 10th.
Reminding South Africans
about this brave South African
is what the Unogwaja Challenge is all about.
“We need these kinds of inspiring role models to motivate
us and make us proud,” said
John McInroy, who created the
challenge in 2011.
“We began the challenge to
spread the awareness of this
MOTIVATED: John
McInroy, founder
of the Unogwaja
Challenge, has
lunch with a
supporter during
last year’s
1 700km trip from
Cape Town to
Durban.
awe-inspiring achievement
and make South Africans feel
proud of this guy, who refused
to let anything stand in his
way.”
McInroy emphasised that
Unogwaja, which starts on
Thursday, wasn’t a “race”.
“Unogwaja is not a race
driven by competition. It’s a
journey of inspiration, fun and
togetherness inspired by one
man’s determination to follow
his heart in 1933 – and lack of
cash wasn’t going to stand in
his way.
“There are two main goals.
The first is to help people discover the awesome power that
comes from following your
heart to make your dreams
come true. And the second is
to raise funds for specific
charities to help others make
their dreams come true as well.
“This year Etana Insurance
has come on board as our sponsor, and with their help we are
determined to reach our charity goal of R250 000.”
McInroy said that this
year’s “Unogwajans” would be
cycling through many cities
and villages, spreading goodwill as well as carrying a message of hope to the premier
of KwaZulu-Natal from the
premier of the Western Cape,
Helen Zille.
“This journey is not about
how fast individuals can get
there but how much further we
can all go together,” said
McInroy. “That includes those
who… visit our website and donate what they can. The site is
www.unogwajachallenge.co.za,
which also tells the inspiring
story of Phil Masterton-Smith
and that his Zulu nickname
was unogwaja, meaning ‘hare’
in English.”
World Cup season blasts off
HE eyes of the mountain bike
world will focus on Albstadt in
Germany this weekend when the
2013 World Cup season blasts off with
the first leg of the cross country and
eliminator series.
For South African fans there is plenty
to be excited about in the cross country
events, despite the fact the elite men’s
race offers little chance of glory with
Philip Buys and Renay Goustra flying
the rainbow flag. Nothing against Philip
and Renay, but with rankings of 22 and
81 respectively, it is hard to see either of
them getting on the podium in this ultra
competitive field. Their realistic goals
are ranking points and experience with
Rio 2016 in mind.
In the U23 categories there is a lot
more to be excited about. Seven riders
are entered in the men’s race and most
of them are from KZN. Here the rainbow
crew is led by Rourke Croeser (ranked
11th in the race) and James Reid (13),
with strong support from Brendon
Davids (27), Luke Roberts (33), Arno du
Toit (36), Travis Walker (50) and Paul
Rodenbach (83). This impressive list of
future champions could threaten the
podium – as well as providing reason to
be positive for the future of SA MTB.
In the women’s U23 race, the two SA
entrants, Candice Neethling and
Mariske Strauss, are ranked fifth and
sixth, giving lots of hope that they could
race from the front row of the start line
to a place within the top five.
In the junior men’s race Louw Kriel
will be the lone Saffa, but as the fifth
ranked rider he could be a contender.
The only rider who entered the
eliminator is Rodenbach who is likely to
struggle to get past the early rounds.
Up front in the men’s elite cross
country the start of the race for the 2014
World Cup title should be fascinating.
Defending World Cup Champion Nino
Schurter will be desperate to prove his
overall victory last year was not simply
the result of Olympic Champ Jaroslav
Kulhavy’s decision to concentrate on
London 2012, while Kulhavy will be just
as keen to return to his all-conquering
World Cup form of 2011.
Of course there are a few other riders
T
who want to start their World Cup year
with a win, like Jose Hermida, Manuel
Fumic, Marco Fontana, Julien Absalon
and Florian Vogel to name a few.
The World Cup circus moves to the
Czech Republic next weekend for the
second leg of the cross country and
eliminator before the downhillers get a
taste of the action on June 8-9 in the UK.
For the racing snakes
I AM heading inland this weekend to
ease my Sani2C envy by taking part
in the Husqvana Mid Illovo Classic
tomorrow. I have ridden the race
before and it offers a fast but fun test
that may take away some of my
jealousy toward all the riders who
took part in the Sani last week.
A press release described the course
Thank you
as a “rugged but fun” route with
If you will indulge me, after my recent “with the best single-track of any
single-day event” – bold claims, but it
travels around the country by bicycle I
should be a good route. There are 40,
have a few thank yous for people who
helped me finish the Epic and joBerg2C. 18 and 10km events.
The other local event which takes
Firstly to my two riding partners,
place this weekend is the Boston
Chris and Andrew, who were both an
absolute pleasure to ride with and made Challenge. I have no other info other
than the routes are 50, 25 and 10km.
the journeys fun and successful.
Next weekend is the third leg of the
Then Cadence Performance Cycling
Roag Series, the Compendium MTB
Centres, Sharks Medical Centre,
Cyclesphere, FutureLife, Thule and Jeep Derby at Shongweni on Sunday– in
Apparel who helped me in various ways, my biased opinion this is a must-do
have sponsored the prizes for this year’s event. Young riders can head to
column, and donated to the Daily News Howick for the next Spur Series race
Milk Fund. And of course Independent on Saturday.
Newspapers and USN for their support.
Information
And finally, and most importantly, my
on weekend
wife and family for their support and
races brought
sacrifices as I selfishly persued my goals
to you by
over the past six months.
Win a Sharks hamper
This weekend’s competition, with a
Sharks Medical Centre hamper as a
prize, needs you to tell me who is the
defending World Cup cross country
champion. E-mail your answers to me at
[email protected] before Friday,
with “Sharks Medical Centre” in the
subject field. Please note: Only one entry
per person – more than one and all your
entries go into the deleted folder.
FutureLife winner
A slew of entries came in for the
FutureLife competition last week with
almost all but the very first entrant
knowing that the three-day race which
took place last week was the Sani2C. The
winner of the FutureLife hamper is
Alison Chadwick.