Cape of Weekend Storms
Thursday 14 June 2018 Stormy seas will preside over an international field set for the Jordy Smith Cape Town Surf Pro, presented by O’Neill, that gets under way near Cape Town from tomorrow until Sunday.
TOP OF THE WAVE: Jordy Maree holds on to the zebra leaders' jersey. Photo Thurtell
With riders from Brazil, Australia, the USA, New Zealand, France, Japan, Reunion and Germany set to paddle out alongside the cream of South African surfing, this World Surfing League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) rated event has the elements of a froth-worthy weekend.
Not least because of the weather. Two storms will be felt this weekend, the first hit early today with neargale NW, 10ft+ seas and heavy rain. Tomorrow, Day 1, looks beset with stiff west onshore winds and a messy 8-12ft storm swell. The primary contest venue is Big Bay at Bloubergstrand. Organisers have roaming beach permissions so Melkbosstrand is the likely option for Friday’s action.
Saturday is set to fire 6'+ in crisp N winds while a second front hits on Sunday with fair 4' or bigger south swell sets finding their way into False Bay while the other side is pummelled by strong NW and an 8ft stormsea, with more heavy rain from 4pm.
TOP ECHELON: Matt McGillivray is always a threat with his fast backhand attack. Photo Thurtell
The top five seeds in the Men’s QS1000 event consist of three South Africans and two Australians; Jordan Lawler, who was runner-up to Jordy Maree (ZAF) at the second City Surf Series stop in Port Alfred, and Liam O’Brien. Durban’s David van Zyl will be looking to add a second 2018 City Surf Series (CSS) title to his win at the first series stop in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Matthew McGillivray from Jeffreys Bay is currently ranked tenth on the WSL QS tour and South Africa’s most recent WSL QS event winner. A win in Cape Town will contribute 1000 points towards his 2019 WSL Championship Tour (CT) campaign and edge him closer to joining Jordy Smith and Michael February on the dream tour.
The Mother City’s hopes are pinned on Strand local, Adin Masencamp who won at the fourth CSS series stop in Durban, and current CSS Skull Candy ratings leader, Jordy Maree. The Cape Town local will be hunting for a second series win.
The Women’s QS1000 event welcomes former WSL and ISA world champion, Sofia Mulanovich from Peru. Mulanovich was the first Latin American to win a world surfing title in 2004 and is a great ambassador for women’s surfing around the world.
PALLET PAINTING: Nicole Pallet is the African women's leader for the WSL QS. Photo Thurtell
Africa’s top ranked surfer and winner of the third CSS event in East London, Nicole Pallet from Durban, will be back in the lineup to hunt for a second series title and 1000 points towards her WSL QS ranking.
The powerful Cape Town duo of Luke Slijpen and Eli Beukes head up the Pro Junior Men’s JQS100. Slijpen from Llandudno is ranked number one in Africa and won the CSS Durban event while Beukes (Kommetjie) jumped to the number two spot in Africa after a big win in Lamberts Bay two weeks ago.
Another junior surfer to look out for is East London’s Bryce du Preez who is ranked fourth in Africa in the Pro Jnr division and currently second on the CSS Skull Candy leaderboard.
Representing young talent from disadvantaged areas is rising star, Dillon Hendriks (Jeffreys Bay) who is also the wildcard for the Pro Junior Men’s QS1000.
WOLF HEART: Kai Woolfe is the girl to beat in the junior division. Photo Thurtell
The Pro Junior Women’s QS1000 see the return of arguably the most exciting junior women’s surfer on the continent, Kai Woolf (Jeffreys Bay). As Africa’s top ranked junior women’s surfer, Woolf has been dominating the 2018 series and has her sights set on an impressive fifth 2018 CSS title. Woolf won both the premier and junior titles in Nelson Mandela Bay and the junior titles in Durban and East London.
Pairing up with Dyer Island Conservation Trust, the makers of the “People’s Car”, Volkswagen will drive home the effect of plastic pollution on our beaches and oceans and the importance of recycling with two exciting activations. The first is a giant recycled plastic wave that people can pose with for pictures and share those on social media. The second, Trash to Treasure, give children the opportunity to showcase their creativity and make ocean creatures out of plastic waste.