Steyn Wins QS Event

THE BLUE TRAIN: Steyn has been mentored by top surf coach Barton Lynch. Photo WSL

Steyn, 34, beat rising Australian star Bo Farrelly, 22, in solid 4-6' offshore conditions at the beachbreak, in front of 23,000 raucous Australian beachgoers.

The legendary fast bowler had been awarded a wildcard berth to the Australian event just days after the Proteas were bundled out of the ICC T20 World Cup.

The "Steyn Remover", who has taken 788 wickets for South Africa in all formats of the game, stunned the cricket fraternity at the awards ceremony of the Manly Pro by announcing his retirement from the game.

"I just want to thank my former colleagues and fans back home for all the support over the years, but surfing is my home now. This win really cements my passion, and it has made me realise that there will be life after cricket."

Steyn said he had been training hard in various surf spots around South Africa and the world, when on tour and not playing cricket. One of his dreams was to surf in an WSL-sanctioned event. "I have been working with high performance surfing coach Barton Lynch who has helped my technique, wave selection and fitness massively," Steyn said.

LEARNER: Steyn at the Oakley X-Over (JBay Winterfest) last year. Photo: Kody McGregor

Lynch, whose coaching clinics take place on the northern coast of Sydney, was on the beach at Manly to congratulate Steyn, who punched the air and fist-pumped the sand furiously in his excitement, his face twisted in a passionate grimace.

"Dale is a natural surfing talent. He is extremely supple, and a wiry physique goes hand in hand with superb balance, and accuracy with the barrel," Lynch said, adding that South Africans should change his nickname from the Phalaborwa Express to the Blue Train.

Part of the motivation for Steyn to take his surfing to a competitive level was something that former Springbok flanker Rob Louw said to him: "Rob once told me that getting an 8 foot barrel at Supertubes was a much more exciting moment in his life than beating the All Blacks in News Zealand in the 80s."

Steyn also announced that he will be starting a surf brand called Steyn-Butch City Limits, in association with former Bok flyhalf Butch James, also a keen surfer.

Manly Moon-Biscuit Pro presented by Wallnut-Dunkitt Baristas Fair Trade Final Results:
1 - Dale Steyn (ZAF) 19.33
2 - Bo Farrelly (AUS) 5.66

Manly Moon-Biscuit Pro presented by Wallnut-Dunkitt Baristas Fair Trade Final Women's Results:
1 - Sheila Concourt (AUS) 11.67
2 - Sheila Conlogue (AUS) 11.66

Manly Moon-Biscuit Pro presented by Wallnut-Dunkitt Baristas Fair Trade Semifinal Results:
SF 1: Bo Farrelly (AUS) 18.43 def. Bruce Concourt (AUS) 13.27
SF 2: Dale Steyn (ZAF) 9.23 def. Bruce Kennedy (AUS) 3.10

Manly Moon-Biscuit Pro presented by Wallnut-Dunkitt Baristas Fair Trade Semifinal Women's Results:
SF 1: Sheila Conlogue (AUS) 14.17 def. Ruby Moore (HAW) 14.00
SF 2: Sheila Concourt (AUS) 15.27 def. Sheila Defoe (AUS) 10.50