Style Champs
Friday 24 April 2015 Two hundred longboarders are descending on Port Elizabeth and Seal Point to compete in the 26th South African Longboard Champs starting on Sunday. Photos from last year by Stan Blumberg.
Riding surfboards of nine foot or more the surfers will be mixing their old school style with explosive modern moves in a bid to win the coveted winners’ trophy.
The contest begins with an Opening Function tomorrow at the Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment Centre in PE, where the four participating provinces will be briefed by Contest Directors Dave Lipschitz and Chris Dunt.
A mobile venue will be used for the first two days of the event, Sunday April 26th and Monday April 27th.
From Tuesday, the contest moves to Seal Point in Cape St Francis, where it will remain until the finals on Sunday May 2.
Sponsored by Cape St Francis Resort, Tiletoria and Lafarge and sanctioned by Surfing South Africa, the event is run by the SA Longboard Association (SALSA).
During the week at Cape St Francis Resort there will be plenty of action both in and out of the water. Apart from the competition itself, there will be plenty to do in the evenings at Joe Fish restaurant and the warm and friendly bar at the resort. The organizers are holding a movie night on Tuesday April 28th and the Brothers and Gino Fabbri will be rocking the crowds on Wednesday evening.
At the Gala Prizegiving, 70 unique trophies, sponsored by Tiletoria and photographer Kody Mc Gregor, will be presented to the finalists in each division.
There will also be a “Learn to Surf” session sponsored by Roxy and Surf Emporium during the event while Red Bull will be there to make sure we earn our wings.
The organizers have secured the services of Marelize Dalton, a Physiotherapist from Sophie Chandler Physiotherapy for those who need to be repaired after a tough day of competition and for the boards that break, Seal Point local Mike Beck will be on hand to assist.
Four winners from SA Champs automatically qualify for the South African Longboard Team that will compete in the next ISA World Longboard Championships.
Daily reports will be on AlgoaFM and results will be posted on the South African Longboarding Facebook page.
The South African Longboard Association is a member of Surfing South Africa, the recognized governing body for Surfriding in South Africa. Surfing South Africa is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA).
