Thumping Vic Bay Quad

HAIR'S BREADTH: Forest Hair shreds his way to a win in the Open Men division Photo Gavin Falck

The Southern Cape locals (with a few imports) took the win, with five wins in eight divisions and a total of 10 surfers represented in all eight podiums to make 34,353 points. Buffalo City were not that far behind (32,495 points) but with only two wins. However, crucially, nine of their surfers reached the podium in all but one of the divisions.

The divisions comprised Open Men, Open Women, Over 30 Men, Over 35 Men, Over 40 Men, Over 45 Men, Over 50 Men, and Over 60 Men. Nelson Mandela Bay were third with 28,859 points. Cape Winelands scored 27,598 for fourth place, and Cape Town ended fifth with 23,761 points.

Father and son, Forest and Stephen Hair, won the Open Men’s and Over 60 titles respectively. Other surfers who ensured that Eden took team honours were 2013 ISA World Champion and 2021 Open Men’s winner at this event, Shuan Joubert who won the Over 30 Division. Fellow Eden surfers, Mark Zunckel took gold in the Over 35 Division and Charles Reitz won the Over 45 Final for the second year in a row.

Defending Over 50 Division surfer Wayne Monk of Buffalo City continued his annual success at the Vic Bay Quad and his East London team mate Tyrell Johnson won the Over 40 division.

POWER POWIS: Danielle Powis took the Open Women in thumping Vic Bay. Photo Martin Powis

The Open Women’s title was deservedly won by dedicated Danielle Powis who was the toast of the Cape Winelands team. This is the first major win for Powis, who has been competing since she was eleven years old. She is the daughter of Barbara and sister to Brionee, Craig and Avro Johnson, one of Cape Town’s most famous surfing families.

The first Vic Bay Quad was held 46 years ago, ironically at Wilderness Beach because the surf was too small at Vic Bay. It was originally contested by Southern Cape (known as South Western Districts back then) and now called Eden, Western Province (now Cape Town), Eastern Province (now Nelson Mandela Bay) and Border (now called Buffalo City).

In the early 1980s, Boland (now Cape Winelands) sent a team to the event but it retained its name as the Vic Bay Quad, even though five teams take part. In the 1980s, a team from the SA Defence Force also competed.

SIZE AND QUALITY: The waves were cranking and the surfers were ripping. Photo Gavin Falck

After a break of nearly a decade the Vic Bay Quad was added to the Surfing South Africa calendar in 2012 as a memorial to its founder John Pfaff. At the end of the contest every surfer’s allocated scores determine the team champions. The John Pfaff Trophy is awarded to the winning team.

The 2022 Vic Bay Quad in memory of John Pfaff was presented by Surfing South Africa and hosted by Eden Surfriders. The Mayor of George, His Worship Leon Van Wyk, came down to Vic Bay to watch the Finals and present the Trophies and medals to the winning team and the finalists.

OPEN MEN
Forest Hair EDEN1
Clinton Gravett BC3
Tyrell Johnson BC1
Thomas Lindhorst BC2

OPEN WOMEN
Danielle Powis CW2
Katie Winter CTS2
Anastasia Venter CW1
Robyn Dodd EDEN1

OVER 30 MEN
Shaun Joubert EDEN1
Clinton Gravett BC3
Joske De Beer CW2
Josh Saunders NMB1

OVER 35 MEN
Mark Zunckel EDEN1
Jono Bruton BC1
Mikhail Thompson CW1
Adin Jeenes EDEN3

OVER 40 MEN
Tyrell Johnson BC1
Sean Holmes EDEN1
Llewellyn Whittaker EDEN3
Etienne Potgieter NMB3

OVER 45 MEN
Charles Reitz EDEN1
Graeme Field BC1
Shane Thorne NMB1
Warwick Heny NMB3

OVER 50 MEN
Wayne Monk BC1
Steve Bredell NMB1
Pieter Ben Van Rhijn NMB2
Patrick Cuthbert EDEN2

OVER 60 MEN
Stephen Hair EDEN
Jeremy Zinn CTS
Andre Venter NMB
Pete Britz BC