KEIKI

The dust has settled after a weekend that saw probably the greatest wave conditions and riding performance for a Cape Classic and arguably any SABA event.

Western Province Bodyboarding Association kicked off the development clinic, teaching basic fundamentals and skills of Bodyboarding in Big bay. We invited everyone and anyone keen on getting involved, and found our presence was graced with organizations like wowess (Women of waves) and TLC. Everyone had a great time and I’m sure we are going to be seeing a lot more faces in the line up very soon.

The next morning, and the first day of the contest was kicked off on a wonderful sunny day in Cape Town and very contestable, 4ft right hand wedges exploding in front of the onlookers and judges.Just off the back of Mark McCarthy’s second place at the Box pro,the riders braved the freezing waters and took advantage of the flawless conditions to prove the level of riding in South Africa is on par or greater than that of the rest of the world.Huge inverts,backflips and air roll spins from the boys division all the way through womens, to grand masters saw impressed judges, entertained spectators and high rewarded scores.

The following day saw a change in the swell height and the WPBA making use of the peninsular and the fact that Cape Classic is one of the only mobile bodyboarding events in the world. The decision was made to transfer the contest to caves in the heart of Koel bay.

A predominantly heavy 3-4ft right wedge was the platform for the final day of the contest. Once again the ocean came to the party providing offshore winds before turning cross-shore for the finals. Riders relied on experience and wave knowledge to stamp their places in the final and gain those ever so valuable, SABA points. 

I was personally very impressed to see the level of riding in the boys division and thought it is a great indication of the future and standard of riding still to come in South Africa.

Apart from the riders giving it all they got, the judges saw a judging error of 97%, meaning only a 3% deviation between judge’s scores across every heat and every division of the contest! This is an incredible score and is worth recognition. The best judge of the contest going to Riaan du Preez.

Given the quality of waves, the competition and the intimidating company kept at the Cape Classic, Dave Comacho came away with full 10’s across the judging panel to secure himself best rider of the contest with his deep barrel to floating barrel roll.

The final heats went as follows:

 Winners of the Cape Classic 2012

• Pros
  1. Rheinhart Du Toit
  2. Aden Kleve
  3. Adam Morley
  4. Wesley Potts
  5. Steven Du Preez & Bas Koopman
  6. Rory Fellow Smith & Ian Kruger

• Juniors
  1.Bas Koopmans
  2.Jason Fowler
  3. Niklas Martin
  4. Stephen du Preez 
   
• DK
  1. Aden Kleve
  2. Dylan van Tonder
  3. Wesley Potts
  4. Peet Verreyne

• Mens
  1. Dave Camacho
  2. Emile Maree
  3. Chris van der Westhuyzen
  4. Micheal Meyer
  
• Ladies
  1.Pamela Bowren
  2. Jannecke de Kock
  3. Rossie Lombard
  
• Boys
  1. Dylan Le Roux
  2. Tristan Roberts
  3. Jarred Thomas
  4. Aeden O’Brien

• Grand masters
  1. Marcel Habets
  2. Len Bradford

• Masters
  1. Sean Oberholzer
  2. Morne Laubser
  3. Melvin Victors
  4. Lee Moran

A big thank you must go out to the sponsors of our event and prizes, without you none of this would be possible and we truly appreciate what you’ve done and the fact you keep backing us from year to year. Another, congratulation to the Western Province Bodyboarding Association committee for all there hard work and tedious hours they put in, to making sure the event ran as successfully as it did. Congratulations to the judges and of course, the riders! We thank everyone for following and enjoying the Cape Classic 2012 with us and look forward to seeing you up the West Coast this weekend for the next event on the SABA calendar.

Name: Stephen du Preez

Age: 17

Bodyboarding: 6 years

Wave: Cave Rock

Food: Sushi

Place: Durban

Music: The Used, Skrillex,Pendulum, anything really

Sponsors: Turbo, Surf HQ, Ally, Circa

How did you get into bodyboarding?

Getting into bodyboarding was something I slowly got into with my family always being involved with the ocean and fishing,I got my first board when my parents went to a fishing store near North Beach and so I just couldn’t get off the thing and persuaded my parents to buy me a better one after that!

Biggest influences?

My biggest influences growing up where really all the guys  in the Tension and No Friends vids, as well as locals on the bluff like Dylan Worman (who actually taught me how to spin) to guys like Sean Holloway and Tyrone van Wyk who motivated me to paddle out in the bigger surf and gave me a guideline on how things where really done.

The best thing about bodyboarding?

Has got to be travelling, going to new places and riding different waves with your mates, keeping fit and learning about how the ocean works and teaching others about the things you love most!!!

What do you do besides bodyboarding

School is a major priority for me at the moment as it is my last year but when I get the chance when there are no waves I’d definitely be found running, playing cricket, chilling with friends and of course diving for some crayfish for some pocket money!

Where have you travelled?

 I have travelled to as many places in SA as possible from Durban down to the West Coast riding all the contests on the SABA circuit and near my dad’s house on the West Coast but nowhere abroad as yet!

Where would you like to travel?

I would absolutely love to travel to Hawaii for a season or two. As well as go to Oz to compete on the Australian National Tour as well as get a few adventurous trips to the Cook Islands, Sumatra, Bali and Mozam all sound like a great plan for the future.

My favourite rider and why?
My favorite rider on the world tour at the moment would be Jared Houston, he is the perfect example of a rider with the perfect style and power balance in his riding and I believe he has really set the bar higher on the world tour as a competitor because of his good attitude and his level head.

Cave Rock ?
Cave Rock is really a wave close to my heart and I do really have so much respect for that wave because it still slams me down onto the reef harder than any wave I’ve ridden in my six years of body boarding. People that really charge at the rock are guys like Rudy Palmboom snr and jnr as well as many local surfers.

But on the bodyboarding side of things guys like Sean Holloway(dk rider) charge so hard at the rock, I’ve really seen Sean get some of the largest barrels and biggest beatdowns ever tring to stay committed to the DK way of things, not saying he’s a bad prone rider either! Other guys that really charge at the rock would be Matt Lynch, Tyler Vorster, Michael ostler and Wesley Fisher.

What other body boarders rip on the Bluff ?
Sean Holloway, Matt lynch, Greg du bois, Tyrone van Wyk, Tyler Vorster, in no particular order.

What are my plans after school?
To either spend time in Oz working and competing or study back home, get an awesome job  and get myself on the world tour and travel the world!

Thoughts/plans for development?
At the moment I have a small group of young guys who I am trying to get involved with the body boarding way of life from the bluff who are super amped on bodyboarding. Teach these guys the basics and let their enthusiasm let them become the body boarders of the future!

What do you think about the Keiki high schools series?

I really think that this series brings together all the young and established bodyboarders together within the Durban area and helps them get a feel for the contest vibe and gets everybody amped to improve and get involved in higher competitive levels of bodyboarding.

Thanks to Bryan Paynter Images, Rayner Venter and Simon Williamson for the images.
Also check out Bryan Paynter Images Facebook page below
http://www.facebook.com/Mr.Paynter

Summer in Cape Town is amazing especially when there is a good consistent swell.
I booked 6 months ago and got a cheap ticket from Durban.
First stop was a swim at  Long Beach, so we could get use to the water as well as test out my new HD Hero 2 Go Pro.

Then we went to The Hoek and I’ve been riding this spot since 1991, it’s always good here in the summer.

I also managed to meet up with Lee Moran and Sascha Taljaard. I also bumped into Cameron Nelson as he was down on holiday…

West Coast – First time been up the west coast, this is where all the Cape Town people go on holiday and there are waves here.

Ayzerfontein - No one was out and it was pretty lumpy, I had my Go Pro so I thought ill have a quick session, by myself, which is not good idea any where, so I headed to the rocks and asked the fisherman if it was okay to ride here and where there any sharks around!! He said no sharks but the waves get big. I managed to get a few and a nice left barrel in the middle of the bank…

DK WARS SA was held at long beach in 2-4ft waves all day.
Lee Moran put up did an amazing job for running his first event.
Some of his best body boarders were there to be a part of it.
Sascha Specker,ST, Aden Kleve, DVT were all ripping.
Also there was the legendary Jason Boddy who came to watch.
This was not a contest, it was gathering of body boarders getting together and having a good time.

[thethe-image-slider name="DK Wars"]

Llandudno - Wow, this is such a sick body boarding wave, it’s a chilly consistent right hand barrel off the rocks, which has a sweet end section, all sand, so you can get waves along the whole bay depending on the right tide and swell direction.
I managed to get some really good waves here, with John McDonald and Reech.
Besides all the epic waves I had here, there is plenty to do here…

Other activities, well there are plenty of other touristic things to do and see in Cape Town.
Cape Town also has some of the best restaurants and bars to choose from plus
a great night life!