SA surfers score at SANZ challenge

South African surfers did us proud last Friday (27 March 2009) when they cleaned up every division and the Tag Team event to beat New Zealand in the 2009 Lotto SANZ Challenge which was held in excellent two metre (6 foot) surf at the second podium at Playa de las FAE in Salinas, Ecuador.

Sean Joubert : photo: Barry Tuck

The annual SANZ contest was first held at the ISA World Junior championships in Durban in 2003 and is an annual friendly tournament designed to give the surfers ideal competitive practice prior to the start of the ISA World Junior championships. The event is held a day or two before the start of the World championships, usually at the same venue of the upcoming tournament.

New Zealand came into this year's SANZ Challenge as two-time defending champions but a determined South African side had set their sights on winning back the unique trophy that is presented to the winning team each year. This time the South Africans completely dominated the encounter posting individual victory in the Under 18 Boys and Girls and Under 16 Boys finals as well as in the Tag Team final.

SA Team vice captain, Shaun Joubert won Under 18 honours with Matthew Bromley and Nick Godfrey ending joint fifth while Davey Brand won the Under 16 division beating fellow WP surfer Mikey February into second place. Dane Staples was fifth. In the Under 18 girls final Bianca Buitendag beat teammates Sarah Baum and Kirsty Delport to secure fist, second and third spots for SA. Tanika Hoffman came fifth.

Isasurf.org and Surfing South Africa will post a daily Press Release and pictures focusing on the progress of the South Africans on surfingsouthafrica.co.za

SSA has created a Facebook group for the 2009 SA Junior Surf Team