Border take out the 2008 SA Masters champs - again!

Press Release / Surfing South Africa / Monday 17 June, 2008:- Host province Border have won the team title at the 2008 Reef Wetsuits SA Masters Championships which was completed Sunday (June 15 ) after four days of competition held in excellent 4 - 6 foot waves at Nahoon Reef, East London.

This is the second year in a row that the team from East London has won the Masters Cup and underlines the depth and passion there is for Masters surfing in Border. Their winning total of 34,570 points was less than the 37,000 points they scored at Victoria Bay last year but they still finished some 9000 points ahead of neighbours Eastern Province.

This was a great result for Eastern Province who have worked hard at creating an interest in masters surfing in the area and they deserved their improvement from fourth in 2007 to second this year.

KZN came last in 2007 but improved to third place this time, finishing just 1000 points behind EP, while Western Province paid the price for not having a full team at the event and slipped to fourth. Boland came fifth, Southern Cape sixth and former champions, Southern KZN took the wooden spoon back home.

In the individual results Ryan Ribbink of KZN took the Senior Men's (over 30) title posting 14,50 to second placed Gary van Wieringen (SKZN) 13.00. Graeme Field (WP) was third with 12,70 points to his name and host province Chairman Tristan Johnson came fourth.

In the over 35 Masters Division Border stalwart Wayne Monk beat second placed Andrew Carter (EP) by 15,10 points to 14,35 with Rob Pollock (SCAPE) third on 13,80 and Carl Roux (SKZN) fourth.

SA Masters Team members and East London brothers David and Andre Malherbe had the crowd on their feet in the Grandmasters (Over 40) final as they traded wave for wave in the final with older brother David eventually coming out on top. His score of 17,85 was the highest in any of the finals and the fact that Andre came second with 17 points is an indication of how competitive this heat was. Another Border surfer, Gareth Sepp, came third with a score of 16 and Steve Adshade (EP) was fourth.

Steven Hair (SCAPE) posted 17,75 to beat World Championship runner up Nick Pike (Border) in the Kahunas (over 45) division. Pike scored 16 points to third placed Colin Buitendag (SCAPE) 12,75 and David Stubbs (WP) was fourth.

Two time World Champion and five time SA Champion Chris Knutsen (KZN) added another title to his name when he beat Brian Heathcote (Border) in the Grandkahunas (over 50) final scoring 13 points to Heathcote's 7,25. Jeremy Zinn (WP) was third and Tortie Cloete (SCAPE) was fourth.

Border President Dave Fish easily won the Veterans Final posting a 15.75 heat score at the tender age of 58. Mush Hide (EP) was second with Rob Head (KZN) third and Mike Godfrey (KZN) fourth.

The over 100 surfers that took part in the 2008 Reef Wetsuits SA Masters Championships were protected by three Shark Shields which were used at a South African surfing contest for the first time.

The Shark Shields were attached to buoys just outside the lineup. The batteries on each unit were replaced by the local lifesavers every four hours giving eight hours of protection to the surfers in the event.

Surfing South Africa are holding National Trials at Nahoon Reef on Monday June 16. These trials will be used to select the South African Masters Team which will defend the World Title won in Peru earlier this year at the ISA World Masters championships in 2009.

FULL RESULTS OF 2008 Reef Wetsuits SA Masters Championships

SENIORS (OVER 30)
1. RYAN RIBBINK: KZN
2. GARY VAN WIERINGEN: SKZN
3. GRAEME FIELD: WP
4. TRISTAN JOHNSON: BOR

MASTERS (OVER 35)
1. WAYNE MONK: BOR
2. ANDREW CARTER: EP
3. ROB POLLOCK: S/CAPE
4. CARL ROUX: KZN

GRANDMASTERS (OVER 40)
1. DAVE MALHERBE: BOR
2. ANDRE MALHERBE: BOR
3. GARETH SEPP: BOR
4. STEVE ADSHADE: EP

KAHUNAS (OVER 45)
1. STEVEN HAIR: S/CAPE
2. NICK PIKE: BOR
3. COLIN BUITENDAG: S/CAPE
4. DAVID STUBBS: WP

GRANDKAHUNAS (OVER 50)
1. CHRIS KNUTSEN : KZN
2. BRIAN HEATHCOTE : BOR
3. JEREMY ZINN : WP
4. TORTIE CLOETE : S/CAPE

VETERANS (OVER 55)
1. DAVE FISH: BOR
2. MUSH HIDE: EP
3. ROB HEAD: KZN
4. MIKE GODFREY: KZN

PROVINCIAL TEAMS
1. BORDER 34570
2. EASTERN PROVINCE 25786
3. KWAZULUNATAL 24720
4.WESTERN PROVINCE 22736
5. BOLAND 14374
6. SOUTHERN CAPE 13760
7. SOUTHERN KZN 9438