Durban's Jordy up to No 4 on rankings after victory in California

Jordy Smith carves off the top on his way to victory in the Hurley Pro in California 

    on Wednesday  Photo: WSL / Rowland

SAN CLEMENTE, California, USA (Wednesday, September 14, 2016) – South Africa’s Jordy Smith claimed victory at the Hurley Pro in California on Wednesday, defeating 2012 World Champion Joel Parkinson in the final of Stop No 8 of 11 on the Samsung Galaxy World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) in 1 – 1.3 metre waves at the high performance cobblestone break of Lower Trestles.

The win was Smith’s fifth on the Championship Tour, his second at Lower Trestles and his best result of 2016 season, earning the 28 year-old from Durban US $100,000 (R1.4 million) and 10,000 points which lifted him to No. 4 on the Jeep Leaderboard and firmly into the World Title race with three events remaining on the schedule.

“I’ve had a really good surfboard under my feet this event,” Smith said. “I came into the event with an open mind. I missed it last year (through injury) when the waves were firing so I just wanted to come in and take it heat-by-heat. I’ve watched Joel [Parkinson] throughout my career and he’s one of my favourite surfers. I’m frothing and I’m over the moon.”

Smith’s tactics of staying in the inside position at the start paid off and he established a strong lead with a 6.0 and an excellent 8.17 early in the final as the two former event winners went head-to-head. But Parkinson responded with a 6.93 and a critical 8.43, the highest scoring ride of the clash, before Smith added a 7.63 to his tally. Without priority and three minutes on the clock, the Australian needed a 7.27 to take the win, but was not able to land the requirement.

“If I can be in with a shot at the World Title this year then that will be great,” continued Smith. “The European events can go either way so I’m just going to try my hardest and see how it goes. I think my Round 4 match-up against Kelly [Slater] and Michel Bourez was the toughest here, and of course that semi-final against Filipe (Toledo) was a big heat too.”

This event marks Parkinson’s best result of the year and his first finals appearance since the 2014 J-Bay Open where he also earned a runner-up finish. The 2004 Lowers Champion found his form once again, overcoming in-form local wildcard Tanner Gudauskas (USA) in a nail-biting semi-final duel to earn a place in the final against Smith. Parkinson moves up eight places to sixth on the Jeep Leaderboard.

“I really fell in love with this wave and this town in 2004,” Parkinson said. “This year was another wonderful year at Trestles and I’m really happy to be back here and on the podium -- it feels really good. This event I was so motivated and really keen to notch up a win. The talent of surfing in this event is incredible and I have to give it to Jordy, he’s an amazing surfer and a top World Title contender.”

The next CT event for men is the Quiksilver Pro France from 4 – 15 October.

WorldSurfLeague.com

Men’s Hurley Pro Final Results:
1 - Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.80
2 - Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.36

Men’s Hurley Pro Semifinal Results:
SF 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.23 def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 14.50
SF 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 14.43 def. Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 14.33

2016 WSL Jeep Leaderboard Top 5 (After Hurley Pro)
1. John John Florence (HAW) 41,650 points
2. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 37,450
3. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 36,500
4. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 35,200
5. Kelly Slater (USA) 29,650

source: WSL & Paul Botha

Puzzle Album - All things Kwa-Zulu Natal

Do you enjoy doing puzzles, you might like this link.

We have been very fortunate over the years to visit many places around the world, country and also have done numerous events and visited loads of fab places in our own back yard KZN, so in time we will be uploading "puzzling" photographs for others to enjoy and solve of the beautiful destinations in KZN and around the country, this album will feature locations specific to KZN , more photos from around the country and world will be uploaded in time on this awesome JS Puzzles site

so for all the the Puzzlers in the world this is for you....



Puzzle Album - All things Kwa-Zulu Natal


Photographer - Paul Godwin / Nerve Communications

Top Billing | Aude Lemordant - Sky Grand Prix 2016

Nerve Events: Sky Grand Prix Part 2

Nerve Events: Sky Grand Prix Part 2

Sky Grand Prix of Aerobatics - Durban, South Africa 2016

SA's Patrick Davidson crowned champion of Sky Grand Prix of Aerobatics

Sky Grand Prix of Aerobatics 2016

Sky Grand Prix Durban 2016 - (#ILoveSA Ep. 26)

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Fear of storm swell and a record snapped boards does not deter SA Longboard Champions

                         

Steezy on the nose Outer Pool - picture supplied

“My Shattered Nerves”, in looking back at the last 7 days of the SA Champs in Mossels, arguably the most under-rated surf town in SA, is the first thought that comes to mind.

The predictions for storm swell exceeding 7.5m on the Saturday before the event put fear into the hearts of at least 90% of the contenders, and smiles on the faces of the Longboard shapers and glassers. With none of the doom-sayers predictions coming true, the week saw us getting 7 days of the best waves of any SA Champs held anywhere in SA, in living memory. From day one saw a steady snapping of boards as the competitors tried to go harder and deeper into the powerful waves. Total tally of broken boards was 19 over the week, which exceeds Vic Bays 2010 SA champs record of 17 (but they were all in one day).

As contest director it is always good to “strike while the irons hot”, but thankfully I could keep striking. Which one change of venue required over the period for 3 hours, where we surfed Ding Dang, (first time ever a contest has been held there). The rest was held at the point where judges could judge both Inner and Outer Pool from one venue without moving. On the third floor of Point Village Hotel, they could see exactly how surfers were performing.

There were some plucky performances where the U14 Boys (youngest 11 yrs) and U16 Girls (also youngest 11 yrs) went out in HUGE Inner pool and caused a number of mothers and fathers to stand praying silently on the shore. My thanks goes to the caddies that went out to protect them in these conditions. Also a special mention of Paul Chudleigh who is a a Muizemberg local in surfing in the open division went out in 10-12 foot Outer Pool. His comment after his heat was”Whoooah!”. It was easily twice the size of anything he has ridden before.

I would like to thank the local Mossel Bay surf community for sharing their favourite spot for the duration of the event. It is not often that surfers are keen to share their waves but the friendly Mossel Bay crowd happily free surfed alternative venues for the week. I believe a number of them are considering Longboarding after the performances they witnessed.

Next year is KZN’s turn and we can expect them to field a very strong field.

The results were as follow:

Provincial:

1^st - Western Province - 105 765 points

2^nd - Eastern Province - 99 711 points

3^rd - ESS - 71 540 points

4^th - KZN - 60 223 points

Under 16 girls:

1^st - Christy Gilmore (KZN)

2^nd – Kelly Fenton (EP)

3^rd – Caroline Brown (WP)

4^th – Angelica Schon (WP)

Under 14 Boys:

1^st -  Kye Mcgregor (EP)

2^nd - Alex Townsend (WP)

3^rd  - Simankele Rooi (WP)

4^th - Warren Weidemann (EP)

Under 18 Girls:

1^st – Crystal Hullet (EP)

2^nd – Michelle Verreyne (ESS)

3^rd – Kia Fenton (EP)

4^th – Rachel Wood (KZN)

Senior men:

1^st – Thomas King (WP)

2^nd – Mike Grendon (WP)

3^rd – Ross Lahana (ESS)

4^th – Tyrone Jensen (ESS)

Senior ladies:

1^st – Roxy Davis (ESS)

2^nd – Angela Craemer (ESS)

3rd – Charley Pollard (WP)

4^th – Deborah Patterson (EP)

Under 16 boys:

1^st – Ryan Lightfoot (EP)

2^nd – Jake Schoeman (WP)

3^rd – Tristan Torr (EP)

4^th – Fabian Marais (KZN)

Under 16 girls:

1^st – Christy Gilmore (KZN)

2^nd – Kelly Fenton (EP)

3^rd – Caroline Brown (WP)

4^th – Angela Schon (WP)

Under 18 boys:

1^st – Tristan Lev

2^nd – Sam Christiansen (KZN)

3^rd – Paul Chudleigh

4^th – Seth De Boer

Open ladies:

1^st – Taryn King (WP)

2^nd – Roxy Davis (ESS)

3^rd – Angela Craemer

4^th – Taryn Chadleigh

Open men:

1^st – Steven Sawayer (EP)

2^nd – Grant Beck

3^rd – Tristan Lev

4^th – Thomas King (WP)

Masters:

1^st – Brad Weare (KZN)

2^nd – Gregg Clarke (EP)

3^rd – Robin Somagnari (WP)

4^th – Dirk Tolken (ESS)

Grand masters:

1^st – Duncan Scot (EP)

2^nd – Ralph Renny (EP)

3^rd – Paul O’Connell (WP)

4^th – Toby Murphy (WP)

Kahunas:

1^st – Dave Jenkins (WP)

2^nd – Steve Harcourt-Wood (WP)

3^rd – Dave Mc Gregor (EP)

4^th – Craig van Greunen (EP)

Grand Kahunas:

1^st – Grant Gilmour (KZN)

2^nd – Deon Bing (WP)

3^rd – Sean Newton (ESS)

4^th – David Stubbs (WP)

Veterans:

1^st – Steven Hair(ESS)

2^nd – Gavin Seaman (EP)

3^rd – Ketith Kelly ( WP)

4^th – Gavin Rother (EP)

Divas:

1^st – Kay Holt – (EP)

2^nd – Charmaine Adams (WP)

3^rd – Jackey Partridge (ESS)

4^th – Lynn Robertson ((WP)

Legends:

1^st – Peter Randal (WP)

2^nd – Henry Dowling (ESS)

3^rd – Dave Lipschitz (EP)

4^th – Attie vd Pas (KZN)

  

Gregg & Michael - "Surfers Surfer"

Steezy Sawyer - Open Champ

Sussanah Leigh Hold WP Team Trophy aloft

 After 25years Lippy wins most exceptional surfer

  

 A moments silence

 A light snack

 The long and the short of surfing

Broken boards order of the day

Posted on behalf of Brian Salter, Pics supplied

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In the Back of a Yak - A journalist's view

Brad pulling some G's with Paulo and back on terra firma, Pictures: Paul Godwin

This story was published in the Witness Newspaper last week by Brad Morgan who had the good fortune of winning the lucky draw prize of a flip around Durban in a Yak at the Sky Grand Prix of Aerobatics media launch.

I found it to be an excellent read and felt duty bound to reproduce his illuminating tale on this blog, with kind permission from the author. 

Last week I attended the media launch for the Sky Grand Prix of Aerobatics at Greyville in Durban. The organisers, after their presentations, conducted a lucky draw, with two recipients set to be taken up for a flight in an aerobatics aeroplane. I didn’t want to be one of them, but mine was the first name drawn.

I should explain myself. I get sea sick and I have two slipped discs in my neck. I thought those two things would not be a good combination for a flip in an aerobatics machine. But one cannot turn down such opportunities, so on Saturday afternoon I made my way to Virginia Airport for a flight into the unknown.

When I saw two Yak 52s from the Ecko Unlimited Yak Display Team there, I was a little comforted. And when the pilots, Paulo Martins and Roger Deare, took off on seemingly innocuous flights with others up the coast to the Durban harbour and then down the coast to Umhlanga my heart beat easier.

So up we went, with Paulo, an SAA Express pilot, flying me. Roger and his passenger followed us up, always just off our left wing and a short distance behind, in formation. We flew low along the coast, probably never higher than 500 feet. Durban is beautiful from up there: the beaches, the Durban Country Club and the Virginia Airport, which we buzzed over at just above treetop height before pulling up and banking to the right.

Paulo warned me we would be pulling a few Gs. A warning is good, but the last time I experienced Gs was probably back in the eighties on a loop-the-loop roller-coaster at Gold Reef City. When my face started doing strange contortions and my head began to squeeze tight, I broke into a clammy sweat. That was three-and-a-half to four Gs, Paulo told me.

It was a good experience, and many thanks to the organisers of the Sky Grand Prix of Aerobatics for the treat.

Now, I have covered many different sports in 20 years of doing so on radio, the internet and in newspapers, but I have never covered aerobatics. I have seen a bit on TV, watched the Red Bull Air Races (which are quite different), but my knowledge is severely lacking. That’s why I am really excited about the competition coming to Greyville on May 28.

Almost everything we cover is on the ground, but aerobatics is up in the air, where man has long dreamed of flying with the birds, and aerobatic pilots are the closest beings we have with the ability to match flying creatures. They may do even “crazier” things. For one thing, I learnt on Saturday that those top aerobatics pilots fly without helmets or pressurised suits to deal with the G forces, and they pull up to nine or 10 Gs in competition! That’s insane.

Paolo explained to me that one can be fit, but the pilots have to train to be “G-fit” because of the strain that it puts on the body. And then, under those pressures, they have to attempt to perform set sequences perfectly.

There will be two of them during the competition. The first has been revealed to the contestants already, so they can practice the moves right up until May 28. The second they will learn the day before they have do fly that sequence. At the beginning of each run, their score will be a perfect 10, but for things like deviating five degrees off the required path they will lose points.

                                                                        

The competition will be conducted in 3-D – all three dimensions count in determining the accuracy of a sequence. Then, to top it all off, the freestyle will produce ridiculous manoeuvres that thankfully no passengers will ever experience.

The organisers have permission to fly low over Greyville, which will serve as the platform for the competition, in front of what is expected to be a packed crowd. An American commentator will, appropriately at Greyville, team up with former champion jockey Kevin Shea, who is apparently a big fan of the sport, to help the spectators understand what they are seeing.

Will it be worth getting along to the event? Most definitely, if you want to see the action, because most of it will happen just above the race course. People in places like the Berea will only see the planes as they climb out of the competition area in preparation for another run, or to return to Virginia Airport after completing a sequence. And anyone planning on parking on First Avenue or closer will be moved along by the Police.

I’m excited. In this job one can become a little jaded covering the same things over and over, but experiencing a new sport, learning from scratch about it, meeting the people whose passion it is, is one of the perks of doing what I do. And with some of the world’s best pilots and the best of South Africa in action, I predict a great day out for the family. It’s outdoors. And it will, do doubt, produce a lot of oohs and aahs, and memories to share with your loved ones.

 Story first published in The Witness 8 April 2014 / South Africa

Sky Grand Prix of Aerobatics 2016 : International Flying Aces to Buzz Durban

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Want to watch the Action in luxury... Well then take advantage of this package....



Sky Grand Prix of Aerobatics 2016 : VIP Hospitality option for Sky Grand Prix of Aerob...

SA longboard champs first visit to Mossel Bay

 Inner Pool earlier this week (11-14 April 2016) - Picture supplied

 Outer Pool 3foot gems - Picture supplied

The Judges view of Outer pool - Picture supplied

The annual South African Longboard Surfing Association (SALSA) Longboard surfing championships will be hosted in Mossel Bay, the tourists "heaven" this year which is a 
Historic first for longboarding in South Africa,

Dates for the event are from the 25th April to 1st May 2016. This is the biggest longboard surfing contest in SA.

"The championships have been running for more than 26 years. Featuring old ballies, their children and grandchildren, we are expecting more than 200 surfers and their families from 11yrs to 69yrs old when the event kicks off with team registrations on the 24th of April" says Brian Salter Chairman of Southern Cape Longboarding.

EDEN Longboarding is host to the championships with 16 longboard surfing divisions, starting with U-14's right up to the Legends division ( 60 Years and older).

                                                         Bring your appetites...

The event takes place around Mossel Bay point area and the schedule is:

Sun 24 April   Team Registration and welcoming from 16h00 at Delphinos

Mon 25 April   Event Starts First heat in the water 08h00

Wed 27  April  Opening Event (evening at Ponto Restaurant- point)

Friday 29 April   Chairmen and Managers Braai hosted by Tiletoria at the Tiletoria house

Sun 1 May  Finals and Prize giving at Ponto Restaurant 17h00

The standard of surfing will be excellent, with many past and current World and SA champions participating.  

Come and support this national event from 25-30 April 2016.

 The Judging Tower on the 3rd floor - Picture supplied

AND - Loads of time to play

Information and pictures supplied by Brian Salter