Supertubes at Jeffreys Bay lived up to its name on the second day of the 2004 Quiksilver SA Surfing Championships, producing classic one to 1,6 metre (3-5 foot) waves that allowed the competitors to utilise their full repertoire of manoeuvres as they rode down the point.
In warm sunshine and a light onshore breeze, Michael Roscoe from Southern KwaZulu-Natal put in a mixed bag of performances that included the highest single wave score of the tournament — 9,87 out of a possible 10 — for a ride packed with radical placing moves.
The ride came after he had been placed second behind Clayton Nienaber (KwaZulu-Natal) in his opening heat of the day and then only managed a total of 8,50 points for his best two waves in round two. That relegated Roscoe to the rêepechage rounds, which galvanised last year’s open division runner-up into producing the tournament’s best performance. The rêepechage rounds are a contest in which the runners-up in the eliminating heats compete for a place in the final.
He started the heat with a ride of 7,83 points and followed that up with the record setting ride to notch up the top heat total of 17,70 from a possible 20.
He went on to win his round three rêepechage heat also and now joins former two-time SA open champ and SA national team captain Wayne Monk (Border) and Nienaber, Ryan Ribbink, Mark Jackson and John McCarthy in the last six in the Masters division.
The standard of surfing in the Masters was exceptionally high, with the 26 to 35 year-olds taking full advantage of the conditions to shred the long point waves and post high scores in the heats.
The same held true for the U20 boys whose first round of qualifying and first rêepechage round also featured electrifying displays of high performance contest surfing.
2002 ISA world junior runner-up Ricky Basnett from KwaZulu-Natal was the pick of a high class field, surfing well within his capabilities but completing manoeuvres that most of his peers could only imagine attempting.
The 18-year-old opened his account with a 9,33 point ride and then toyed with waves for the remainder of the 20 minute heat, adding a 6,17 pointer that left second placed Lyle Meek, an accomplished local ripper, needing 9,67 points for victory when the siren sounded.
Basnett led a clutch of high-scoring heat winners that included fellow KZN riders Daniel Redman (14,17), Damian Fahrenfort (who replaced an injured Warwick Wright in the KZN squad), Wade Lewis and world U16 champ Jordy Smith. Joseph Krone (Southern Cape), who escaped unscathed from a Great White shark attack at the Point at Jeffreys Bay last year, teammate Sam Wiese and Mikhail Thompson (Boland) were the other first round winners.
The competitors in the first round of U20 rêepechage heats also revelled in the late afternoon conditions, with Luke Christie-Smith (WP), Jonathan Channing (SN), Shaun Payne (EP) and Scott Venter (Zulu) emerging triumphant from their five man heats to remain in contention, along with the second placed surfer, for the crown.
With the surf predicted to increase dramatically in size on Tuesday afternoon and into Wednesday, the competitors in the premier Open Men’s division are expected to make their appearance on Wednesday. Quintin Jones (WP), 2002 ISA world open champ Travis Logie (KZN) and former two-time champ and recent ISA world surfing games finalist Sean Holmes (Southern Cape) are expected to raise the level of surfing to the next level.
The 2004 Quiksilver SA Surfing Championships are scheduled to finish on Sunday when the finals in all eight age categories will be staged. – Sapa