SPORT & OUTDOOR
Surfer Girl event in Cape Town attracts large entry
Venue: Athlone Civic Centre. Tel: 042-200-2600
Time:
Price:
Date:
The
first Billabong “I’m a Surfer Girl” surfing contest has
attracted a large entry of more than 65 participants from
the rapidly growing population of female surfers that are
taking to the waves around the country.
The
event is designed to encourage girls to enter the
competitive surfing arena and boasts a full spectrum of
age divisions including U/12, U/14, U/16 and U/20 with a
total of R7 500 in prize-money up for grabs.
Every entrant gets a goodies bag and a free T-shirt, which
will have a printed Valentine’s Day motif as the event
starts on 14 February, and the girls will be able to meet
and get the autograph of Heather Clark, SA’s queen of
surfing and current world #3 rated competitor, who will be
doing commentary during the event.
The
level of excitement the “I’m a Surfer Girl” event is
generating in Cape Town is best portrayed by 14 year-old
Tarryn Chudleigh from Kommetjie who has entered no less
than three separate divisions – U/14, U/15 and U/20!
The
reigning SA U/14 champion is no stranger to contesting
multiple divisions at an event and also has beaten many of
the boys in the younger age groups since she started
competing in surfing events in the U/10 category in Cape
Town.
She
will up against the likes of Lisa Mace and Chloe Humby,
both from Somerset West, in the U/14 division and will
take on Chloe’s sister Lara in the U/16’s. Tarryn faces
tougher opposition in the U/20’s where the likes of former
WP champ and fellow Kommetjie local Linsey Cottrell and
Sarah Nicholson (Cape Town) are part of what is currently
the smallest division with just 10 competitors at present.
The
U/12’s are the joint biggest division with 20 entries, of
which six would actually qualify for U/10 status if there
were such a category, demonstrating the huge growth in
popularity for the sport of surfing amongst girls since
the recent establishment of surf schools all along the SA
coastline.
Bianca Buitendag (Strand) and Holly Armstrong
(Scarborough), both of whom have represented WP at
development surfing level, are the top local contenders in
the U/12’s where they will try to match the class of young
Heidi Palmboom from the Bluff in Durban.
The
event will take place on Saturday and Sunday and is being
run by Western Province Surfing with Cecil Solomon as the
contest director. Entry forms are available at surf shops
throughout the Western Cape and further information on the
event can be obtained from Laureen Payne at 042-200-2600.
|
