Champions Crowned At Vic Bay

On the final day of USSA 2011 the ocean came to the party and produced the best conditions of the event and the best final day conditions in many a year. The swell lined up perfectly all day and raced down the point producing walls begging to be hacked to pieces. And the remaining competitors duly obliged.

The first heats of the day were the ladies’ quarter finals. The pick of the quarters was Q3, in which Stellenbosch’s Chloe Humby piped the fancied Kerri Hodkinson for the top spot with a wave on the buzzer. The following heat featured Tammy Lee Smith who due to a round one walk through was surfing for the first time in the event. She did not disappoint and immediately established herself as the clear favourite for the ladies’ title.

Following the ladies’ quarters the men took to the water for their quarter finals. As they were run as three man heats with the top two progressing the quarters produced some scintillating surfing. With one less body in the line-up the likes of Philip Visagie, Logan Eales and Brad Beck came to the fore. Beck in particular had been flying under the radar in the in the earlier rounds but in his quarter finals the dreadlocked man from NMMU began to hit his straps.

The semi-finalists in the men’s competition make up the USSA 2011 team. The men who made it were: Philip Visagie (UCT), Clinton Gravett (NMMU), Dane Cox (NMMU), Scott Lefevre (VC), Josh Salie (UCT), Shawn Dennis (VC), Brad Beck and Logan Eales (UCT).

After the men’s quarters the ladies semi-finals got underway with Kirsten Kingma (CPUT), Tammy Lee Smith (VC), Kerri Hodkinson (UCT) and Leani Horne (NMMU) contesting the first semi. The second semi included the three remaining Maties surfers, Lisa Mace, Chloe Humby and Sarah Havard up against UCT’s Sarah Nicholson. The rivalry between the ladies spilled out onto the point as there was a brief exchange of words as they prepared to paddle out. Despite the numerical disadvantage Nicholson prevailed in her semi and was joined in the final by Lisa Mace, Tammy Lee Smith and Kerri Hodkinson.

The ladies’ finalists join the men’s semi-finalist in the USSA 2011 team and if the opportunity for an international student surfing competition arises they will earn national colours. Unfortunately though the opportunities of such an event are very limited and there hasn’t been a USSA team to earn national colours in over twenty years.

With the ladies’ finalists decided the men took to the surf for their semi-finals in order to determine their finalists. In the first semi-final Clinton Gravett avenged his round four second at the hands of Philip Visagie. Gravett lead Visagie into the final as they knocked Dane Cox and Scott Leferve out of the competition. The second semi was a closely fought affair with perennial favourite, Josh Salie and the young upstart, Logan Eales bowing out. Shawn Dennis and Brad Beck progressed into the final with Beck taking the top spot, as he seemed to have the end section dialled in. As there was very little to choose between the top eight Beck’s risky manoeuvres on the close-out set him apart.

The ladies’ final then took to the water. But with Tammy Lee Smith in dominant form the other three contestants were surfing for second from early on. And after 25 minutes of the Smith show the final results were in. Tammy Lee Smith added her name to the winners’ trophy with Kerri Hodkinson placing second, Lisa Mace placing third and Sarah Nicholson placing fourth.

With the ladies’ title decided there was only the highly anticipated men’s winner left to determine. And the men’s final did not disappoint. After the buzzer opinion was split as to who had won. Only the judges could be sure and even they had their problems. They had to take the third highest waves into consideration to spilt the second and third placed men. After a tense wait the announcement was made by contest organiser from NMMU’s George Campus, Hugo Loubser. Defending champion Clinton Gravett had placed fourth, Philip Visagie placed third, Shawn Dennis second and Brad Beck claimed the title of 2011 USSA Surfing Champion.