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Submitted: Sunday, August 6, 2006
South African surfers claim victories in Japan and England
In arguably the best day of competition surfing by South Africans on the international stage, Roydon Bryson and David Weare claimed victories in ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) events on opposite sides of the globe.
Bryson, the only SA competitor in the 6 Star rated R875 000 Billabong presents the Yumeya Tahara Pro in Japan, earned himself R105 000 and a priceless 2 500 ratings points that have rocketed the East Londoner into second place on the WQS rankings. On Sunday Bryson convincingly defeated Brazilian Bernardo Miranda with two 9.0 point rides in the final of the event, after overcoming current ratings leader Neco Padaratz and fellow Brazilian Victor Ribas in their respective semi and quarter-final heats. Weare, one of 16 SA surfers in the popular Rip Curl Boardmasters event at Fistral Beach in Newquay, clinched his first victory in a 5 Star rated, R700 000 event by beating Australian Cory Ziems in the final to pocket R84 000. Weare, who finished second to fellow Durbanite Antonio Bortoletto in the 2005 Boardmasters, also earned 2 000 ratings points that see him join Bryson and Ricky Basnett from Durban’s Bluff in the top 15 on the WQS ratings.
Jordy Smith built on the confidence he gained by finishing third the Billabong Pro at Jeffreys Bay two weeks ago by reaching the quarter-finals in Newquay where he came up against Weare. After leading throughout their encounter, the 18 year-old Durbanite was defeated by his more experienced compatriot’s outstanding 9.0 point ride in the last 30 seconds of the heat. Smith finished fifth overall in Newquay, his best WQS result outside of South Africa and his haul of R12 500 and 1 000 ratings points see him move into the WQS top 40. Also at the Boardmasters, SA girls Rosanne Hodge (EL) and Heather Clark (Port Shepstone) both reached the semi-finals of the 3 Star rated womens’ event finishing equal fifth overall. Hodge, 18, is now ranked eighth on the WQS womens’ ratings with Tammy-Lee Smith (Salt Rock, KZN) in 11th and Clark 12th. Interestingly both Weare and Bryson are former champions of the Billabong Junior Series with Weare winning the inaugural title in 1997 and Bryson a two-time champion in 2000 and 2001.
The fifth and final event in the 2006 Billabong Junior Series is currently in progress at Jeffreys Bay with the 10th annual series champions to be crowned after the finals on Tuesday 8 August.
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