Summerstrand Surf Lifesavers, who patrol Pollok Beach during the summer months, returned from the recent Lifesaving SA Hang Ten National Surf Lifesaving Championships with an overall third placing in the Grand aggregate, where the seniors and juniors points are combined to determine the top clubs.
Fish Hoek won (1250.5 points), from Durban Surf (673), with Summerstrand third (343), followed by Suncoast Pirates (298) and Umhlanga Rocks (286). King’s Beach excelled to place sixth (198), followed by Big Bay (149) and Marine (132).
In the very competitive seniors division, Fish Hoek won with 500,5 points. Durban Surf placed a distant second, (300), followed by Umhlanga Rocks (239) and Pirates (96). The Summerstrand senior team, of only nine members, excelled to place fifth, with 94 points. Plett were ninth (30) and East London were 16th, with 12 points.
Luke Nisbet, of Pirates, was the senior competitor of the championships, winning two gold, one silver and one bronze medal. Fish Hoeks Eloise van Gysen won two gold and one bronze medal to be the senior women’s top competitor.
Top local performances came on the beach, with Summerstrands Mandi Maritz defending her title in the womens beach sprint and placing second in the flags, and teammate Richard Rautenbach winning the bronze medal in the mens beach sprint and he placed tenth in the flags final. Kirsten Wessels and Kerry Louw (Summerstrand) placed third in the womens double ski.
Fish Hoek dominated the junior category, scoring 750 points. Durban Surf placed a distant second, with just less than half the winning points, 373, followed by the local Summerstrand team (249). Pirates were fourth (202) and Kings Beach fifth (191). East London placed twelfth (48), Plett were 17th (33) and Sardinia Bay 20th (19). Woodridge were 22nd with 12 points.
The Summerstrand junior team was one of the smallest, with only 14 members, but they won four gold medals and gained many top ten placings.
The top Summerstrand junior was Lauren Billson, who won gold in both the U16 and U19 run-swim-run events, plus gold in the U16 surf swim and silver in the U19 surf swim, for an individual haul of three golds and a silver.
Others who excelled included brothers Calvin and Jordan Zeelie, who were easy victors in the Junior double ski and Jordan won the silver medal in the single ski championship. Wayne Jones won the bronze medals in the Run-swim-run and surf swim, and the Summerstrand juniors won both the silver and bronze medals in the Reel Alarm contest. They also placed third in the Taplin.
The Kings Beach juniors scored a unique one-two-three in the U19 beach run, with Jarryd Cooke winning the gold medal from Fred Ferreira (silver) and Tristan Lasevisius (bronze).
At the conclusion of the championships, three Summerstrand Surf Lifesaving juniors, the Billson sisters, Lauren and Carmel, and Jordan Zeelie, were named as part of the Lifesaving SA Academy squad.
Full Results:
SENIOR MEN
- Top competitor: Luke Nisbet (Pirates; 2 gold medals, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
- Ironman: 1 L Nisbet (Pirates), 2 Jayden Loots (FH), 3 Donald Brierley (UR)
- Surf swim: 1 Shaun Dias (DS), 2 Gareth Dias (DS), 3 L Nisbet (Pirates)
- Run-swim-run: 1 L Nisbet (Pirates), 2 S Dias (DS), 3 D Brierley (UR)
- Board: 1 Lyle Maasdorp (FH), 2 L Nisbet (Pirates), 3 Blane Wood (DS)
- Single ski: 1 Dawid Mocke (FH), 2 Grant van der Walt (UR), 3 Barry Lewin (Marine)
- Double ski: 1 B Lewin/ Mark Mulder (Marine), 2 Oliver Burn/ G vd Walt (UR), 3 J Loots/ Sean Rice (FH)
- Flags: 1 Ryle de Morney (FB), 2 Matthew Hindmarch (UR), 3 Devon Daniels (DS)
- Beach sprint: 1 Ryle de Morney (FB), 2 M Hindmarch (UR), 3 Richard Rautenbach (SS)
- Long run: 1 Ayanda Mthumkhule (Scott), 2 Frederick Wagenvoord (FH), 3 Benedict Mthethwa (Pirates)
Team events
- Board relay: 1 Pirates, 2 DS, 3 UR
- Ski relay: 1 FH, 2 UR, 3 Marine
- Taplin relay: 1 UR, 2 DS A, 3 DS
- Board rescue: 1 DS A, 2 FH, 3 DS B
- Rescue tube rescue: 1 DS A, 2 DS B, 3 UR
Mixed team events
- Double ski: 1 T Brown/ S Rice (FH), 2 K Artz-Wood/ Wayne Wilson (DS), 3 Ashley Karstens/ Sam Murray (FH)
- Craft rescue: 1 FH, 2 UR, 3 Marine
- Reel alarm: 1 DS, 2 FH, 3 Marine
SENIOR WOMEN
- Female: Eloise van Gysen (Fish Hoek; 2 gold, 1 bronze)
- Ironwoman: 1 E van Geysen (FH), 2 Kim Brugman (FH), 3 Kendall Artz-Wood (DS)
- Surf swim: 1 Dominique Dryding (FH), 2 K Artz-Wood (DS), 3 E van Gysen (FH)
- Run-swim-run: 1 E van Gysen (FH), 2 D Dryding (FH), 3 K Artz-Wood (DS)
- Board: 1 Kendall Loots (FH), 2 K Brugman (FH), 3 D Dryding (FH)
- Single ski: 1 Tarryn Brown (FH), 2 Michelle Eder (UR), 3 Tiffany Kruger (Toti), K Brugman (FH)
- Double ski: 1 K Loots/ E van Gysen (FH), 2 T Brown/ Lyle Maasdorp (FH), 3 Kirsten Wessels/ Kerry Louw (SS)
- Flags: 1 Aimee Faulmann (FB), 2 Mandi Maritz (SS), 3 Bianca von Bargen (DS)
- Beach sprint: 1 M Maritz (SS), 2 A Faulmann (FB), 3 Lauren van Wyk (Plett)
- Long run: 1 T Brown (FH), 2 Jacqui Hugo (FB), 3 T Kruger (WD)
Team events
- Beach relay: 1 EL, 2 Pirates, 3 UR
- Board relay: 1 FH A, 2 FH B, 3 DS
- Taplin relay: 1 FH A, 2 FH B, 3 SS
- Board rescue: 1 FH A, 2 FH B, 3 DS
- Rescue tube rescue: 1 FH A, 2 DS, 3 FH B
U19 JUNIOR MEN
- Top competitor: Dominic Notten (Fish Hoek; 2 gold, 1 bronze)
- Ironman: 1 D Notten (FH), 2 Malekzander Odendaal (Pirates), 3 Craig Flanagan (FH
- Surf swim: 1 Chris McGlynn (DS), 2 A Lipowski (FH), 3 William Smith (DS)
- Run-swim-run: 1 C McGlynn (DS), 2 Jason Jones (SB), 3 A Lipowski (FH)
- Board: 1 D Notten (FH), 2 M Odendaal (Pirates), 3 Nicholas Notten (FH)
- Single ski: 1 Brandon van der Walt (Marine), 2 Jordan Zeelie (SS), 3 D Notten (FH)
- Double ski: 1 C and J Zeelie (SS), 2 C Flanagan/ D Notten (FH), 3 J Aubin/ T Jones (KB)
- Flags: 1 Matthew Hindmarch (UR),2 Athi Mtiya (KB), 3 Sebastian Lasevisius (KB)
- Beach sprint: 1 Matthew Hindmarch (UR), 2 Travis James (KB), 3 Nicholas Baines (Big Bay)
- Long run: 1 Jarryd Cooke (KB), 2 Fred Ferreira (KB), 3 Tristan Lasevisius (KB)
U16 JUNIOR MEN
- Top competitor: Paul van Achtenberg (DS; 2 gold, 2 silver)
- Ironman: 1 P van Achtenberg (DS), 2 N Notten (FH), 3 Calvin McKie (DS)
- Surf swim: 1 P van Achtenberg (DS), 2 Chris McGlynn (DS), 3 Wayne Jones (SS)
- Run-swim-run: 1 C McGlynn (DS), 2 P van Achterbergh, 3 W Jones (SS)
- Board: 1 Thomas Nel (FH), 2 P van Achtenberg (DS), 3 C McGlynn (DS)
- Single ski: 1 Kenny Rice (FH), 2 Calvin McKie (DS), 3 Alex Topliss (FH)
- Flags: 1 Keenan O’Shea (FH), 2Joel Petersen (FH), 3 Jihad van Rooyen (FH)
- Beach sprint: 1 Lee Geeson (DS), 2 Keenan O’Shea (FH), 3 Jason Walker (Marine)
- Long run: 1 Dylan van Wyk (Plett), 2 M Gamiet (Alpha), 3 Kurt Wicht (KB)
U19/U16 JUNIOR MEN TEAM EVENTS
- Board relay: 1 FH, 2 DS, 3 FH
- Beach relay: 1 Big Bay, 2 DS, 3 KB
- Ski relay: 1FH, 2 DS, 3 FH
- Taplin relay: 1 FH, 2 DS, 3 SS
- Board rescue: 1 DS, 2 DS, 3 FH
- Rescue tube rescue: 1 DS, 2 DS, 3 FH
U19 JUNIOR WOMEN
- Top competitor: Kirsten Flanagan (Fish Hoek; 3 gold)
- Ironwoman: 1 K Flanagan (FH), 2 Jodi Cleworth (FH), 3 Christal Davison (Big Bay)
- Surf swim: 1 Dominique Dryding (FH), 2 Lauren Billson (SS), 3 Lisa Cowling (FH)
- Run-swim-run: 1 L Billson (SS), 2 L Cowling (FH), 3 D Dryding (FH)
- Board: 1 K Flanagan (FH), 2 L Cowling (FH), 3 C Davison (Big Bay)
- Single ski: 1 K Flanagan (FH, 2 Sarah Blake (FH), 3 Catherine Atkinson (EL)
- Double ski: 1 K Flanagan/ Candice Murray (FH), 2 Kirsten Gilderblom/ L Cowling (FH), 3 Raylin Waynne/Sarah Blake (FH)
- Flags: 1 Aimee Faulmann (FB), 2 Shannon Bailey (Woodridge), 3 Bianca von Bargen (DS)
- Beach sprint: 1 A Faulmann (FB), 2 Nicole McComb (EL), 3 M Gomiet (Alpha)
- Long run: 1 Mariella Dierks (Llandudno), 2 Kirsten Grey (Pirates), 3 B Abrahams (Sf)
U16 JUNIOR WOMEN
- Top competitor: K Flanagan (FH; 3 gold)
- Ironwoman: 1 K Flanagan (FH), 2 Jodi Cleworth (FH), 3 Amy Hare (FH)
- Surf swim: 1 L Billson (SS), 2 Samantha Rowe (Pirates), 3 J Cleworth (FH)
- Run-swim-run: 1 L Billson (SS), 2 J Cleworth (FH), 3 Riki van Niekerk (Strand)
- Board: 1 1 K Flanagan (FH), 2 A Hare (FH), 3 J Cleworth (FH)
- Single ski: 1 K Flanagan (FH), 2 J Cleworth (FH), 3 A Hare (FH)
- Flags: 1 Jade Pelser (Toti), 2 Odielle Pather (Alpha), 3 Kathryn Foulkes (UR)
- Beach sprint: 1
- Long run: 1 Anya Bruwer (Clifton),2 Birgitt Ouweneel (Strand),3 B Abrahams (Sf)
U19/U16 JUNIOR WOMEN TEAM EVENTS
- Board relay: 1 FH, 2 FH, 3 SS
- Beach relay: 1 Pirates, 2 Sf, 3 FH
- Ski relay: 1 FH, 2 FH
- Taplin relay: 1 FH, 2 FH, 3 Big Bay
- Board rescue: 1Big Bay), 2 FH, 3 Pirates
- Rescue tube rescue: 1 SS, 2 Big Bay, 3 Strand
U19/U16 JUNIOR MIXED TEAM EVENTS
- Double ski: 1 D Notten/ A Hare (FH), 2 K and C Flanagan (FH), 3 B vd Walt/ Kate Winterburn (Marine)
- Reel alarm: 1 FH, 2 SS, 3 SS
- Craft rescue: 1 FH, 2 Pirates, 3 DS
Alan Straton
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