From 31 March to 2 April 2018, local surfers and fans will see the first of six City Surf Series (CSS) events with the Volkswagen Nelson Mandela Bay Surf Pro, presented by Billabong taking place in
Port Elizabeth.
Accredited by the World Surfing League (WSL), the CSS events form 6 of the 8 events where South African surfers can earn Qualifying Series (QS) points, the log that leads to a spot on the WSL’s Championship Tour. Until now, local surfers serious about making it at a global level would have had to find funding to compete in costly international events; a prohibiting factor for many of the country’s natural talents.
The CSS is the only series in Africa offering QS points and the only series like it in the world. It will unfold along South Africa’s famous coastline over the next few months and culminate in June with the Volkswagen SA Open of Surfing presented by Hurley (19 – 24 June).
As headline sponsor of both the opening and closing CSS events, the Volkswagen Nelson Mandela Day Surf Pro presented by Billabong (31 March – 2 April) and the Volkswagen SA Open of Surfing presented by Hurley (19 – 24 June), Volkswagen invites surfing fans and families to join them at these exciting competitions this year, both of which are hosted in Volkswagen South Africa’s home town, Nelson Mandela Bay.
Amidst their commitment to help support local surfing and surfers, Volkswagen South Africa is also focused on driving an educational message through the CSS events to spectators, with an emphasis on the Ocean’s plastic waste crisis. Together with their longstanding partners in ocean marine life protection, the Dyer Island Conservation Trust (DICT), Volkswagen South Africa will be highlighting these issues as part of an activation at the two CSS events.
Spectators are invited to take pictures next to Volkswagen’s giant Recycled Plastic Surf Wave, and post their pictures on social media as a symbol of a joint promise to help ride the wave towards a cleaner ocean. Other activities at the two Volkswagen surf events include a kids’ “Trash to Treasure” craft section, Clean-the-Beach and CSI Learn to Surf Initiatives.
The Kid’s Craft area offers families a quick and easy way to donate to DICT and in return make ocean creatures out of plastic waste. Whilst learning how to turn “trash into treasure”, children will also learn about the importance of recycling and the effects of plastic waste on the marine
eco-system.
Volkswagen and DICT encourage locals and visitors of Nelson Mandela Bay from 31 March to 2 April to join them, together with Tuffy Plastics, in the Community Clean-the-Beach event. This will be hosted on the Tuesday (3 April 2017) after the surfing event at Pollok Beach to ensure the beaches are left in an even cleaner state than before the event.
Join Volkswagen and South Africa’s top surfers next weekend at the first of six CSS events at the Nelson Mandela Bay Surf Pro presented by Billabong on Pollok Beach in Port Elizabeth from 31 March – 2 April 2018.
2018 City Surf Series Event Schedule:
- Volkswagen Nelson Mandela Bay Surf pres. by Billabong: 31 March – 2 April
- Royal St Andrews Port Alfred Classic pres. by Quiksilver (Inaugural event): 6 – 8 April
- Mitchum Buffalo City Surf Pro pres. by Reef Wetsuits: 13 – 15 April
- ZigZag Durban Surf Pro pres. by G-Force: 18 – 20 May
- Jordy Smith CT Surf Pro pres. by O’Neil: 14 – 17 June
- Volkswagen SA Open of Surfing pres. by Hurley: 19 – 24 June
Alan Straton
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