Nikita Robb from East London won the Ballito Women’s Pro presented by Billabong at Willard Beach in KwaDukuza on Sunday, producing an assured performance in the tricky one metre waves to outshine South Africa’s top women surfers.
A World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) 1,000 event, the Ballito Women’s Pro is the first internationally rated event to be run in South Africa since 2009. The event offered total prize-money of R30 000 and coveted points on the QS rankings.
Robb, who competed at the highest levels of the sport, including a spending a year on the elite Championship Tour (CT) in 2010, defeated Fay Zoetmulder (Port Elizabeth), local junior Teal Hogg (Umhlanga) and veteran Heather Clark (Port Shepstone) in the Final to claim the R10 000 winner’s paycheque and 1 000 points.
“It’s just such an honour to have won this event,” Robb said. “I came up to Ballito a couple of days early and just surfed every day. It’s been a long time since I surfed an event and I really had to get my head into it.”
“I started in Round One and had to surf four heats, so I worked hard for it. It wasn’t just a matter of one day and I’m getting 10 Grand, it was a matter of me putting the effort in the water, spending endless hours being the only girl out there and really getting to know the wave. I put the effort in and that’s what really counts.”
History was made at the event when 16-year-old Samukeliswe Cele (Durban) became the first female Zulu surfer to compete in a WSL event. Cele showed plenty of potential and finished third in her Quarterfinal.
“I’m grateful, excited and it was kind of nerve-wracking. I’m no pro and I was very nervous but I knew I could do something out there because I’m good surfer also,” said Cele. “It was fun and I really want to become a professional surfer. The one thing I want to be is a champion, the world champion, I want to win the world tour.”
The Ballito Pro Trials presented by Billabong, which ran in conjunction with the women’s event, was won by Robson Santos (BRA) whose dynamic manoeuvres and superior wave selection proved the difference in the Final.
Santos finished ahead of compatriot Flavio Nakagima (BRA), 18-year-old Matt McGillivray (ZAF) from Jeffreys Bay and Japan’s Reo Inaba. Santos and Nakagima secured the two coveted trialists slots in the Ballito Pro presented by Billabong, the R3 million, QS 10,000 rated event that starts on Monday and runs until Sunday 5 July.
“For me this win is very important for getting points in the Prime (QS10,000) event. The Final was very, very hard, but I got two waves – and 8.50 and a 7.50 – and that was enough.”
All the results and images from Sunday’s action can be found at www.theballitopro.co.za
Results
Ballito Women’s Pro Final
1. Nikita Robb (East London) 12.50 R10 000
2. Faye Zoetmulder (Port Elizabeth) 8.50 R4 500
3. Teal Hogg (Umhlanga) 7.35 R2 600
4. Heather Clark (Port Shepstone) 6.65 R2 100
Ballito Women’s Pro Semifinal Results
S1: Faye Zoetmulder 13.00, Heather Clark 6.00, Crystal Hulett 3.25, Jade Mets 2.95
S2: Nikita Robb 11.15, Teal Hogg 7.75, Tarryn Chudleigh 5.85, Emma Smith 5.25
Ballito Women’s Pro Quarterfinal Results
Q1: Faye Zoetmulder 12.25, Jade Mets 5.20, Tanika Hoffman 3.95, Sophie Bell 1.50
Q2: Heather Clark 8.90, Crystal Hulett 8.00, Sam Cele 4.65, Gina Smith 4.25
Q3: Tarryn Chudleigh 11.00, Teal Hogg 7.25, Heidi Palmboom 6.50, Nicole Pallet 5.15
Q4: Nikita Robb 12.00, Emma Smith 10.65, Chanelle Botha 8.05, Jade Story 3.15
Ballito Pro Trials Final
1. Robson Santos (BRA) 15.75 – Qualifies for Ballito Pro
2. Flavio Nakagima (BRA) 13.75 – Qualifies for Ballito Pro
3. Matt McGillivray (ZAF, Jeffreys Bay) 8.05
4. Reo Inaba (JAP) 7.75
Ballito Pro Trials Semifinal Results
S1: Matthew McGillivray 12.65, Flavio Nakagima 12.50, Matheus Navarro7.75, Slade Prestwich 4.55
S2: Robson Santos 16.25, Reo Inaba 13.00, Rafael Teixeira 10.75, Benji Brand 10.00
Ballito Pro Trials Quarterfinal Results
Q1: Matthew McGillivray 14.25, Slade Prestwich 12.15, Jordan Maree 10.85, Tiago Pires 9.05
Q2: Flavio Nakagima 11.75, Matheus Navarro 11.50, Pedro Henrique 9.90, Shane Sykes 7.25
Q3: Rafael Teixeira14.85, Benji Brand 11.20, Conner Coffin 10.25, Dylan Lightfoot 9.00
Q4: Robson Santos 11.35, Reo Inaba 11.00, Matt-Lewis Hewitt 10.00, Jason Harris 7.05
