EAST LONDON, August (ANA) – The Mercedes-Benz South African Surfing Championship, which starts at Nahoon Beach in East London on Tuesday, has once again attracted some top names among more than 200 entries.
Running until Sunday, August 12, the Championships are the premier event on the South Africa surfing calendar.
This 53rd edition features surfers in the premier Open Men’s and Women’s Divisions as well seven other age groups ranging from over 30 to over 60.
For the second year in a row Mercedes-Benz and the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality have partnered with Surfing South Africa to not only showcase talent at the Championships but lend their support of the National team as they prepare for surfing’s inclusion in the 2020 Olympics in Japan.
Leading the charge for gold medals is current World Masters champion, five-time South African men’s champion and defending Over-40 Division champion Greg Emslie.
Emslie was runner-up in the premier Men’s Division last year and is determined to add a sixth title to the five that already make him one of the greatest South African surfers in history.
Chris Knutsen of eThekweni, a five-time World champion and a four-times South African champion will be back at Nahoon Reef to defend his Over-55 Division title.
Former World Tour campaigner, ISA World Masters Champion, eight-time South African Open Women’s Champion and 2017 Over-30 women’s gold medalist Heather Clark of Ugu Surfriders, will be hoping to add at a ninth Open Women’s title and defend her Over-30 title next week.
At this year’s Championships, surfers will compete in a total of 128 heats which will take 48 hours to complete over six days.
- African News Agency (ANA)
