SPORTS NEWS
SA surfing on top of the world
Brad Morgan
3 June 2002
South African surfing is on an all-time high after the Quiksilver South African team defeated 29 other countries to become world champions for the first time since 1978 at the World Surfing Games in Durban.
After excellent performances in the various disciplines – surfing, longboarding, kneeboarding and bodyboarding – South Africa easily outpointed second-placed Australia and third-placed Brazil to capture the Basil Lomberg Team Trophy. The Games ended on June 2 after 10 days of competition.
The South African team also produced two world champions. Travis Logie claimed an emotional victory in the Men’s Open competition, anxiously watching the final two minutes from the beach after catching a wave in without sufficient time to try for a further higher-scoring ride.
When no decent waves presented themselves to his opponents and the hooter sounded, Logie threw his surfboard in the air and into the sea before being swamped by his teammates and
lifted on to their shoulders, wrapped in a South African flag in celebration.
Earlier, Warwick Wright claimed the Men’s under-18 title, finishing just ahead of another South African, Ricky Basnett.
Logie’s victory proved to be particularly sentimental when he was handed the gold medal by Ant Brodowicz, who won the Men’s Open section way back when South Africa last won the title, ironically also in Durban.
In the Women’s final, Heather Clark claimed third, while Philip Rodrigues took third in the Men’s Bodyboarding event. Four-time world kneeboarding champion Gigs Celliers narrowly missed out on his fifth title when he finished as runner-up by just 0.73 points to Australian Kyle Bryant, while team captain Jason Ribbink took third in the longboard event after being penalised for a technical infringement which robbed him of a fourth scoring wave.
South African head coach Graham Hynes was an elated man after his team’s victory, saying: “I feel so much… the emotion
is so deep, I find it hard to discuss all the happiness and pride I am experiencing. It has been a long grind to get to the top, but it is such a happy ending.”
Putting a cherry on the top, the president of the International Surfing Association, Fernando Aguerre, proclaimed the event the best World Surfing Games ever.
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