Royden Bryson : photo Lee Slabber
Team News
Bryson wins Africa men's title: Logia & Bianca big in USA
Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 22 July, 2009 : - - Royden Bryson has clinched the 2009 ASP Africa men’s title with a record haul of points and prize-money after the conclusion of the mid-year international surfing contest season in South Africa.
Bryson, 26, who grew up in East London but relocated to Cape Town three years ago, was in dominant form in the four ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) events staged in SA this year. He won the 1-Star rated Lizzard Nandos Pro in Durban, finished runner-up in the 5-Star O’Neill Cold Water Classic in Cape Town and placed equal 17th in both the 6-Star Prime rated Quiksilver Pro Durban and the 6-Star Mr Price Pro Ballito.
Bryson accumulated 4 263 points, nearly 700 more than ASP Africa runner-up Travis Logie (Durban), and set a prize-money record by pocketing R102 350, more than double that earned by any of the other 96 ASP Africa members.
Logie finished just 62 points ahead of Ricky Basnett (Bluff) and 66 ahead of fourth placed rising star Rudy Palmboom (Bluff) in the ASP Africa ratings. Bryson, Logie and Basnett all lost their places amongst the top 45 ranked surfers on the ASP World Tour at the end of 2008 and are determined to re-qualify for the 2010 Dream Tour.
No ASP Africa women’s champion will be crowned this year as there was only one event – the Mr Price Pro Ballito. The 2009 ASP Africa Pro Junior (U20) men’s and women’s titles will be up for grabs at the Billabong Pro Junior events at Victoria Bay at the end of September.
ASP Africa Men’s Ratings & Prize-money (After event No. 4 of 4)
1 Bryson, Royden Cape Town 4263 R102 350
2 Logie, Travis Durban 3575 R39 795
3 Basnett, Ricky Bluff 3513 R47 820
4 Palmboom, Rudy Bluff 3509 R43 520
5 Bortoletto, Antonio Durban 3244 R44 740
6 Jackson, Brandon Durban 3188 R32 410
7 Lane, Kyle Umhlanga Rocks 2814 R32 705
8 Strachan, Klee Warner Beach 2769 R29 705
9 Roberts, Gavin Scottburgh 2753 R29 020
10 Grant, Casey Scottburgh 2682 R33 080
SA Pro Junior men star in Bali
Half a dozen of SA’s top 20-and-under surfers are currently in Bali for the Grade 5, AUS $30 000 Billabong Pro Junior where they have posted standout performances in the waves at Keramas, touted as one of the best contest venues on the planet.
Nicolas Godfrey (Cape St Francis), who finished 5th in an event at the same venue last October, and Chris Leppan (Umhlanga) both recorded heat victories in the excellent one metre waves on Day 1.
Current ASP Africa No. 1, Casey Grant (Scottburgh), followed that up with one of the top heat tallies in the 1.6 metre waves on Day 2, saying “I love this place, it is just an incredibly performance driven wave and I’m so glad to be here surfing this event.”
Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga) also advanced to Round 2 by placing second in his opening encounter while Jaco Steyn (Melkbosstrand) was the only Round 1 casualty amongst the SA contingent.
Organisers opted to run the first six heats of Round 2 as the conditions deteriorated with hard onshore winds and Godfrey was sidelined when he placed third in his heat. Dale Staples (St Francis Bay), who has been seeded directly into Round 2, will be up against compatriot Leppan and Aussies Chris Friend and Teale Vanner in Heat 8 when the contest resumes.
The Billabong Pro Junior at Keramas runs until Monday 27 July.
Travis Logie reaches last 48 in Hurley US Open of Surfing
Travis Logie (Durban) won both his Round of 144 and Round of 96 heats to advance to the last 48 in the Hurley US Open of Surfing 6-Star rated WQS event currently underway at Huntington Beach in California.
Logie, who defeated current ASP No. 3 Adriano de Souza (BRA) on Tuesday, is the only SA surfer left in the men’s draw. Rudy Palmboom’s (Bluff) was eliminated yesterday after advancing to the last 96 while former Capetonian Damien Fahrenfort, now based in California, was ousted in his opening heat.
The US Open is celebrating its 50th anniversary and has attracted a top class field including Kelly Slater (USA) and former World Champions Mick Fanning (AUS), CJ Hobgood, Andy Irons (HAW) and Sunny Garcia (HAW) by increasing the winner’s paycheque from the standard US $20 000 for a 6-Star event to a world first $100 000 for any level of surfing contest.
The champion will be crowned on Sunday 26 July and the event can watched live via webcast on usopenofsurfing.com from Thursday 23 July.
Bianca Buitendag takes 7th in Nike 6.0 Pro Junior & awaits start of US Open women
Bianca Buitendag, 15, from Victoria Bay, continued her assault on the international Pro Junior women’s scene when she advanced to the semifinals of the Nike 6.0 Pro Junior, a Grade 4 event for surfers 20-and-under taking place at Huntington Beach in conjunction with the Hurley US Open of Surfing.
Buitendag won her opening heat before placing second to Courtney Conlogue (USA) to progress to the last eight in the event. In the semis the South African finished 4th behind ASP World Tour rookie Coco Ho, fellow Hawaiian Malia Manuel and Conlogue to take 7th place overall and US $400.
Buitendag has also entered the US Open women’s event were she will start in the Round 60 when the event gets underway. Rosanne Hodge, SA’s only representative on the ASP Women’s World Tour, fellow East Londoner Nikita Robb, currently the highest placed South African on the women’s WQS rankings at No. 9, and Tammy-Lee Smith (Salt Rock) have all been seeded directly into the Round of 48.
The women’s champion will be crowned on Saturday 25 July and the action will be webcast live via usopenofsurfing.com
www.aspafrica.com
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