Wessels pips Viaene at stormy SA Waveski Champs

Jongensfontein – Capetonian Mike Wessels walked away with the national title at the Macski South African Waveski Championships after a fierce tussle with Border star Bruce Viaene.

With the cold front whipping up storm surf midway through the three days of competition, conditions challenged the athletes with a large and often unpredictable wave peeling into the bay.

The second day of competition was plagued by howling winds which pushed all competitors to their paddling limit in every heat. Not a moment went by where the contestants could even consider to ease up on the non stop paddling just to stay in the right position to catch a wave.

Fortunately on Monday, the final day of the competition when the major finals were scheduled, the wind backed off, the sun came out and the waves where plentiful to ensure an exciting contest.

In the event of the day Wessels and East London’s Viaene squared up against each other in the man-on-man thirty minute final.

By selecting slightly better waves Wessels was able to swing the judges scores ever so slightly in his favour to edge out Viaene for the SA title.

Heleen Rossouw won the women’s laurels, making it a double for the Western Cape.

The age group divisions where just as hotly contested and the quality of surfing witnessed from the shore was a great spectacle.

The event was followed globally thanks to a ground-breaking aerial live streaming of the finals.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
MACSKI SA WAVESKI CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019:

Open:
1st Mike Wessels WP
2nd Bruce Viaene Border
3rd Ryan Griffith KZN
4th Steph LeRoux WP

Senior Men:
1st Bruce Viaene Border
2nd Duran Martin KZN
3rd Mike Wessels WP
4th Ryan Griffith KZN

Ladies Final:
1st Heleen Rossouw WP
2nd Sandra Pienaar EC
3rd Natalie Newman WP

Juniors:
1st Marcus Esterhuyse WP
2nd Francois Roesstorff Border

Masters:
1st Neal Stephenson WP
2nd Schalk Van Wyk WP
3rd Sheldon Schroeder KZN
4th Timothy Redelinghuys Border

Grand Masters:
1st Rory Taylor WP
2nd Steph LeRoux WP
3rd Doug Copeland Border
4th Darren Bunker WP

Veterans:
1st Ken Clements WP
2nd Jermey Pienaar EC
3rd Dave Griffith KZN
4th Darryl Moodie KZN