South African surfing team captain, Bianca Buitendag (Victoria Bay), provided an example for her teammates to emulate by producing the highest single ride of the opening day of the ISA World Surfing Games in Biarritz, France, on Saturday.
The first World Surfing Games to be staged since the sport was included in the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan has attracted a record 245 competitors from 47 nations, many of whom are participating in the event for the first time.
The women’s event, which will see the champions crowned on Monday, started early in challenging conditions with rain squalls, a stiff onshore wind and overhead surf, making it difficult to find waves with high scoring potential, before the contest was put on hold for the spectacular opening ceremony.
Buitendag’s opening heat took place after the ceremony as the skies cleared and the wind dropped. The former Championship Tour campaigner posted a near perfect 9.0 score. Backing that up with a 4.83 for a 13.83 heat total, the fourth highest of the opening round, Buitendag left her rivals from Korea, Ecuador and Ireland trailing in her spray.
‘Coming to an event like this, let alone the Olympics, is a huge opportunity. It’s an opportunity to celebrate your heritage and your sport, but also the power of sport that can make many things possible like it has in our lives,’ said Buitendag at the media conference that preceded the start of competition.
Tanika Hoffman (Sea Point) followed her captain’s example four heats later, grabbing the runner-up spot in her opening encounter, behind Ecuadorean standout Dominic Barona to advance directly to Round 2 and complete a great opening day for South Africa.
The colourful opening ceremony included the parade of nations through the thronged streets of Biarritz by the flag-waving teams before the stirring Sands of the World Ceremony on the beach took place, attended by local dignitaries.
Buitendag and vice captain Dylan Lightfoot were the two South Africans who took to the main stage and poured sand from their local beach into a glass container while waving the national flag, symbolising the peaceful gathering of the nations of the world through surfing.
‘Today we come to Biarritz as the true and only ISA, the United Nations of surfing, to these World Surfing Games, which are truly the Olympics of surfing,” said ISA president Fernando Aguerre. ‘In these times of violence, wars and conflicts, we celebrate our diversity in union. We have all come together, bringing our symbolic Sands of the World to symbolise the unity of world in peace through surfing.”
France’s Johanne Defay (15.40), Costa Rica’s Leilani McGonagle (14.70) and New Zealand’s Ella Williams (14.03) were the only three surfers who bettered Buitendag’s opening score.
In a departure from the usual double elimination format used at previous ISA events, only one Repechage Round will be run, and thereafter the event will have straight elimination heats with the top two advancing to the next round. Competitors finishing third and fourth are out of the competition.
Gold, silver, bronze and copper medals will be awarded to the top four in the men’s and women’s divisions, as well as the top four national teams at the event. South Africa won the team title in 1978, 2001 and 2013.
The men’s event starts on Tuesday with South Africa represented by Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay), Shane Sykes (Salt Rock), Davey van Zyl (Glenashley, Durban) and new cap Brandon Benjamin (Steenberg, Cape Town).
The team is managed by the experienced Isaac February (Kommetjie) and the coach is East London’s former Championship Tour competitor Greg Emslie, whose knowledge of the conditions in France includes a runner-up finish in a 2007 event there.
The schedule for the remainder of the event is:
May 21-22 – Women’s Competition, Grande Plage
May 22 – Women’s Award Ceremony, Grande Plage
May 23-28 – Men’s Competition, Grande Plage
May 26 – World Premiere of ‘Shredding Monsters’, an Olympic Channel Production, 8pm at the Municipal Casino Theatre, Biarritz
May 28 – Closing Ceremony, Grande Plage
Picture of the South African surfing team on the stage with ISA President Fernando Aguerre at the opening ceremony courtesy of ISA/Reed