GEORGE NEWS - Victoria Bay is gearing up to host another key event on the South African Surfing calendar. For the very first time since its inception in 2006, the SA Masters Surfing Championships will take place at Victoria Bay, hosted by Eden Surfriders.
Eight teams from across South Africa will take part in the event, which kicks off, or “paddles out”, at 07:00 this coming Thursday, 19 August, and finishes on Sunday 22 August.
Surfers will compete in seven divisions, ranging in age groups from over 35s to over 60s.
This has already been a monumental year for Eden Surfriders. Just two weeks ago, Vic Bay local and Eden Surfrider, Bianca Buitendag, made surfing history when she won a silver medal for South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics.
Prior to that, Eden Surfriders were the winners of the annual Vic Bay Quad for the first time in over two decades.
The defending Masters Cup Champions are the Buffalo City Surfriders, who will be guided by Olympic coach Greg Emslie. According to Robin de Kock, Emslie will also be defending his Over 40 Division title which he won in East London in 2019, and his team will be looking to reverse the Vic Bay Quad result where Eden pipped them to the victory post.
The 2021 SA Masters Championships are presented under strict Covid-19 protocols by Surfing South Africa (SSA).
The Western Cape Department of Sports, Art and Culture and the George Municipality are supporting the hosting of the championships along with assistance from Décor Pro in Port Elizabeth.
Surfing South Africa is the national governing body for the sport and is recognised as such by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. SSA is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA).
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