Surfing: Future Legends Final Event Great Success: Goor Wins JBU Supertrial Wildcard

Durban, Saturday 19 March – Promising conditions at the New Pier in Durban saw event organizers move the final Future Legends Coaching Series event across to New Pier from the Dairy Bowl. It was a great decision, as the waves improved throughout the day with the growing tide, and the invited surfers all put in their best efforts.

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 After a sobering Friday night presentation on Sponsorship by surf industry stalwart Gary Green, the surfers were all determined to vindicate their inclusion into the series to the South African Surfing Legends. With a many-tiered coaching system in place, the surfers were put through their paces throughout the day, with surf and heat coaching, video review and analysis, skateboard correction and stretching and other physical conditioning techniques, all under the guidance of South African Surfing Legends Simon Nicholson, Paul Canning, Spider Murphy and Jason Ribbink to name a few.

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“This is not a surf contest,” said coach Bruce Jackson. “It’s a coaching day, using contest structures as a platform. We’re here to coach and motivate, educate and inform these surfers, and the best way to do this is to have them surf heats for us.”

LEGENDS LINE-UP

 “Over the three events all the surfers have shown improvement,” said head judge Jono Hutchison. “It’s clear that they have understood what is expected of them, worked towards their goals and have made steps forward, which is what this coaching series is all about.”

The U16 Girls division also showed great advancement, with the girls surfing to contest criteria and upping their games in heat conditions. Kayla Nogueira fought her way into the final, along with Olivia Izzard and Anna Jellema-Butler, but the polished Kirsty McGillivray took first honours.

WINNER ON THE DAY AND OVERALL GIRLS U16 CHAMPION KIRSTY MCGILLIVRAY

ANNA JEMA-BUTLER WON THE FIRST EVENT AND MADE IT INTO THE FINAL FOUR CHOSEN TO ATTEND THE HPSA

YESTERDAY’S FINALIST OLIVIA IZZARD

KAYLA NOGUERIA

 In good New Pier conditions, the U16 Boys final was an exciting affair, with all four surfers catching a multitude of waves. Koby Oberholzer failed to clinch the better waves and struggled to find his rhythm, while Luke Slijpen and Calvin Goor both showed flashes of brilliance. This heat however, belonged to Angelo Faulkner, who was on every good set, and showing some committed surfing.

J-BAY’S ANGELO FAULKNER FOUND THE NEW PIER RUNNERS TO HIS LIKING, HE WON THE UNDER 16 FINAL AND A PLACE IN THE HPSA PROGRAM

OVERALL SERIES WINNER CALVIN GOOR TAKING IT TO THE BACKHAND

IT TOOK LUKE SLIJPEN A WHILE TO ORIENTATE TO THE DURBAN BREAK BUT FOR THE LAST TWO EVENTS HE GOT IT DONE IN HIS OWN STYLISH WAY

THERE IS SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL ABOUT WHAT KOBI OBERHOLZER BRINGS

JAMES RIBBINK BROUGHT HIS ‘A’ GAME TO THE THIRD EVENT WINNING THE UNDER 13 FINAL.

OVERALL SERIES UNDER 13 WINNER MITCH DU PREEZ COULD BE NEXT IN THE LONG LINE OF QUALITY GOOFY FOOTER TO COME OUT OF EAST LONDON

CAPE TOWN’S ALEX TOWNSEND SURFED CONSISTENTLY THROUGH THE THREE EVENTS AND CAME THIRD IN THE U13 FINAL, QUALIFYING FOR THE HPSA PROGRAM.

LUKE THOMPSON MADE IT TO THE FINAL WITH A SOLID WIN IN HIS SECOND UNDER 13 HEAT

Final results event 3
U13 Boys
1. James Ribbink (DBN)
2. Mitch Du Preez (EL)
3. Alex Townsend (CT)
4. Luke Thompson (DBN)

U16 Girls
1. Kirsty McGillivray (JBay)
2. Anna Jellema-Butler (CT)
3. Olivia Izzard (DBN)
4. Kayla Nogueira (DBN)

U16 Boys
1. Angelo Faulkner (JBay)
2. Calvin Goor (Salt Rock)
3. Luke Slijpen (CT)
4. Koby Oberholzer (DBN)

“This is the first step in the South African Surfing Legends vision, and now we’re going to start the real work,” said SASL’s Barry Wolins. “The High Performance Surfing Academy is where we are going to start seeing results as our surfers start going through our professional coaching system and start developing mental and physical attributes that will elevate their surfing performances and get them onto the podiums.”
The series winners of the three divisions all received an invite to attend a course at the High Performance Surfing Academy.

 The series winners are:

U13 Boys
1. Mitch Du Preez (EL)
2. James Ribbink (DBN)
3. Nate Spaulding (DBN)
4. Alex Townsend (CT)
U16 Girls
1. Kirsty McGillivray (JBay)
2. Anna Jellema Butler (CT)
3. Sne Makubu (DBN)
4. Olivia Izzard (DBN)
U16 Boys
1. Calvin Goor (Salt Rock)
2. Koby Oberholzer (DBN)
3. Angelo Faulkner (JBay)
4. Luke Slijpen (CT)
 

Overall Series winners, Mitch Du Preez, Calvin Goor, Kirsty McGillivray

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The U16 Boys winner Calvin Goor also received the wildcard slot into the JBU Supertrial presented by RVCA. This event is the most prestigious invite-only event, and it awards a wildcard into the JBay Open WSL event.

“I’m over the moon to win the wildcard into the JBU Supertrial,” said an elated Goor on hearing the news. “It is all I have dreamed of. To be able to paddle out at Supers with three other guys is going to be amazing. The Future Legends Coaching Series has been amazing for me as well. I used to know the judging criteria, but not fully understand it, and the Legends coaches have clearly explained it to me, and told me how to make it work during heat conditions, so I feel like I have a massive advantage now.”

 The Future Legends Coaching Series has been a very unique concept in the realms of inspirational surf coaching in South Africa, and can only be deemed a resounding success.  

The South African Surfing Legends’ High Performance Surfing Academy is set to become the benchmark for surf coaching in the country. Watch the media for further announcements.