SOUTHERN CAPE NEWS - A late charge by the Cape Town Surfriders team saw them beat the defending champions, Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) Surfriders to win the 2016 Vic Bay Quad in memory of John Pfaff, which took place on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 September.
In posting 41 940 points the Cape Town Surfriders broke the Nelson Mandela Bay's three-year reign as team champions. NMB scored 41 146 points, event hosts Eden Surfriders were third with 38 550 points, Cape Winelands Surfriders scored 36 310 points to take fourth and a depleted Buffalo City Surfriders team were fifth with 25 930 points.
In the individual finals South African Junior Team member Jordy Maree of Cape Town Surfriders took honours in a hotly contested Open Division beating Grant Beck of NMB into second place. Michael Monk of Buffalo City was third and 2016 SA u.20 champion Ethan Fletcher of Cape Town took fourth spot.
Faye Zoetmulder of NMB won the women's final with Taghiti Gericke of Eden taking second. SA Junior Team member Crystal Hulett of NMB came third and Danielle Johnson of Cape Winelands took fourth spot.
The Over 30 title went the way of a stoked Tyrell Johnson of Buffalo City with Eden stalwart Sean Holmes taking the runner-up spot. Kyle Jacobs of NMB and Jonno Bruton of Buffalo City were third and fourth respectively.
Wayne Monk of Buffalo City added a fourth consecutive Over 40 Division title to his long list of successes beating Graeme Field of Cape Town into second. Shane Pratt of Cape Winelands took third ahead of Eden representative Kobus Swanepoel.
Richard Heath of Cape Winelands beat defending champion Greg Smith of NMB into second place to secure the Over 50 Division gold medal. Cape Town Surfriders stalwarts and lifelong friends, Sean Jerram and Andre Mory, came third and fourth.
The Vic Bay Quad first took place back in 1976. The event was originally contested by Southern Cape, Western Province, Eastern Province and Border. In the early 1980s Boland joined the event, but it retained its name as the Vic Bay Quad even though there were five teams taking part. At one stage a team from the SA Defence Force also competed, but it has always been known as the Vic Bay Quad. The event did not take place for some years but was reinstated by Robin de Kock and the late Dave Fish in 2013 after the untimely passing of John Pfaff in 2012.
The Vic Bay Quad was named in Pfaff's honour and his son David not only competes each year, but plays a major role in supporting the event. This year David represented Eden Surfriders and won an award for posting 9,57 points for one of his waves which was the highest wave score of the contest.
The John Pfaff Trophy, created by local surfer Steven Hair, is awarded to the winning team.
Apart from the finalists, who received medals and some generous prizes, other awards were also made.Full results and photos by Graeme Field are posted on the Surfing South Africa website www.surfingsdouthafrica.co.za.
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