Future of Lifesaving on show at SA Champs

The future of the sport took to the surf and sand of Kings Beach in Port Elizabeth on Day Two of the General Tire Lifesaving South Africa National Championships.

Sunday belonged to the Masters but Monday the spotlight shone on those Nippers aged 9 to 14.

The Masters swapped the surf for the pool as the Juniors also started their National Pool Championship campaign.

Tannah Smith of Durban Surf Lifesaving Club dominated the Girls U14 Run Swim Run event, taking the gold. Photo: topfoto.net

World record holder in the linethrow, Milan Erasmus and Connor Botha, will both be in action in the pool, but they will be competing against each other, as opposed to with each other when they broke the world record and took gold at the World Championships in Adelaide, Australia.

Monday was also a celebration of the Masters Tough Guy/Gal challenge, when eight competed in seven of the sport’s most testing surf and pool events. There was no individual winner, with the victory being in just being able to finish the seven disciplines of flags, swim, single ski, beach sprint, board race, 100 manikin carry with fins and 50 manikin carry.

The awesome eight are: Darrek Penn, Mascha Moorlach and Jeane Topliss (Fish Hoek), Francois Sisam (Alpha), Stanford Slabbert and Rob Smith (Summerstrand), Shane Misdorp and Rowen Matthews (Pirates).

Summerstrand and hosts Kings Beach were a consistent presence on the surf Masters podium, but if those who represent the sport’s yesteryear were largely local then the winners in the Nippers came from all over the country.

Thomas Wiltshire of Fish Hoek Surf Lifesaving Club wins the Boys U13 Run Swim Run. Photo: topfoto.net

Plettenberg Bay’s Hannah de Necker won the female under nine run/swim/run. Durban Surf’s Nicholas Taylor topped the male under nine run/swim/run. The under 10s winners were Summerstrand’s Lisa de Villiers and Plett’s Liam Stephenson.

Boksburg’s Aiden Bornman took first in the male under 14 run/swim/run with Plett’s Matthew van Coller second. East London’s Jordan Fenn surprisingly finished out of the medals in fourth place, with third going to Llandudno’s Lee Anderson.