ROYAL NAVY ROYAL MARINES SURFING ASSOCIATION

SOUTH AFRICA TOUR 2008

NAVY FINDS PERFECTION ON AFRICAN SURFARI

SURFERS from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines have risked all for perfection at the tip of the African continent.

Despite it being one of the most Great White shark infested regions on the planet, the fear of attack was not enough to keep the surfers from riding one of the world’s premier waves.

Nine members of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Surfing Association travelled to the far southern tip of the continent in late June for a 10-day visit to Jeffrey’s Bay in the Eastern Province of South Africa.

JBay, as it is best known, is renowned as being one of the fastest, longest and consistently perfect wave locations in the world and was due to host the world’s best professional surfers in competition only a week after the Navy group left for home.

But before the world’s best could ride the Indian Ocean offerings, the equally enthusiastic if not as talented Boardriders had their fill,

In what were some of the best waves that most of the the group had ever seen, let alone ridden, the performance levels of the group were pushed to the top limit of their abilities.

Tour organiser, Sgt Andy Williams of the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines, said: “We walked straight into a new swell and perfect conditions, which even the locals claimed was the best day they’d had in weeks, so the trip began on a high.

“The length of the waves, the power, and the sheer speed are something we rarely get in the UK and this perfection is something you can only get at JBay. So this was a fantastic opportunity for the guys to push their surfing in world class waves.”

The Boardriders not only tested themselves against the waves, but also the area’s best longboard surfers in competition. Hosted by the Eastern Longboard Association at Noordhoek Beach near Port Elizabeth, the contest was a challenge to the abilities of the tour members against the very high standard of surfing in South Africa, which is among the top five surfing nations along with Australia, USA, Hawaii and Brazil.

In what were fun waves for the event the Boardriders put up a good fight against top class opposition, and although none of the team reached the finals, good performances saw 5th place finishes from WO1 Paul Keenan and CPO Steve Hicks in the Over-35s division and LAPHOT Gareth Faulkner in the Under-35s.

The team also donated many prizes for the event in the form of highly sought after Boardrider jackets, T-shirts and caps.

The event was a highly successful meeting between the two clubs with great generosity and hospitality shown from the South Africans and an invitation, from David Lipschitz, president of the South African Longboard Association, for a future event, he said: “It was a pleasure to host the guys from the British Navy, the waves could have been slightly better for the event but they were more than contestable. We would love to see the RNRM Team out in the water again with the possibility of a larger, national event next time they visit”.

On our return to Jeffrey’s Bay for the final week the perfect waves kept coming, with the team enjoying the amazing natural wonders of Africa. When not dodging pods of dolphins in the lineup or actually surfing with them on the waves, they were watching whales breach out to sea from their beachside balcony. One natural wonder they were not keen to witness however were the fish - big fish like Great White sharks. Ask any locals if there are sharks, and the answer is always ‘yes’. Yet despite tales of people being ‘bumped’ in the water only days before our arrival, the prospect of perfect waves was too much to keep the surfers out. Fortunately no sightings were made of the toothy predators, (despite the many cuts and abrasions incurred from colliding with the reef) and the surfers could concentrate on the waves alone, even with the Jaws soundtrack sounding in their ears.

South Africa 2008 will go down as one of the most successful tours the RNRM Surfers have made, joining Hawaii, France and San Diego as destinations the team has surfed. The tours not only provide the opportunity for the members to push their abilities in world class surf but also provide a reward for those who donate free time to hosting numerous beginner surfing weekends throughout the year for Royal Navy/Marine personnel and their families.

A big thank you goes to the RNRM Sports Lottery for helping with funding, David Lipschitz & the SALA for hosting the team. Sponsorship from Sharp’s brewery also made the tour possible.

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South Africa J bay Images Now online HERE!

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