Update August 2007

Hi Guys

Well its been a winter and a half – however our summer is just around the corner and all the updates are being posted as below. We were going to try and hold our first tour stop in September however we are unable to due to various time constraints. All the work that has been done which amounts to an immense amount of work with Worlds and setting everything up for EAMES – guys take your hat off to Darryn and Bernie  – without Darryn and Bernie nothing would have been completed – Darryn / Bernie you are the back bone of the sport in this country and from myself and all the guys girls, mums and Dads a huge thank you for a thankless task -    

Well during our winter I was privileged enough to be involved with the wakeboarding crew up in Ghana headed up by Grant Liversage the MD of Accra breweries and was great to see that there is wakeboarding in West Africa – and wow what a place to wakeboard. Grant and his crew are looking forward to being more involved with our local scene and will hopefully see them at a few of our upcoming events, Grant is also keen to get one of our top boarders up to Ghana to hold a clinic so they all know what can be done and get a real perspective on the sport… watch this space!!

Grants son ripping it up in Adha – about 60km outside Accra in Ghana

With Regards to the Tour stops the points system will be in effect once again however with a few changes – points will be included this year for the SA Open Championships with the year end function which we presume at this stage will be held in Cape Town on the Sunday Evening after the SA Championships held in Cape Town – this due to the fact that the Monday is a holiday so you can all recuperate. The point system will be as follows:

1st                    10 Points
2nd                   8 Points
3rd                    6 Points
4th                    5 Points
5th                    4 Points
6th                    3 Points
7th                    2 Points
8th – 20th         1 Point                       
 
There will be as what we succeeded to do this past season a winner of each event as well as a tour champion that includes SA Open Champs as well as the SA Open Champion of each division that wins the SA Open Championship for their respective division.

Please note that the age groups for the season will be taken from the age that you are at as of the 1st January 2008 –  this will be for our tour only – the ages for both worlds as well as EAMES to be held in Feb 2008 will be taken from the 1st January 2007.

The season will be run on the same principles as last season with an open and junior novice division and of course hopefully two divisions for wakeskate – an amateur division and a pro division – Russell and co to organise and arrange – with regards to Novice division a wild card will be allowed as your last trick of your second run which can consist of an invert or spin. On landing either a spin or invert the following competition you would then be bumped to your respective division – you will only be allowed to ride novice for the period of your first season in competition and this is to get you young riders to elevate your riding.

World Championships

The team is set out below for all of you to see, Darryn and Bernie have been working excessively hard on getting everything together, to all the boarders out there the below team does not mean that you cannot come with us – we would love more riders to enter as individuals and if you are keen in joining the touring party please let either myself or Darryn know as soon as humanly possible.

The SA Team

JNR MEN      -   Nick Bensch
                       -   Bryan Loggenberg
OPEN MEN   -   Morgan Krause
                       -   Shaun Fashio
                       -  Clayton Krause
                       -   Matt Lammers
JNR LADIES -   Deidre van Niekerk
GIRLS          -  Savannah Harrison
MASTERS  -   Darryn Ridgway
                    -   Grant Peach

Manager – Charles Harrison
Coach – Johnno Joseph (also reserve)

We are busy putting together a package that will hopefully save us major costs and will be contacting all the people involved to give them the break down of all the fee structures – however for each of you riding we strongly suggest that you visit the official web site www.iwsf.com / www.wakeboardcouncil.com and read as much about the event as possible. Please can all the above riders confirm all there details through to Darryn (darrynr@telkomsa.net) or (charles@secuexports.com)

EAMES

For all updates on EAMES please go to www.wakeboardcouncil.com and click on the link EAMES – Johannesburg South Africa – all the postings are there and Darryn will post the same to our web site.

Guys Gals please keep going out there and busting it huge as to be honest – we want South Africa to walk away with EAMES in totality.

Some other news:

• Clayton won the Bad Boy International event in Brazil – big ups Clay!!
• Brain Log won the Open Mens division at the Swiss Open Champs – Styling Brian!!
• Matt Lammers came 2nd in the pro Div, Shaun Faccio ended up 5th however believe the water conditions were terrible – see guys we are privileged on the Vaal!!! Well done to all of you.
• Diets has left the shores of sunny SA to make it huge in the States with wakeskating – Diets show them what we made of!!

From me and Darryn we will see you soon at the upcoming comps and keep practicing!!

Charles Harrison
Chairman
SAWBA