KZN Schools' Surfing Finals - 2009

The Glenwood High School Surfing 1^st Team returned on Sunday 28^th June 2009 from the KZN School Surfing League Final, which was held at Bazley Beach over a weekend of heavy surf.

The team arrived at iFafa Beach Holiday Resort at about 15:30 on break-up day and promptly set about erecting tents. Following this, we walked onto the beach to be greeted by a fearsome sight: eight to ten foot sets breaking right across the contest bank, rushing straight over the tidal pool and up the beach! With night falling, we decided that discretion was the better part of valour and turned in after mingling with the other teams over a braai.

Saturday dawned with barely a dent in the swell and a few brave souls attempted to paddle out, only to be washed straight back in. This prompted the search for a more manageable surf spot and the boys enjoyed a fun session at Bazely Beach, about a kilometre north of our campsite. Although smaller and much safer than the intended contest venue of iFafa Beach, the waves at Bazely were crumbly and far from ideal for a final. The final was due to be held on Saturday, but contest organisers, in consultation with coaches and team captains, agreed that it would be unwise to send schoolboys into the teeth of an eight to ten foot swell and decided that should the swell not drop significantly by the next morning the final would have to be held back in Durban where conditions were tamer.

The boys spent the rest of the day partaking in activities ranging from volleyball to trampolining and that night we sat beside a bonfire near the beach, hoping that we’d be able to surf our intended venue come morning.

Sunday morning saw more valiant attempts at iFafa Beach, with a few boys getting out for some big waves and three leashes snapping, leaving surfers to navigate treacherous rocks while being pummelled by the sea.

After much careful consideration, the decision was made to move the final to Bazely Beach, where we found powerful surf and a strong rip washing mercilessly across the beach from south to north.

Every team struggled to make headway against the rip, with some surfers getting washed almost out of view of the judges and waiting surfers and coaches being buffeted by a near gale-force wind on the beach, but such is the nature of surfing! One must make the best of what nature has to offer.

After an hour and a half of giving their all against the elements, Glenwood were beaten narrowly into third place in the five team final, and while we were disappointed not to have done better, I was certainly proud of the team’s effort and determination in the face of very challenging conditions.

The Glenwood team wishes to thank Lipton, Palmers and Messiah Crossbreed for putting on the best school surfing season in a very long time.

Mr G. Harpur

MiC of Surfing

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