South African waveskiers have made it clear they will not be bullied on their own shores when the Waveski Surfing Titles start at the Nahoon Reef on Saturday.
When speaking about the World Waveski Surfing Titles championship, it’s basically all about France and Australia.
Those countries have dominated the championship for almost four decades since the competition started in 1984.
For those who may not know the sport that well, waveski is a form of surf craft where the paddler is seated and propels himself onto a wave by using a double-bladed paddle
And, yes, South Africans compete in it.
Fans and other curious spectators can catch the action at Nahoon Reef, starting this weekend and continuing into next week.
Hundreds of athletes from Europe, North America and Oceania have already flooded the city to compete in its “World Cup”.
The event marks its return to Buffalo City after 31 years and it will be the seventh time it is hosted by the Rainbow Nation which saw previous editions in Cape Town (1984), East London (1993), Jeffreys Bay (2000) and Durban (1996, 2006 and 2014).
For the past two decades, the French have managed to get top podium finishes, whether in the female or male open surfing category.
The defending champions from the last edition in 2022 in Ventura in the US, Cyril Samson (male) and Lou Peter (female), are from the country of love and wine.
The reason the French excel in the sport is that their national sports body invested heavily in the code, according to event organiser Trystan Viane.
“France really puts money into the sport. That is the reason they have been dominant in the past years.
“They keep on producing these good athletes every year because the sport is big there and has developmental programmes,” she said.
Though that is the case, SA waveski star Bruce Viane says with the advantage of having months of practice at Nahoon Reef, the South African team has a chance to end French dominance.
The last South African to win a gold medal was Eastern Province’s Sandra Pienaar in Durban in 2014. Since then, there has been nothing to write home about for SA.
Viane, Michael Wessels from Cape Town and André Burger another East Londoner are the country’s best hopes of getting a top podium finish in the 2024 edition.
“It will take a lot of skill and courage to come back with gold medals, but we are up to the task.
“Nahoon Reef is not a small wave, it’s not safe, it is, in fact, dangerous out there.
"If you want to win it, you must be able to catch the biggest waves and be the biggest manoeuvre and that is what we are planning to do,” he said.
DispatchLIVE
SA aim to end French dominance in Waveski Surfing Titles
Viane, Burger and Wessels are the country’s best hopes at Nahoon Reef
Image: MARK ANDREWS
South African waveskiers have made it clear they will not be bullied on their own shores when the Waveski Surfing Titles start at the Nahoon Reef on Saturday.
When speaking about the World Waveski Surfing Titles championship, it’s basically all about France and Australia.
Those countries have dominated the championship for almost four decades since the competition started in 1984.
For those who may not know the sport that well, waveski is a form of surf craft where the paddler is seated and propels himself onto a wave by using a double-bladed paddle
And, yes, South Africans compete in it.
Fans and other curious spectators can catch the action at Nahoon Reef, starting this weekend and continuing into next week.
Hundreds of athletes from Europe, North America and Oceania have already flooded the city to compete in its “World Cup”.
The event marks its return to Buffalo City after 31 years and it will be the seventh time it is hosted by the Rainbow Nation which saw previous editions in Cape Town (1984), East London (1993), Jeffreys Bay (2000) and Durban (1996, 2006 and 2014).
For the past two decades, the French have managed to get top podium finishes, whether in the female or male open surfing category.
The defending champions from the last edition in 2022 in Ventura in the US, Cyril Samson (male) and Lou Peter (female), are from the country of love and wine.
The reason the French excel in the sport is that their national sports body invested heavily in the code, according to event organiser Trystan Viane.
“France really puts money into the sport. That is the reason they have been dominant in the past years.
“They keep on producing these good athletes every year because the sport is big there and has developmental programmes,” she said.
Though that is the case, SA waveski star Bruce Viane says with the advantage of having months of practice at Nahoon Reef, the South African team has a chance to end French dominance.
The last South African to win a gold medal was Eastern Province’s Sandra Pienaar in Durban in 2014. Since then, there has been nothing to write home about for SA.
Viane, Michael Wessels from Cape Town and André Burger another East Londoner are the country’s best hopes of getting a top podium finish in the 2024 edition.
“It will take a lot of skill and courage to come back with gold medals, but we are up to the task.
“Nahoon Reef is not a small wave, it’s not safe, it is, in fact, dangerous out there.
"If you want to win it, you must be able to catch the biggest waves and be the biggest manoeuvre and that is what we are planning to do,” he said.
DispatchLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Latest Videos
Most Read
Soccer
Soccer
Sport
Sport
Rugby