Surf season has finally landed, which means the beaches are busy, the car parks are full, and everyone suddenly has a board under their arm. It’s like herding kittens, actually. It kicked off with the Seal Point Boardriders Club Championships, which as usual was half serious sporting contest and half family picnic with beer. The usual mix of groms, dads, and local legends took to the water to argue about priorities: wave scores, sunscreen, or whose dog ate the boerewors rolls. Even The Editor got a third in his division (the judges must have been high..)
GromSearch
Hot on its heels comes the Rip Curl GromSearch, also at Seal Point. Four events around the country and this is the big finale. Nothing says “surfing destiny” quite like a 12-year-old working on a combo situation before breakfast. The winners in the U16 divisions get their golden ticket to the International Final in Europe, which is basically a free pass to surf better waves than the rest of us for a while (‘that part of Europe’ fires at this time of the year).
And because surf season has no brakes, the SA Junior Champs at J-Bay fire up immediately afterwards. Yes, The Point will be overrun by kids who still need lifts from their moms. It’s the one event where you’ll see future WSL stars sitting in the lineup next to someone who had to borrow wax. Parents will cheer, judges will frown, coaches will gesticulate, someone will wail, and there will be wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth, all in the name of fun.
Groms shredding
So here we are: October, peak surf season. Groms shredding, parents pacing, locals complaining vociferously about crowds. Still, everyone wins, except for the non-competitive surfing family who booked that house on the Point for a chilled weekend and didn’t check the contest calendar beforehand.
Maybe go and check out the groynes. (low tide…)
read more: Rip Curl GromSearch Finale Set for Seal Point, 3–5 October
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