The event, which is scheduled to be held on October 16, will be organised and run by Adaptive Surfing South Africa ©ASSA

The first-ever South African Adaptive Surfing Championships will take place at Muizenberg Pavilion Beach in Cape Town later this month, it has been announced.

The event, which is scheduled to be held on October 16, will be organised and run by Adaptive Surfing South Africa (ASSA). 

Up to 30 surfers from as far afield as Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth and the Garden Route, as well as a large contingent from the Western Cape, are expected to enter the tournament, which will be run in accordance with the International Surfing Association (ISA) rules and will follow the guidelines used at the inaugural 2015 ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championships.

ASSA chairman Antony Smyth, a silver medallist at the 2015 ISA World Adaptive Championships, has indicated that the Muizenberg contest will be used to identify surfers who could be included in the South Africa team for December’s World Championships in San Diego. 

Smyth, Dries Millard and JP Veaudry, along with New Zealand-based Bruce Campbell, represented South Africa in California last year.

Only Campbell will not be competing in the 2016 South African Adaptive Championships.

Surfing South Africa vice-president Bongani Xulu, who was one of the officials at the World Adaptive Championships last year, has been appointed by the ISA to work on the 2016 event and will becoming to Cape Town to act as head judge for the South African Championships. 

Brian Abrahams, a Surfing South Africa Board member and experienced contest official, will travel to Cape Town to add his expertise to the event.

South Africa’s Antony Smyth competes in the inaugural ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship en route to earning the silver medal in the stand division ©ISA/Maria Fernando Bastidias
South Africa’s Antony Smyth competes in the inaugural ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship en route to earning the silver medal in the stand division ©ISA/Maria Fernando Bastidias

Experienced ASSA technical director Tasha Mentasti has been appointed event coordinator with her role being to ensure that the contest is run according to ISA and Surfing South Africa guidelines. 

She will work with Chris Dunt, who has been appointed as contest director.

The day before the start of the Championships, ASSA and Surfing South Africa will be hosting an adaptive surfing seminar at Reddam School in Tokai. 

Some of the subjects that will be covered in the programme will be ISA adaptive surfing rules, world anti-doping regulations, judging, surfboard design and adaptive techniques. 

The 2016 South Africa Adaptive Surfing Championships is sponsored by Triggerfish Animation Studios and supported by the Department of Sport and Recreation South Africa.

It is sanctioned by Surfing South Africa, which is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee and ISA.