| South Africa reveals team for the 2009 ISA World Surfing Games |
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| Wednesday, 10 June 2009 09:40 |
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The Surfing South Africa (SSA) Board of Director's have ratified the selection of the South African Surfing Team which will compete in the 2009 International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games at Playa Hermosa near San Jose, Costa Rica in August. The South African Team's preparations, training and attendance at the ISA World Surfing Games will be supported by a R400,000 grant from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF). Since 2004 the NLDTF have supported all the South African teams which have competed in ISA World Junior Championships, ISA World Surfing Games and ISA World Masters Championships. The 2009 South African Surfing Team consists of four Men, two Women, two male Longboarders, three coaches and a manager. The Men's team comprises three new caps in Brandon Jackson (Durban), Rudy Palmboom (Bluff) and Damien Fahrenfort (Durban), who are the highest ranked available South Africans on the ASP World Qualifying Series ratings. All three have represented South Africa at ISA World Junior Championship level. The fourth member of the team is 2008 SA Team captain Ryan Payne (Cape St Francis) who qualified for the team after winning the trials held during the South African Championships ten days ago. Llewellyn Whittaker (Mossel Bay) is the non-travelling reserve. The Women team members are Rosanne Hodge, South Africa's only representative on the ASP Women's World Tour, and fellow East London surfer Nikita Robb, who is currently ranked 10th on the ASP World Qualifying Series. Hodge last competed in the ISA World Games in 2006 where she won a bronze medal for South Africa. This is the first World Games selection for Robb, who has represented South Africa at the ISA World Junior Championships four times. Tarryn Chudleigh (Kommetjie) is the non-travelling reserve. The two Longboarders who will travel to Costa Rica are current South African Longboard champion Justin Bing (Noordhoek) and his runner up Michael Hill (Cape St Francis) who both earn their first caps. Mike Sheppard has been appointed Team Manager and he will be supported by legendary Head Coach Graham Hynes, Deputy Coach Ant Brodowicz and Assistant/Technical coach Kevin Olsen. Sheppard was the Manager of the 2008 SA Team, Hynes has been coaching surfers and national surfing teams since the early 1970's, Brodowicz coached the 2007 and 2008 SA Masters Teams which won the ISA World Masters Championships and Olsen was one of the coaches of the 2002 and 2004 South African teams and the coach of the 2008 SA Team at the ISA World Games in Portugal last year. Cyril Nel (East London) has been appointed by the ISA as one of two Head Judges for the event and Sandile Mqadi has been included on the international judging panel. Surfing South Africa is recognised by the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) and the International Surfing Association (ISA) as the official governing body for the sport of surfriding in South Africa. Six provincial organisations and three national associations are affiliated to Surfing South Africa which coordinates and manages all aspects of surfriding from grass roots level through to the selection of National teams. 2009 SOUTH AFRICAN SURFING TEAM MEN WOMEN LONGBOARDERS MANAGEMENT
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