The final day of Champs saw the best of the best fight it out at Alkanstrand in Richards bay, on Friday the 3rd of October.

In the Pro Semi finals Jared Houston, Alistair Taylor, Ian Campbell andMark Watts all fell to the wayside with Mark McCarthy, Derek Footit, Charles Pass and Michael "Rat" Ostler then fighting it out in the final.

Despite exceptionally challenging and inconsistent 2-3 feet waves and onshore winds, Mark McCarthy (NKZN), dug deep and used his local knowledge to his advantage, managing to keep Charles Pass (CKZN), at bay to become the 2008 SA Pro Division Champion.

As soon as McCarthy left the water, after the buzzer had signalled the end of the heat, he was carried up the beach, smiling atop the shoulders of his friends. His performance was so convincing that everyone knew he had won even before the results were announced. Pass claimed 2nd with Ostler and Footit placing 3rd and 4th respectively.

From the outset the Drop Knee final looked like anyone's game with light riders having less difficulty negotiating the small conditions. The occasional big section meant that any rider who could successfully land a solid move off the end section had a very good chance of sneaking ahead. No one held back. Current SABA Circuit DK Champ, Sacha Specker (WP), started with a nice backhand floater followed by a well controlled snap - Game On!

Sean Tickner (CKZN) took off on a bigger one and pulled into a messy barrel, which he somehow managing to hold onto. Warren Canepa (EP) tried a layback shack, quickly paddled back out and caught another nice set wave. Canepa put all on the line with a massive grab rail floater turn off the end section...Could he hold onto the biggest move of the heat so far and take the lead? Unfortunately not.

The valley between the whitewater and curtain denied him, Warren was now in trouble. Specker racked up a second good wave with a well controlled, but safe backhand floater that had his WP team mates cheering. Tickner found another set, with no big section out back he popped a quick reverse 360 on the face and did a small floater off the end section.

Aden Kleve now, nice big floater, and then feeling the urgency, another smaller wave with a good backhand snap. In the end, Canepa's, failure to land any of his massive moves saw him getting 4th, Kleve took 3rd, Tickner slotted in 2nd and Sacha Specker convincingly claimed his second SA Champs DK title in a row!

After the cancellation of Men’s events in Bahia (Brazil) Tenerife (Canary Islands) and Isle De Margarite (Venezuela) the IBA WMT ratings will now be taken from the best 5 results and not the best 6.

It is simply following the rule of 50% + 1 so with only 9 events in 2008 the best 5 will now count towards the championship.

This will now see the lead past to Guilherme Tamega (Brazil) with Uri Valadao (Brazil) and Ben Player (Australia) all within 400 points of each other.

Pierre Luis Costes (France) and Mark McCarthy (South Africa) round out the top 5 and are also outside chances to win the IBA World Tour.