Bay lifesavers impress, but Norton steals the show

Athletes from Kings Beach and Summerstrand impressed at the DHL Lifesaving SA Surf National Championships at Kings Beach on Monday, but individually none had a bigger day than Umhlanga’s Under-19 superstar, Samuel Norton, who won four golds, including the sought-after Iron Man.

Norton’s club teammate, Kezia Elliot, took gold in the U19 Iron Lady and SA’s U17 teenage star, Tatum Botha, also from Umhlanga, dominated in her age group.

The juniors on Monday took to the surf and sand after a weekend of nonstop senior action, which saw Kings Beach’s Keegan Cooke named senior athlete of the championships.

Among the seniors over the weekend it was Durban Surf’s Amica de Jager, who won the Iron Lady and finished with five individual golds, a team gold and a silver, who was named the top female athlete in the open division.

Team SA’s female captain, Umhlanga’s Sasha Corris, also enjoyed a triumphant weekend and a seven-medal haul, and Durban Surf’s Melissa Corbett was unstoppable in the flags and sprints, winning four gold medals.

KwaZulu-Natal’s Wade Krieger, who won the open Iron Man title, was named the top dog among the men.

Monday’s action belonged to the juniors and Summerstrand’s Courtney Davidson starred in the run/swim/run and single ski, as did Kings Beach’s Jessica Booth.

Chelsey Cooke, sister of Keegan, was another local to enjoy the podium in the U19 division.

U15 star female performers were: Dayna Deeble (Durban Surf), Rylee Challenor (Umhlanga Rocks), Marcela Pugnalin (Clifton), Holly Smith (Llandudno) and Nicola Harcus (Woodbridge), who was a regular visitor to the podium.

Among the U15 boys, the winners were Plett’s Mielin Viljoen and Ruan Coetzee, Fish Hoek’s Matthew Brading and Heath Clarke, and Durban Surf’s Matthew Allen.

Umhlanga’s Tatum Botha predictably owned most of the U17 events she took part in, and she was particularly strong in winning the Iron Lady, while pre-race favourite, Clifton’s Naor Lombard, took gold in the U17 Iron Man.

Botha, flying the family flag in the absence of her brother, Connor, excelled in taking several golds, but was edged into second place in the surf swim by Clifton’s Holly Cleworth.

Other U17 winners, among the women, included East London’s Jenna Tarr and Kings Beach’s Robyn Hough.

Among the young men, Llandudno’s Kai Pfister won Lombard and Summerstrand’s Davidson regularly swapped podium positions in finishing either first or second.

The U19s completed the junior section, with Plett’s Ellen Kleinsmidt and Kings Beach’s Chelsey Cooke dominant in the flags and beach run, respectively. 

Milnerton’s Celina Isaacs outsprinted Cooke for the gold and Cooke also placed in the board race to showcase her versatility.

Davidson won the board race from Umhlanga’s Kezia Elliot, but it was Elliot who claimed the coveted U19 Iron Lady title, with Davidson second.

Davidson would take gold in the run/swim/run and continue her dominance with gold in the single ski, while Jessica Booth was a regular among gold and silver winners.

Umhlanga’s Brayden Bergset did the sprint and flags double for U19s, Llandudno’s Thomas Hofmeyr won the beach run, and then Norton cleaned up in the board race, the Ironman, the single ski and the surf swim. — Lifesaving SA