LW Mag LW Magazine
The 2011 Fox Surfer X commenced last Saturday morning at Umhlanga’s Main Beach in what looked like perfect conditions. Clear skies and warm water greeted the competitors during their warm up surf, with a light offshore wind and rising swell promising epic conditions for the Surf component of this unique cross-over event.
Comprising of three divisions including Pro Surf, Pro MX and Main Class (competitors who excel in both divisions) Surfer X is a combination of a surf and motocross competitions. Competitors must take part in both divisions with points from their respective final rankings added together to crown an overall champion.
The first day of Surfer X saw the invitees taking to the water at Umhlanga’s Main Beach to contest the surf leg of the event. With the first heat hitting the water at 8am, the surf was a clean and glassy three foot, courtesy of a light offshore breeze, offering fun surf for the competitors. As the beach filled up through the morning, so the atmosphere on the beach became more celebratory.
By the time the finals hit the water at around midday, the wind had swung to a light onshore, giving the surf a small chop and making for slightly more challenging conditions. Nevertheless, the finalists weren’t going to let the conditions hold them back, and put on an impressive display for the crowd on the beach. In the end Bazley local Devon MacNicol put his powerful forehand to excellent use to take the win in the Pro Surf Division while Shaun Mellor took the top spot in the Main Class. The Pro MX guys were mostly relieved that they hadn’t had to call out the lifeguards for a rescue.
Sunday morning was a very different scenario, with the throaty roar of revving engines replacing the crash of waves on shore, and a very different kind of sand shaping the landscape. A very fast and short course had been prepped at Springfield Race Track, promising plenty of speed alternating with big jumps and some tight cornering, including a rhythm section that almost unseated a number of riders. While some of the surfers were significantly out of their element (a few having never ridden a bike before that morning) they were game and the crowd applauded their efforts. The Pro MX and Main Class competitors had no compunctions about getting around the track as fast as humanly possible. Clint Dreyer was a dominant force in the Main Class, claiming the holeshot in both rounds and turning that early advantage into a sizable lead for the entire race. In the MX division Shaun Ford held off a hungry cross section of bike-riding pros to claim victory and add maximum points to his overall tally.
Final Results:
Main Class
1st Clint Dreyer
2nd Rowan Sharples
3rd Wes O’ Driscoll
Pro Surf
Haydn Mac Nicol
Pro MX
Dean Hey
