Close to 200 elite longboard surfers from around South Africa will descend on Seal Point in Cape St Francis from August 26 to 31 for the 2024 SA Longboard Championships, presented by Ryd, and sanctioned by Surfing South Africa.
Competitors are required to qualify for their district teams, through trials that have taken place throughout the year, before they are invited to represent their region at the national championships.
The South African Championships were last held in Cape St Francis in 2019.
“We’re very excited to be returning to Seals for the 2024 Champs,” said Christy Gilmour, chairwoman of South African Longboarding. “The unique wave offers conditions that are ideal for surfers across all age divisions. It’s going to be an amazing week.”
KwaZulu-Natal’s Sam Christianson will be defending his 2023 Men’s title to uphold a three-year streak of national titles (2021, 2022, 2023).
He represented South Africa at the 2024 World Longboard Championships in El Salvador earlier this year and is currently on the WSL World Longboard Tour.
Mbuso Zozi (WP), a fairly new name in South African longboarding, will be back to make another attempt at the SA title after claiming second place at last year’s championships.
Zozi also represented South Africa at the World Championships in El Salvador in April.
Multiple South African champion and accomplished stand-up paddle surfer, Tarryn King (WP), will return this year to defend her 2023 Women’s title.
This year the Mystix division for women aged 31 to 40 has been added to the ranks of the female age categories.
This addition will serve to close a jump in age groups with the goal of growing women’s longboarding.
