After waking up at 3am and then driving for six hours to reach Ponta d'Ouro in Mozambique, the twelve surfers invited to contest the 2009 Roxy Invitational were ecstatic when they could finally immerse themselves in the warm waters of their idyllic destination. Even the sight of small 1-2 foot waves gingerly crumbling down the point could not dampen their spirits, and within minutes of arriving almost every girl had changed into her bikini and was swimming in the shore break directly in front of the accommodation.
With the small swell and surf conditions, the decision was made to make the remainder of today a lay day, and the contestants were given the day to indulge their own pursuits. It did not take long for the surfers to spot the Elan Group's yacht "Spirit of Elan" anchored in the middle of the Ponta bay, and a quick decision was made to paddle out and pay a visit to the crew.
So all twelve invitees gathered their boards and set off towards the large catamaran where they were enthusiastically welcomed on board by the crew members. The next few hours were then spent on the boat as the girls took turns diving off the yacht, swimming under it and hanging out on the luxurious deck enjoying the spectacular view of Ponta d'Ouro.
And as the time passed and the tide steadily drained, so the small waves running down the point got more consistent and cleaner. As one small set wave rolled perfectly across the sandbank, Heather Clark, Sarah Baum and Tasha Mentasti spontaneously grabbed their boards and paddled into the lineup for a surf. The conditions continued to gradually improve, and as the trio caught more and more waves so the lineup began to fill up with the other contestants.
Clark and Mentasti proved that their extra years surfing experience would stand them in good stead when the Roxy Invitational runs as they continually picked off the bigger and better waves, while the Reunion duo of Johanne Defay and Canelle Bullard showed that they'll be serious contenders as they each put on an impressive display of stylish surfing for their South African counterparts.
After more than an hour in the water, Baum (14) returned to the yacht and was quickly whisked away on a jetski with Tanika Hoffman. Hoffman was then replaced by Tanah Rivalland as Baum decided she wanted to have a go at being towed into a wave by the jetski. After several attempts Baum eventually snagged a small inside wave and pulled off several reentries before kicking out and being towed back to the yacht.
"My legs felt like jelly after being towed for so long," Baum laughed after clambering back on board, "but that was a lot of fun and I can't wait to try it again. Today has been such a fun day. Even though we were awake so early and had such a long drive, just being in Mozambique with my friends and all these amazing surfers has given me an incredible amount of energy and motivation."
As the day drew to a close so the contestants returned to the beach and the cabins they will call home for the next week, tired but happy. The Roxy Invitational is one of South African surfing's most popular events, and will see ten of South Africa's top female surfers and two surfers from Reunion compete for R15,000 in prize money and the illustrious title.
The Roxy Invitational has a one week waiting period and will be contested in the best possible conditions at Ponta d'Ouro between 4 and 11 May. At this stage the forecast is looking most promising for the competition to take place on either Friday 8 May, or Saturday 9 May, but as guru surf forecaster Steve Pike keeps the contest directors informed so decisions will be made.
The official Roxy Invitational website http://www.roxy.co.za/invitational has been updated with the invited surfers' profiles and also offers 2008 event pics, video and news. As the event now commences so the site will be updated daily with blogs, latest news and fresh images.
The Roxy Invitational is presented by Saltwater Girl Magazine, in association with Virgin Mobile and Resolution.
List of 2009 Roxy Invitational Invitees:
Alice McGregor (East London)
Bianca Buitendag (George)
Canelle Bulard (Reunion)
Faye Zoetmulder (Port Elizabeth)
Heather Clark (Port Shepstone)
Johanne Defay (Reunion)
Kirsty Delport (Durban)
Nikita Robb (East London)
Sarah Baum (Durban)
Tanika Hoffman (Cape Town)
Tarryn Chudleigh (Cape Town)
Tasha Mentasti (Durban)
