2008/03/27
THEY may ride battered old surfboards and have little contest savvy, but this has not stopped a talented group of young Port St John’s surfers from making waves at the South African Grommit Games in Port Elizabeth at the weekend.
With hardly enough money to fix surfboard “dings” – let alone buy the latest surf fashions or travel hundreds of kilometres around the coast to compete – five of the youngsters from the Surf Clinic got through to the semi-finals after surfing just a handful of contests.
Yesterday, the seven-teenager team were on their way back to Port St Johns, packed into a kombi like sardines – fighting for head space with their surfboards and kit.
Their coach, Mike Gatcke, said even though they operated on a shoe-string budget, their results were enough motivation to aim for gold next year.
“The kids are mostly from poor families and the club has not got any money, but this has still not stopped them from dreaming of becoming world champions one day. On the beach they may not have the best equipment or kit but put them in the water on a surfboard and they surf as good as anyone else.”
Pint-sized 14-year-old Buntu Njubane – who lives in an orphanage near Second Beach – said he became hooked on the sport after taking a lesson four years ago. Now he surfs every day and dreams of making a living from it one day, doing something he is passionate about.
“I love surfing … I have been hooked from the day I started until now. I am not scared of the sea and practise as much as I can. I want to keep surfing because I know it will open doors for me to have a better life,” he said.
Newcomer Kealyn Boyce, 12, says he “would be playing ball” – if the surfing bug had not bit him hard a year ago. “I am going places with surfing. I have not been surfing long and already I have been to Port Elizabeth,” he said.
Out of 13 Border surfers for the Grommit Games, the Surf Clinic made history by producing all seven township riders for the team. Largely financed from his own pocket and backpacker donations, Gatcke, who runs a Wild Coast tour company, said he dreamt of the day when the club had enough funds to help the youngsters realise their full potential. “We dream of finding a sponsor one day, then we will produce champions,” he said. - By DAVID MACGREGOR
Port Alfred Bureau
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