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Rip Curl GromSearch Kommetjie Kicks Off

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Rip Curl GromSearch Kommetjie Kicks Off:

16 February 2024:

Ryan Schoon © Louis Wulff

The Rip Curl GromSearch Kommetjie kicked off at Long Beach this morning with some excellent waves underneath an early morning drizzle. By mid-morning, the sun was out, and the action was non-stop. Some top performances from Ryan Schoon, Cooper Smith, Levi Epenetos and Matt Canning in the U18 division set the tone for the morning, with Schoon amassing the top points for the opening U18 round.

The waves were predominantly left-handers in the early morning high tide, with the occasional right-handers coming through as well. The goofy-footers were in their element, with Schoon, Epenetos and Canning all right-foot forward surfers.

Long Beach is renowned for its very tricky and, at times, brutal shore break, and it was those surfers who managed to master this shore-dump who were being rewarded generously by the judges. Some surfers also took to the air with impressive aerial moves and were also rewarded with big scores for these high-risk manoeuvres.  

Rip Curl team rider Ben Esterhuyse was on fire in the U14 Boys division, with the highest heat score of this division, as the waves dropped off slightly with the lower tide. Valdemar Gwenin, Liam Le Roux and Harry Walton were other surfers performing well in this division. 

Ben Esterhuyse © Louis Wulff

The forecast for the next few days looks promising, and the tournament will start tomorrow morning at 7:30. The Rip Curl GromSearch Kommetjie is the first in a 5-event series and finishes on Sunday afternoon. 

The Rip Curl GromSearch contests are all premier SAST events, with 1,000 points going to the winners as well as prizemoney per all premier events.

For the complete set of results, please go to the LiveHeats Page.

Downloadable photos here – Grom Downloads

The Rip Curl GromSearch Kommetjie is a Surfing South Africa event and supported by Sea Harvest. 

 

www.ripcurl.co.za

 

 

Ben Esterhuyse. Photo: © Louis Wulff

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The Socio-Political Crucible of Soweto

You cannot understand Johannesburg without understanding Soweto (an acronym for South Western Townships). Originally established as a “labor dormitory” to house black miners away from the white city center, Soweto grew into a sprawling metropolis of over 1.3 million people and became the epicenter of the struggle against Apartheid.

The township is home to Vilakazi Street, the only street in the world to have been home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners: Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. It was also the site of the 1976 Soweto Uprising, when thousands of students protested against the forced use of Afrikaans in schools. The police response and the subsequent death of 13-year-old Hector Pieterson catalyzed international condemnation of the Apartheid regime. Today, Soweto is a vibrant cultural hub, blending historical landmarks like the Orlando Towers (now used for bungee jumping) with a booming tourism industry and a sophisticated middle class. It represents the city’s resilience—a place born from segregation that transformed into a symbol of liberation and modern South African identity.