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| Thursday 09th of July 2009 |
Red Bull Junior Surfing Workshop A Great Success.
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Red Bull Junior Surfing Workshop A Great Success.
http://redbull.co.za/unleashed
The Red Bull Unleashed project was an initiative created to give some of South Africa's junior surfers a step up by helping them maximize their potential. The group were coached by the Australian trio of Richard ‘Dog’ Marsh, Andy King and current WQS leader Dan Ross. Local junior coach Quintin Jones was also involved in the programme. Coaching methods used were both interesting and varied involving a mixture of surfing heats, fitness and psychological training as well as media training. Spike from wavescape.co.za added his experience,giving the participants an amazing lesson on wave and swell forecasting.
On day one the surfers got acquainted, went free surfing, learned some competitive strategy and fitness, as attended a talk from media coach Les Aupiais. On day two the groms were treated to the absolute luxury of a sprawling house, right in front of a fun and secluded beach-break setup. It was here that the coaches sent the groms into their mock contest, where heat strategy, planning and preparation were the focus elements.
The junior surfers participated with gusto, as they attempted to show that they had what it takes to be successful professional surfers. Les Aupiais interviewed the surfers after each heat. “Some of the surfers were really good with the interviews,” said Les “Others just needed to expand on their ideas a little to make proper, quotable statements.”
In the contest young Max Armstrong impressed everyone with some solid surfing while Steven Sawyer was another young surfer who did well. “Steven has a great bottom turn,” said Dog Marsh, and added, “He’s a very impressive surfer who could easily put the whole package together.”
Nick Godfrey was also on top form, surfing hard and fast in the average beach break conditions while Umhlanga surfer Beyrick de Vries pulled off some big aerial moves in the cross-wind conditions. The event was run through to a final and won by Shaun Joubert from Nick Godfrey, Dylan Lightfoot and Beyrick De Vries. The first prize for the event was a flip in the Red Bull Extra 300 Aerobic Aeroplane with Glen Dell, the Red Bull pilot.
“This has been a great project,” said Joubert after his win.“I think that I have learned more over these last two days than I have learned in my whole surfing career.”
Richard Marsh was glowing in his praise for Joubert. “Apart from having talent and skills, the kid really tried our exercises and stretches, and applied and absorbed the stuff that we have been teaching them over the project,” said Marsh. “Shaun and Nick are the stars, and they both realized early on that they could take some good stuff away from the weekend, which is the whole point of the project.”
As a programme wrap, the surfers went on a fun GPS exercise where they were sent hunting for a number of items which had to be retrieved to earn points.The purpose of the exercise was to help them understand teamwork and group dynamics, combine some of the things that they had learned, like strategy and planning, and use them in a non-surfing environment.
The ultimate goal of the project was to fast-track some of South Africa's up and coming and established junior surfers to a higher competitive level and focus them on their future as National team members, the World Qualifying Series and eventually the World Tour.
The surfers who attended Red Bull Unleashed will have left as better, more professional junior surfers who gained valuable knowledge and insight and into what is needed to become a top surfing professional.
Red Bull unleashed was sanctioned by Surfing South Africa, the governing body for the sport in South Africa. |
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