So you wanna be a champion... Competition Strategy in Black and White

Competition Strategy

Doing some reading on the internet can help you fine tune your competition skills. Following what other top athletes are doing might also be a good idea. So, in the next few posts we’ll be speaking to some of the top guys in our sport, identifying their strategies and ways of looking at contest riding.
For now though, this is could be considered the basics for any aspiring contest rider.

Precontest Training

Time your paddle outs - every time
Surf a heat for the first 15 minutes of every free session
Go Big in free surfs! Over emphasize your manoeuvres and length of rides especially during free surfing
Paddle hard, work out, drink lots of water and stay in the shade
It helps to know the place and wave that has been chosen as the competition venue, if you have never been there before you should get there early in the morning to ride before the competition starts
Stretch every day and tune your equipment (Make sure your board is waxed the day before the competition and have a spare leash and fins)

Heat Strategy

1. Watch at least the one heat if not two heats before your own. Study how the waves are breaking; where are the sets coming in and how often; judge a heat in the sand; what does it look like from the beach
2. Check in on time and make sure you put your contest vest on from where you pick it up (this is for the sponsors, but you will be fined if you don’t.)
3. Do not free surf too much prior to your heat
4. Drink lots of water and stay in the shade
5. Use a watch
6. Remember only your best 2 waves will score, so make sure you get 2 scoring waves
7. Try to catch the first quality wave of the heat
8. Manoeuvres in the white water are not scored, so rather get back outside and get another set wave - go for the big manoeuvres outside!
9. Outpaddle your opponent. The option of hassling in the water is up to you, but you should try be out to the peak as fast as possible.
10. Finish each wave cleanly – Show the judges that you are in control
11. Always check your heat sheets. Look at what scores well for the day.
12. Do not catch too many waves - be selective and push into deeper positioning



* ALWAYS BE A GOOD SPORT! IT WILL COME BACK TO YOU! REMAIN POSITIVE, UPBEAT AND WEAR A SMILE AT ALL TIMES - IN THE WATER, ON THE BEACH OR IN THE PARKING LOT! IF YOU LOSE A HEAT LEARN FROM THAT LOSS AND LOOK AT HOW TO IMPROVE. DO NOT COMPLAIN. POSITIVE ATTITUDES HAVE A WAY OF ATTRACTING POSITIVE HAPPENINGS AND PEOPLE. THE SAME IS TRUE FOR NEGATIVE ONES. BE SMART, BE HAPPY! MANY THINGS ARE BEYOND YOUR CONTROL EXCEPT YOUR ATTITUDE WHY NOT MAKE IT A GOOD ONE!

"I love Koel Bay so it was sick to surf the contest there"
I managed to get hold of a busy man for a quick word or two before he got back to work. 2009 was a year to remember for Mark, he learnt a lot and we're hoping that now he's on the road, it'll be the road to more success with many more titles.
Hey bud, we missed you at SA’s this year. Especially seeing as you dominated the SABA tour this year… the year of the “Watts!!” Did you miss not being a part of the Reef SA Bodyboarding Championship 2009?

Ah man it was so hard for me stay home and try learning for my exams, knowing how much you guys were having! That was the first Sa Champs I have missed since 2002 so I was devastated when I found out my varsity exams fell over that same period. I enjoy competing and setting myself goals, seeing what you can really achieve when you work towards something.

Which contest was your favourite this year and why?

Umm...I like them all. Cape Classic maybe... I love Koel Bay so it was sick to surf the contest there and to get pretty fun waves in the corner for the final. It was probably the best showing of Bodyboarding (besides the Cave Rock event, but that’s not a regular feature) put on in the tour this year.

“Spex will be showing face I hope as he is an absolute guru”

So you’re exams are over and it’s nearly time for you to leave for Hawaii. How’s your training gone for that?

Ah the training was going well man. I was feeling good and ready. While I was learning for my exams I was training hard on the gym ball getting my core strong, running lots too, so I was feeling good! Then I finished exams and I was free... so the night life began. Ha-ha. So I got a bit unhealthy and a bit less fit. But at the moment I’m sitting in the dark (06:15 am) in Hawaii. I’ve been here for just over 10 days now and I’m feeling pretty good. Been surfing lots, getting some sun on my body and hanging out with South African’s half way round the world is the best. The crew (Spex, Charles Pass, Jerry, Ryan aka Cracker Janssens, and old man Brandon Foster) have all be working hard. Surfing lots and getting the job done.

“it’s about time we start showing what we've got to offer!”

It’s been rumoured that we might see you doing a couple International events next year, any truth in this and which ones are you looking at?

I was hoping to do the Box event but it looks like that event might not happen now. I’ll be doing the Pipe contest and see how far I can get through that. as for the rest of the tour I’m not sure what’s going to happening but I defiantly want to try and do as many as I can.

Who else, in your opinion, should be making the effort to get on that World Tour for 2010?

Well I know Jared Houston is on it. He’s Bodyboarding amazingly well at the moment. His trip to Australia has defiantly been really good for him. Spex will be showing face I hope as he is an absolute guru. I think there are a lot of guys that should be doing it and many of them I’m not sure why they haven’t already been trying there luck in the international events. I think a lot of us get stuck in ruts or comfort zone at home and it’s about time we start showing what we've got to offer!

It would be awesome if you could defend your title next year, but are we likely to see you at any SABA events next year?

I would love to do some of these events. At the moment I’m just unsure of my travel plans so I don’t want to promise anything. We’ll just have to wait and see I guess but hopefully if everything goes smoothly I’ll be home to do some of the Saba tour and try keep up my good results. Thanks to everyone for all the support my mom especially. Rossi, Iammoster, Limited Edition.

(photos by Specker, Janssens, Bosman, Kruger)