Some of the state's most talented surfers are creating serious ripples on the national and international competitive circuit, but the path to compete at the highest levels is a costly one and there's little government support.
Drive over the headland on a day the swell's up and chances are you'll see a flash of white as a surfer launches an arc of sea spray into the sky.
"I just drove to the east coast and went in a Qualifying Series," Sykora said after spending upwards of $2,000 to drive a 40-hour round trip to compete earlier this year.Corey Taylor, who in March won the Robe Easter Classic for the second consecutive year, recently came back from Indonesia where he competed in the WSL QS at both the Krui Pro and Nias Pro.
Mr Potgeiter said that while Surfing SA ran plenty of open events, such as the Robe and Yorkes classics, the Hurley Classic on the South Coast and the King and Queen of the Bowl at Seaford, the state did not have enough competitors to expect to host WSL events.He added that the arena had changed from 15 years ago when "sponsored surfers got paid a fortune and were well supported by the surf brands".
"Aussie kids are finding it a challenge, because Australia's having to put more and more QS and Challenger Series on, just to hold up the Aussies' side of it." "I'd love to give it up and go surfing, but I've got a house and mortgage and have to keep the balance between the two," he said.Mr Potgeiter said the organisation unfortunately did not have the funds to help its best surfers travel and compete, pointing out that while surfing had one of the highest participation rates in the country, in SA it was one of the lowest-funded and supported sports.
World Surfing Championships Luke Sykora Corey Taylor Squizzy Taylor Yorke Peninsula Yorkes Classic Surfing SA Swellnet
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