Top Surfers picked for World Surfing Games
The Mzansi Surfing Team, which will compete in the 2023 International Surfing Association World Surfing Games in El Salvador from 30 May to 7 June has been announced by the Board of Directors of Surfing South Africa.
The team will include:
• A coach and manager
• WSL Championship Tour surfers Jordan Smith, Matthew McGillivray
• Former Mzansi Champion Joshe Faulkner
• Top ranked WSL Challenger surfer Sarah Baum (who has been selected as a wildcard)
In addition to these athletes there are also two other surfers who have been selected for this event: Danielle Powis (who competed in the 2022 ISA World Surfing Games) and Zoe Steyn (who placed third at the 2019 World Surf League Qualifying Series).
Jordan Smith
Jordan Smith is a Mzansi surfer who qualified for the 2020 Olympics but withdrew due to a knee injury.
He is determined to qualify for 2024 in Tahiti, and he has been training hard at home in Mzansi.
Matthew McGillivray
Matthew McGillivray is a local of Jeffreys Bay and scored a perfect 10 point ride at Teahupoo earlier this year.
He’s been surfing since he was five years old, and his passion for it has taken him all over the world.
He has competed in multiple events including the World Surf League Championship Tour (WSLCT), Rip Curl Pro Search, Billabong Pipe Masters, Fiji Pro and many more.
Joshe Faulkner
Joshe Faulkner is a Mzansi surfer who has competed on the World Surf League Championship Tour (CT).
He represented Mzansi at the 2022 ISA World Surfing Games in California in September.
In July this year, he competed in a CT contest at his home break in Jeffreys Bay and finished seventh overall.
Sarah Baum
Sarah Baum is a Durban born, Australian based surfer who finished 10th in the WSL Challenger Series this year.
She’s Mzansi’s top competitor for 2022 and will be looking to do well at these Games.
Zoey Steyn
Zoey Steyn, who has been competing on the WSL Challenger series for the past two years, just Hawaii the news that she will get her chance to qualify for the 2024 Olympics.
Zoey is also one of Mzansi’s top surfers when it comes to representing her country at international competitions such as these.
She was part of Team Mzansi at both ISA World Surfing Games (WGS) in 2015 and 2017 where they finished 11th and 10th respectively.
Danielle Powis
Danielle Powis is an Mzansi surfer who represented Mzansi at the 2022 ISA World Surfing Games in the USA in September.
She won the annual Victoria Bay Quadrangular Surf contest in May and competed in the 2022 Ballito Pro.
The Surfing South Africa (SSA) Team Management is in the hands of Christopher Bond and 2022 SA Junior Team Manager Rezar de Nicker.
Both are experienced surfers who know what it takes to win at ISA World Championships, having competed at multiple events themselves.
Their knowledge will be invaluable for our young team members as they prepare plans prior to and while they are in El Salvador.