Riptide Magazine

They care about the Enviroment in South Africa

Last Updated on Friday, 05 March 2010 15:44

Ismaeel Grant, reverse air.

Here's some information on the 2010 Sport Unlimited Cape Classic presented by Ocean Minded that is going under the tagline - “Bodyboarding for the environment”.

The Cape Classic is Cape Town’s premium Bodyboarding event. It will be the first ‘green’ bodyboarding event of its kind in the world.

It's the start of the national tour that's governed by the South African Bodyboarding Association (SABA) and the event will be held over the weekend of 20-22 March 2010. The venue will be a roaming venue to secure the best possible conditions for the competitors. This year WPBA has chosen to step up their focus on creating awareness of the state of our oceans and the environment by using the event as an educational tool and to raise funds for the SAVE OUR SEAS FOUNDATION.

The Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) is an international non-profit organization that establishes and supports scientific research and educational projects focused on protecting the world’s oceans. SOSF’s initiatives provide key information about the importance of maintaining the delicate ecological balance in marine ecosystems. In particular, SOSF aims to learn more about the role sharks and rays play as top predators and the devastating consequences of removing them from our seas. The Save Our Seas Shark Centre (SOSSC), based in Kalk Bay, is the local arm of the SOSF. Its mission is to encourage awareness, protection, conservation and the sustainable use of sharks worldwide through research, education and awareness.

All event posters and score sheets will be printed on recycled paper. Daily beach clean-ups will be held along with having a recycling company present on the beach for the duration of the contest, thus ensuring that our footprint only leave’s a minimum impact on the environment.

Educational programs will be held daily on the beach by the SOSF. WPBA will be hosting a group of underprivileged children from rural areas for the duration of the contest and beyond, educating them about the ocean, sustainability and introducing them to bodyboarding as a sport. These development programs are run four times a year. We wish to increase the amount of clinics, but resources are limited.

As ocean users we see the impact of pollution and over fishing in our oceans on a daily basis, therefore we must make a stand and start doing something about what we as humans are doing to our oceans and environment. Act now. Before it is to late.

Ian Kruger with a large reverse.

Follow us on Twitter to get live updates during the event on twitter.com/capeclassic and there's more information to be found at South Africa's bodyboarding magazine, Sixty40.

The 2010 Sport Unlimited Cape Classic would like to thank all our partners including Sport Unlimited, Ocean Minded, Reef, Science and SOSF.

Josh Kleeve, reverse air.