Friendly Carnival, Plett Nippers run up on hot beach
Saturday January 30 dawned with the promise of perfect conditions for the large number of Nippers who call Plett Surf Lifesaving Club home, and by the time participants in the past weekend’s friendly carnival had arrived from as far as East London and erected their gazebos and banners on Central Beach, no one could whinge about the weather.
With low tide at around 1:30pm, the beach was hard enough for all age groups to get the gruelling long run in the bag, starting in the Beacon Isle corner with a turning point close to Hobie Beach’s famous Wedge.
The sun didn’t spare anyone and whereas faces and necks and Nippers’ backs and shoulders were lathered with sun screen throughout the day, many a parent, catcher and coach were caught by rays hitting the backs of their unprotected knees as the day’s events concluded with exciting beach sprints at the lagoon side of Central.
The programme on Day 1 also included Mali and body board races, flags, and the famously riveting surf swims, which sent heart rates of especially the younger Nippers’ parents into a spin as they saw their pink-clad (for maximum visibility) critters speed into the waves and paddle around buoys that look impossibly far from a beach vantage point.
But the kids – those competing on home turf and their invited guests from the four clubs of East London and PE’s Bluewater Bay, Summerstrand and King’s Beach – are ocean wise, fit and rather fearless under the watchful eyes of their able coaches, many of whom also moonlight as Nipper parents…
When the final water events were supposed to kick off on Sunday morning at 8am sharp, it was obvious that mettle would be tested. Walls of water rolled in and a heavy mist refused to lift for most of the day.
Boards and especially the older children’s Malibus (used by Ull-14 Nippers only) were flung into the air as breakers dumped everything in their path. But this did little to deter participants in these events, where safety officers nearly outnumbered Nippers in the water.
Sunday’s events concluded with the ultimate test of Iron Nipper in all age categories, challenging competitors aged U9-14 to show proficiency in first a beach run, then surf swim, and ending with a board race.
This item seems to have be-come a rite of passage and many a Plett Surf Nipper who might not have been brave enough for this triple challenge before, impressed spectators on the misty beach with their perseverance and determination.
The club thanks everyone who contributed to an excellent weekend of sport, music (Music Box), burgers (Spur) and chips (Plett Sports), coffee and croissants (Le Fournil), and the catchers and coaches and scorers Karin and Willemijn.
Plett Surf took the tournament with 1,224 points, followed by East London, Summer Strand, King’s Beach and Bluewater Bay. Every single child who participated contributed to this win, and Nipper officer Chris Fermor congratulated all teams and their coaches before announcing boys and girls winners in each age group.
The visitors were thanked profusely for making the journey before being waved off on their drive back east. And then it was time to celebrate Plett Surf’s victory with frosties and braai fires for Sunday lunch.
Come down to the beach on a Friday afternoon if you want to find out about Plett’s healthy Nippers culture or call Shameera on 083 304 5087 for information.