We started off the weekend with “Vert Fridays”, lending pads out to the groms to skate the vert ramp so they can perfect their skills with (hopefully a little) less fear. Damian Bramley skipped the pads and went straight for a bs 5-0 before he even padded up. After the clinic was over, we moved to the “Highest tail tap” competition, an idea conceived by vert pro Danny Mayer during last year’s Maloof Money Cup pro vert clinic. Basically, each skater tries their hardest to tap their tail on the ramp while riding fakie, hoping that they can eventually progress enough to fakie tail stall on the coping. Damian prevailed once again and won the contest with a fakie tail stall. Kwabena and Brendon managed to get 2nd and 3rd, respectively, before the rain came and washed out the session.

Saturday’s March Skate Jam was highly anticipated by our locals that knew they had a shot at cash and product prizes. With prizes for beginners and advanced divisions along with a prize for the best trick in each division, we knew that the kids were going to throw down. Some standouts included Will Meleng, Alec Balie, Micael Matthews, Damian Bramley, and Muhammad Hassan. DBH was going big as always, throwing down ollies down the big 4 stair, and killing the 3 stair hubbas with consistency. Brad also came out with guns blazing, doing full cabs on the step up gap, 180’s over the A-Frame, and popping the big 4 stair with ease. Gerhard Botha also came out of nowhere doing a nollie lipslide down the A-Frame rail, earning him the best trick of the contest. LQ, at 14 years old, has some pretty incredible pop. LQ got the best trick of the beginners division for popping on to the pier 7 manny pad from flat to 180 off. In the end, Theo Setsetse, honorary SSS member, killed it with his consistent, smooth flip tricks on the step up and A-Frame, earning him 3rd place. Brad killed it super hard, but not enough to take out DBH, who came in first place.

Sunday’s competitions are always interesting; not only because of the eclectic and seemingly random crowd that Sunday attracts, but also because of the variety of competitions held on that day. Sunday was the marble ledges best trick contest. In the beginners division, Ricky stood out with a 50-50 to nollie shuvit, and Arno and LQ came out with prizes for stepping it up to the big ledge with a crook and a noseslide. Everyone managed to sneak in at least one boardslide, but Ricky’s tech trick helped him take home first. Lots of killer tricks went down in the advanced division. Martin Kotze, never afraid to mix it up a bit, went for a manual to manual from short to high, but only ended up getting the tre flip foot plant on the ledge, which still blew minds, earning him 3rd place. Will Meleng has been stepping his game up, literally, doing 50-50 from low to high, earning him 2nd place. Gerhard Botha threw down his signature varial flip to tailslide, earning him first place.

Check below for the results and photo gallery and be sure to check out SA Saturdays #6 dropping this week!

-Vert Fridays Highest Tail Tap-

1) Damian Bramley
2) Kwabena Awuah
3) Brendon Molena

-March Jam Contest-

Beginners
1) Muhammad Hassan
2) Micael Matthews
3) Oratile Merementsi
Best Trick- LQ- Ollie up Pier 7 Manny Pad (from flat) to 180 off

Advanced
1) Dillon “DBH” Hartzenberg
2) Brad Balie
3) Theo Setsetse
Best Trick- Gerhard Botha- Nollie Lip on A-Frame

-Marble Ledges Best Trick-

Beginners
1) Ricky- 50-50 nollie shuvit
2) Arno Scholtz- Noseslide high ledge
3) LQ- Crook Bonk High Ledge

Advanced
1) Gerhard Botha- Varial Flip Tailslide
2) Will Meleng- 50-50 ollie to 50-50
3) Martin Kotze- Tre Flip Foot Plant