Danville Park Girls High School learners Seanna Hart, Emma Slack and Faith Whittle have been chosen to ride the waves later this month as part of the KwaZulu-Natal Longboard surfing team for 2021.
The girls will be jetting off to Jeffreys Bay in the Eastern Cape to compete in the prestigious South African Longboard Surfing championship from 23 to 30 August. Danville Park alumni and longboard surfing fundi, Christy Gilmour, expressed great joy at these three young ladies being chosen to represent the province and is fully confident in their ability to conquer the waves, stating that each girl has a passion for the ocean. “Each person is unique in their attempts at surfing, be it their style, their commitment or their ability. All three girls are certainly not scared of any wave that comes their way as they have all grown up in and around the ocean, so their ability to read the ocean has been instilled in them since they were young,” she said. “I know how daunting it can be as it’s their first year competing in longboarding. I have used what I’ve learnt from my dad and the many others before me to try and help them put their best efforts forward. It is so humbling to see the growth of these three girls,” added Gilmour.
The 21-year-old mentor, who has numerous titles under her belt, including competing in international championships in China and Mexico, had much praise for her mentees. “Emma is selective in the waves she chooses but once she’s on the wave, there’s no stopping her. Faith is fearless and is always willing to learn, listening to tips from others and taking those tips and trying on the next wave and sometimes even surprising herself. Seanna is hungry in the water and always takes an opportunity with determination.” Seventeen-year-old Emma Slack, who has been in the water from a very young age, revealed that one of the reasons that inspired her to take up longboard surfing was the elegance and grace that is part and parcel of the sport. The Grade 11 learner also aspires to have the sport play a big role in her future. “If you are passionate about your sport, pursue it, as long as it is always driven from your heart.” Michelle Slack, parent of Emma, also expressed delight at her daughter’s achievements, stating that she is proud that Emma can enjoy something that she does well in.
Faith Whittle, who comes from a family of surfers, revealed that while she doesn’t have any professional goals regarding longboarding for now, she wants to encourage others to join in on the fun. “To me it’s just such a cool environment where I get to spend time with my family and friends, so fun days where we are all together keeps that spark alive. My dad was the longboarder of the family. I loved the grace of it, so I guess I fell in line.”
Grade 8 learner Seanna Hart, who believes in the philosophy of never giving up and always giving it your best, said that while competing in longboard is relatively new to her, she knows for sure that she will be surfing for the rest of her life. “I will aim to improve and learn as much as I can from the wonderful longboarding family that exists in KZN. I am honoured and I hope I can get a good result for my KZN team,” said Hart. Danville Park expressed their pride towards their learners, wishing them all of the best in the upcoming tournament. “I am very proud of Seanna. From pushing her into “foamies”, to then watching her paddle into waves by herself and now to make KZN ongboarding team is an amazing feeling as a parent. I am super excited to go on a surf trip with her to J-Bay and hopefully get some waves together! But just because she surfs better than her Dad, does not mean she can hustle any waves from me,” added Hart’s father, Bryan.
