The sun came out, the waves came up and literally thousands of holiday-makers descended on Margate Beach to see Heather Clark and Nikita Robb claim the premier titles on the final day of the Billabong 'Girls Get Out There' Summer Surf Series on Sunday.

Clark, a KZN South Coast local from nearby Port Shepstone who spent seven years competing at the highest level of women's world surfing before retiring from international competition at the end of 2006, was the standout throughout in the Open division.

"I'm really glad to have won the event in such testing conditions," Clark said. "It's a good thing I've been doing my swim training because it was impossible to sit in the line-up and wait for waves, you just had catch whatever came along and then ride in and run back along the beach before paddling out again. Hat's off to those young girls who surfed in two divisions - they're like energizer bunnies!"

Defending Margate event champion Tarryn Chudleigh (Kommetjie) came closest, repeating the second place she earned behind Clark in their semifinal which produced some of the best girls surfing performances ever seen on the SA coastline as 2006/7 series champion Sarah Maritz (Warner Beach) and Nikita Robb (East London) were eliminated from the Open division in a titanic struggle.

Robb was an even more clear cut winner in the U20 final, opening her account with a near perfect 9.25 point score before combo'ing the other three finalists by posting an identical score later in the heat. Chudleigh was again the runner-up, leaving Margate for the first time in five visits without a title, with Baum third and Heidi Palmboom (Bluff) taking fourth spot.

Armstrong snatched a stunning victory in the U15 division when she moved from third to first on a ride that started a second before the siren sounded to end the heat and finished 15 seconds later. Armstrong leapfrogged fellow Kommetjie surfer Tanika Hoffman and Heather Klug (Durban) to the winner's dais with rising star Sabrina Scott (Glencairn, CT), another who struggled in the rip current earlier in the day, coming in fourth.

The plucky Novices finalists coped extremely well with the testing one to 1.3 metre surf despite their parents sitting on the edge of their seats throughout. Victory went to Gina Smith (East London) followed by Janelle Rademeyer (Scottburgh), Jordyn van Houtte (Warner Beach) and Inge McLaren (Nahoon, EL).

People flocked to the free learn to surf lessons conducted by 1978 ISA world surfing champion Ant Brodowicz, who also gave the contestants invaluable advice on how to avoid the rip current, and there was a great turnout for the Soft Lips Yoga sessions conducted by Tara Hossack, the Billabong Girls Marketing Manager, as Silver Bullet Productions recorded all the action for broadcast on SuperSport.

The whole Billabong Girls Get Out There Summer Surf Series moves to the Eastern Cape next weekend when the second of the four all-girls festivals of surf and beach action will be staged at Jeffreys Bay on Sunday and Monday 16-17 December.