South Africa finished the day in fourth place overall, with defending champions Australia comfortably in first place.
South Africa’s best race performance belonged to the Female Rescue Tube quartet of Carmel Billson, Sasha-Lee Nordengen Corris, Jodi Cleworth and Maritz, who finished first.
Individually, Maritz and Nordengen Corris produced the best South African results among the women and young sprinting star Bradley Odendaal was the South African male stand out with second place in the Men's Beach Sprint.
Seven countries are competing in the 10th Anniversary of the Sanyo Cup, with defending champions Australia favoured to add to their 2016 success.
New Zealand are the current world champions but Australia has made the Sanyo Bussan Cup a second home and it would take something special from New Zealand to overall Australia on Sunday.
Hosts Japan were the surprise package on the opening day in finishing second overall, with New Zealand and South Africa making up the top four.
South Africa placed third in 2016 and coach Jay Cee Thomson remained confident that his youthful squad could still improve enough in Sunday’s events to replicate last year’s overall finish.
Thomson applauded the efforts of the South African women contingent.
‘It was tough going for our men but our women kept us in the top order of the standings with some very good performances. We all know what Mandi (Maritz) is capable of on the sand but it took a very strong team effort to win the Female Rescue Tube Race,’ said Thomson.
‘Our ladies put in some good performances in placing in the top three in many of the races and I know our men can improve. Our squad is a mixture of youth and experience and the youngsters would have learned from the opening day experience. I know we can be stronger on the final day.’
Odendaal’s second place finish also bodes well for the future of the South African Beach Sprinting.
Legendary South African and former World Champion Beach Sprinter Ryle de Morny was unavailable and KwaZulu-Natal’s Jonathan Rorke, who stunningly upset De Morny in the General Tire-LifesavingSA National Interclub Championships was also not in Japan.
Odendaal has been the dominant Beach sprinter among the juniors in South Africa.
Martiz, who competed at the Sanyo Cup 10 years ago as junior, returned to the event for the first time in a decade to complete an opening day in which she placed 1st, second and third in her respective races.
KwaZulu-Natal’s Carmel Billson was imposing at the recent General Tire-LifesavingSA National Interclub Championships and was crowned overall female national champion.
Billson tasted victory as part of the Female Rescue Tube Team but had to be content with fifth place in the Female Surf Swim, with teammate Sasha-Lee Nordengen-Corris finishing second.
This year’s event is being held at the Momochi Beach, which is a man-made beach near the centre of Fukuoka City.
Sanyo Bussan Cup
SA Results – Day 1
Male Beach Sprint – Bradley Odendaal 2nd
Female Beach Sprint – Mandi Maritz 3rd
Male Surf Ski – Luke Johnson 5th
Female Surf Ski – Jodi Cleworth 5th
Male Beach Flags – Bradley Odendaal 4th
Female Beach Flags – Mandi Maritz 2nd
Female Surf Swim – Sasha-Lee Nordengen-Corris 2nd and Carmel Billson 5th
Male Surf Swim – Daniel Jones 11th and Byron Lockett 12th
Male Beach Relay – SA 6th
Female Beach Relay – SA 3rd
Female Board Rescue – SA 3rd
Male Board Rescue – SA 7th
Female Rescue Tube Race – SA 1st
Male Rescue Tube Race – SA 6th
Female Board Race – Jodi Cleworth 4th & Alice Edward 10th
Male Board Race – Daniel Jones 11th and Sebastian Garreau 13th
Ocean Women – Jodi Cleworth 6th
Ocean Men Daniel Jones 5th
Ocean Women Relay – SA 3rd
Ocean Men Relay – SA 6th
Overall Day 1
1. Australia 429 points
2. Japan ‘A’ 355 points
3. New Zealand 349 points
4. South Africa 302 points
5. USA 278 points
6. Japan ‘B’ 271 points
7. Netherlands 236 points
South
Africa team:
Men
Byron Lockett
Daniel Jones
Bradley Odendaal
Luke Johnson
Sebastian Garreau
Women
Mandi Maritz
Sasha-Lee Nordengen-Corris
Carmel Billson
Jodi Cleworth
Alice Edward
Coach: Jay-Cee Thomson
Manager: Tracy Baird