Boishaaier 2025

Outside Sports

Mountain Biking

Jan de Beer

As the manager of the Boys’ High School mountain biking team, this time of year always places me in the challenging position of deciding what is worthy of publication and what is not. Before doing so, and in the hope of painting a general picture of the position of the sport in our school rather than favouring one discipline over another, I would like to thank every rider, parent, supporter, and sponsor of our team. Yes, the boys are celebrated for their achievements, but it is, without question, the parents who are the unsung heroes of this story. We thank you for the early mornings, the commitment of time and resources, and – most of all – the letting go, so that the boys can chase their dreams and return to you when the dust needs to be wiped off, the wounds cleaned… and the bikes fixed! That being said, our team had another stellar year in 2025. Surely, 2024 will always be remembered as the year Boishaai was crowned the best Cross-country team in South Africa, but we look forward, motivated by the past rather than yearning for its return. This year, 22 riders participated in the Schools Cycling South Africa Western Cape series, and of those, eight finished in the top 10 in their age group. The three matric boys – Samuel Cleary, Jaco van Zyl, and Matthew Hudson – will be missed, and the younger riders

are sure to do their best to step into the cleats left empty by these proud Boys’ High cyclists. We qualified for the South African Championships again this year and, although we had a smaller team than last year, we still ended on the podium in third place. We are already looking forward to next year, as the future of Cross-country at Boys’ High looks brighter and better each season. Some highlights that deserve special mention are: 1. Rudy Projects investing R100 000 to equip our riders with the best helmets and sunglasses in their range. 2. Samuel Cleary becoming a two-time African champion in the Cross-country (XCO) and Short Track (XCC) disciplines. 3. Jaco van Zyl taking second place at the SA XCC behind Samuel. 4. Yahyaa Martin finishing second in the U16 category at the SA Road Championships. 5. Beating Grey Bloem at the annual Grey vs HJS derby. 6. Various riders achieving provincial colours across almost every major cycling discipline. 2026 will be another year and another cobble in the road en route to success. We wish everyone many happy miles over this festive season.

Bergfiets Agter: Daniël Carstens, Grant van der Merwe, Henry Vorster, Vincent Rabie, Michael du Plessis, Marius Steyn, Adriaan van Jaarsveld Voor: Henry Chamberlain, Jack Goosen, Lodewyk Uys, mnr J de Beer, Jaco van Zyl, Matthew Hudson, Daniel Bristow

172 BOISHAAI 157 YEARS