ZI46.1 Summer 2021 by nustobaydo

ZAG 46.1 / Contents

Publisher Andy Davis – andy@zigzag.co.za

Associate Publisher Charlene Mazery – charlene@zigzag.co.za

Online Editor Dave Armstrong – online@zigzag.co.za

Consulting Editors

On the inside 16 22 28 122 126 130

On the cover When there’s a little too much water on the Pipeline reef it can look a bit like Taehupo’o. “Stoked I made this one, it was a lot shallower than it looks.” Benji Brand navigates this double-up and lands on page one. ©GONZO

The Silver Surfer Dissident Nature Zen Lockdown Survival Off the Leash Backwash Checkout

On the outside 32

Combo-Land

Wild Seas

Looking Back, Moving Forward

Not Surﬁng in the Chatham Islands

82 8

Our first trip since the ‘Rona. A quick jaunt to the Maldives with Eli Beukes, William Aliotti and Matt Bromley to catch the swell of the year.

Marine biologist Thomas Peschak realised he could make a bigger difference in conservation through photography than academics.

We look back at a few of the key surf sessions – some historical, others more recent – that have pushed the whole culture forward.

Will Bendix & Alan van Gysen – editorial@zigzag.co.za

Design Studio Kronk – info@studiokronk.com

Subeditor Dave Buchanan – davebuchanan001@gmail.com

Photographic Contributors Manuel Gonzalez, Kevin Rom, Caleb Bjergfelt, Alan van Gysen, Nic Bothma, Robyn Perros, Jerome Mosetic, Paul Sampson, Luke Patterson, Thomas Peschak, Ted Grambeau, Timo Jarvinen, Chris van Lennep, Pierre de Villiers, Rambo Estrada, Greig Sharp, Margarita Salyak, Alexander Oelofse, Jonty Andrews, Zane de Lange, Ross Nagel, Greg Ewing, Neil Bradﬁeld, Federico Vanno.

Editorial Contributors Alan van Gysen, Samora Chapman, Mark Sampson, Thomas Peschak, Will Bendix, Grant Baker, Pierre de Villiers, Dave Armstrong, Jamie Brisick, Josh Malherbe, Ben Trovato.

SUBS / CONTRIBUTIONS Subscription queries: subs@zigzag.co.za We welcome photographic and editorial contributions. Please e-mail your material to the relevant person for consideration. We cannot be held responsible for unsolicited contributions. ZIGZAG will retain reprint rights, contributors will retain all other rights for resale and re-publication.

Imagine going on a surf trip and being too freaked out by the locals' shark stories to even think about paddling out. This happened to Jamie Brisick and Rambo Estrada.

Growth Spurt One of the gnarliest waves in the Ments growled to life at the end of winter. Nic von Rupp, Nate Behl and mighty lighty Josh Malherbe were there to meet it.

ZIGZAG IS PUBLISHED BY

“Now we’re having fun.” Playful conditions between Durban's piers can draw a crowd. These days you’re more likely to see Jason Ribbink riding a soft top, even when it’s solid. ©ROM/ PROFARAZZI

ZAG 46.1 / Upfront

Truth and consequences… The Cape of Storms is a different kettle of fish. Out here there are only a select few who actually want the wave of the day. Odd Persson, deep inside the Dungeons bowl. ©BJERGFELT

Bianca Buitendag, just chilling at home with her Olympic silverware. ©VAN GYSEN

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t was never my dream to be on tour. So I think that’s a huge part of my story – I’m obviously very grateful for the experience of being on tour, but I was never that 13-year-old grom saying ‘I want to be a world champ’. Obviously, lots of opportunities came, and I grabbed every one with both hands and never let go. I really exploited the opportunities that came my way. My parents played a huge part in that. And then I landed up on the Tour. And I was like, okay… this is stressful! You enjoy it only for the few heats that you win; the rest is really tough. I had this knot in my throat… this ball in my throat, for eight years, just from stress. Which is actually illogical, because stress shouldn’t come from a sporting achievement. You’re young and you’re talented, and you land up there and obviously you want to do well. But I must say, it was a love/hate relationship most of the time. And then I went through some personal stuff. The year my dad passed away, I just couldn’t care less. Win a heat, lose a heat. Stay on tour, get knocked off tour. Surf, not surf… It didn’t matter at all. My priorities flipped around completely. The desire to chase that fleeting moment of sporting success was just gone. I realised quite early on that I wanted something else. You don’t question it too much when you’re doing well; it’s when you’re not getting results and you’re away from home, living out of a suitcase, then you start questioning… How long? What are my goals? Do I want to do this? Normal athletes regard their sporting career as the glory days. For me, it’s just a nice memory – not like the peak or climax of my life. I actually wanted to retire quite early, but it’s difficult to stop. I had sponsorship commitments that I had to respect. I didn’t want

to let people down who had supported me all my life. I had wanted to stop in 2016, but it took three or four years to do it. Then Covid hit, and that was a great excuse to come home. After everything was done, I went to everyone and thanked them personally. We parted well. I’d been with Roxy and Quiksilver since I was 13, so it was a long relationship. They gave me the opportunity of a lifetime just after I left school, so I had to see it through. When they first announced surfing at the Olympics I was like, oh man, do I have to stick around for another four years?! Again, we were taught in our family not to let any opportunities go. So I made sure I did all the ISA qualifications. It was really cool, with Isaac February and Greg Emslie, at those events… they were the few events that I really enjoyed. So I did one ISA per year, and just the WSL events that were necessary to fulfil my contract commitments. I’d decided I would stop competing professionally; but I was 100% committed to getting to the Olympics and representing South Africa. And the Olympics was wild! Fortunately the games were postponed, so I got another year of preparation, which was great. Because I wasn’t ready before. Then I got a false positive two days before I was supposed to fly out, so that was already a miracle… they prayed the Covid out of me, but that was stressful logistically, together with all the other medicals and blood tests. And then the riots and protests happened in Durban, and I couldn’t get any kit to fly out with. I have this green, fleecy jacket I use all the time, and my family joke that they’re going to bury me in it. Well, I pulled that one out, because it was green. So I got onto the plane in this random jacket… and it was us against the world from that point on.

ZAG 46.1 / Silver Surfer

Perfect form in Tokyo. ©BOTHMA

We got to Japan, everything was going well, but it was like landing on Mars. It was so different, and so unique. All the big surfing countries were living at the hotels on the beach, but we didn’t want to, we wanted to stay in the Olympic Village with the South African team. Greg and I called ourselves ‘The Village People’! We would ride on the bus, for almost two hours, and we would get to the beach and everyone would have like five coaches, three managers, a psychologist, the best kit. Greg and I would rock up, just the two of us, in our green, fleecy no-name-brand jerseys. Those hurdles and challenges gave us the extra motivation we needed to want it more than anyone. Coming from South Africa, which was half burning down… all of these obstacles fuelled the fire inside us. We needed to win this for South Africa. On finals day we missed the first bus of the morning, which left at 03:59, and then the next bus was supposed to come at 04:12 and then it didn’t arrive, so we were stuck an hour and half away in the pitch dark while this typhoon was hitting… Alone at the bus stop, in the rain and wind. Somehow we found a bus, we were running late and I was doing my stretches in the aisle. And Greg was pretending not to be stressed, but I could see he was flustered. We got to the beach, I grabbed my board from under the bus and I started running, to get some warm-up waves in the stormy conditions. The first few days it was flat and tiny, and then it was just huge… like, eight-foot shorebreak killers! I paddled out and spent 20 minutes trying to get through but 18

couldn’t, and eventually the rip took me out of the contest area – which was locked down, because of Covid, and there were fences and everything. It was a no man’s land, and you weren’t allowed to be there. You couldn’t even free-surf after the contest. So I run back to the contest area, throw my board over and climb these balustrade fences. I had to break back in! And then they announced the quarter-finals, and that was it. We had this usagainst-the-world mentality, and it felt like we’d been through too much to not give it everything we had. So many things aligned that I’m still convinced today that it was a miracle. I felt like I was literally the spectator. I still feel like that. A girl would need a score, then I would need a score; I’d just get the score, and she wouldn’t. I’ve done a lot of competitions in my life and it never happens that it aligns so well, for so many heats consecutively. So I knew there was something at play, some divine intervention happening… not that I’m saying that God wanted me to win my heat, but maybe some people needed good news back home, and I was just a vehicle to get it to them. That, and we recently did a fundraiser for a primary school we’re building for an NGO back in George, and we just couldn’t find ways to do it, and we were stuck. And I thought that if I did well at the Olympics, the fundraising would be easy, and it felt like God was saying, “Now is the time.” And all of this was just to help give back to the kids in George, so I had to take this responsibility very seriously and pull through, and that was His instruction.

Peace out from a cold Cape Town cylinder. ©VAN GYSEN

"Being in the water is the closest you can get to heaven." And then, during the finals, through a typhoon sky, this massive rainbow popped up; and that obviously symbolises God’s promise. Not that the promise, again, was winning my heat. I don't think God cares about sporting success; I think He cares about you, and people around you. And then when I stood on the podium, He told me that this stuff comes and goes really quickly… I’ve been at the top end and the bottom end, I know how fast it passes. I’ve seen miracles happen and I recognised one while it was happening, and I felt that it was specifically for an organisation that I work with that changes the lives of children, Life Community Services. The first time I got introduced to Life Community Services in George, my high school did an outreach day and I remember walking off the premises and thinking, ‘Whoa!’ You just see these innocent little people who are born into it and don’t choose it and

are at the mercy of their situation. Ever since then I’ve had this desire to bridge the gap between my privilege and the reality of what’s happening on that side of town. I’ve seen Maryna, the founder of Life Community Services, walk through the township like she belongs there. She’s completely bridged the gap and she’s committed to it. Life Community Services tries to give the kids a chance at life. A foundation in education, an identity in God, and meeting basic needs. Between these three platforms I really think they open a kid’s scope to dream. They say, if you really want to become a film director you can. If you want to become an architect you can. If you want to go to the moon you can. They open the ceiling of limitation completely, and they say, this is the first opportunity of many… how can we help you? 19

ZAG 46.1 / Silver Surfer

Flying in the Mentawais early in her career. @VAN GYSEN

"I don't think God cares about sporting success." When I got home to George, at the airport, my whole family was there, and the whole surf community of Vic Bay – and most importantly, the kids from Life were there, and they started singing a song, and it just broke me. I think you grow up thinking success is the guy with the best car, the biggest house and the best job; and I’ve realised, through my sporting ambitions, that this is not true. I feel like my professional career was not for nothing, that God had a plan for me from the beginning.

*At the age of 27, Bianca has retired from professional surfing. She now serves full-time at Life Community Services in George. The Village People! Coach Greg Emslie and Bianca Buitendag. @BOTHMA

ZAG 46.1 / Art

Mook Lion and his street portrait mural of local residents Vuyo and Luvo in their neighbourhood, Makhanda, 2021. ©ROBYN PERROS

Mook Lion’s wheatpaste poster of Mambush, 'the man in the green blanket', an artistic response to the Marikana Massacre. Warwick Junction, Durban, 2015. ©ROBYN PERROS 22

Dissident Nature If you’ve ever driven around Durban, Cape Town or Makhanda, your eyes will have taken in the larger-than-life street murals of Mook Lion. Samora Chapman

hen I was about three years old, a new kid arrived on the scene. His name was Daniel. Like Daniel and the Lion’s Den… but nobody would ever call him that. He was small, skraal, pale and often sick. Our old man is a wordsmith – so names, stories, myths and legends have always been a golden thread in our family, the stories often outgrowing life itself. Here’s the story of Mook Lion, as best as I can tell it. Long ago, our ballie was writing a book. It was a fable of sorts, and the main protagonist was a bedraggled hyena. The underdog of the jungle, always going on some adventure to prove himself, or win a place among the pack of revered African beasts. This hyena was called Mookie. At some stage in his emergence, my lil' brother got the moniker Bush Mookie… the hyena. Mookie was born in the concrete jungle of downtown Jozi, in a place called Troyeville, the edge of slum-land. And from a young age, we roamed the streets, getting into all kinds of trouble with the neighbourhood kids. True city rats. I think our old man saw the writing on the wall. He longed for the ocean (and Durbs), where he grew up, surfing in the golden era when it took two lighties to carry a board. He wanted us to grow up as surf rats, not city rats. So in about 1990 he packed up the fam and moved to a jungly suburb outside Durban, a pivotal moment in our lives. We were sent to a hippie school, grew our hair, spent days climbing trees and building forts, and were soon tossed into the ocean. Young Mooks was still surviving some mysterious ailments that our mystic mom blamed on the ‘evil vaccines’. He was pale as a ghost, with a constant runny tummy and green snot that

flowed like toxic effluent. He underwent an intensive Ayurvedic treatment involving full-body massages and drinking warm yellow tinctures. I remember him smothered in oil, glistening in the night with his big brown litchi-pip eyes. As he grew into a medium-sized lighty, Mook was treated like a little springbok out in the bushy fields of Hillcrest. And I was the Lion. I’m not proud to say it, but from day one I drilled my little brother. I gave him the rugby ball and said, "Run!" Then I’d hunt him down and pound him into the ground. I made him climb massive trees. I led him into dark muddy tunnels. Over the years I was kind-of responsible for a broken jaw, a broken arm, a blinding incident, being forgotten at school, feeding him dogshit, and a litany of other sins. Please forgive me, little brother. In my defence, I would protect him fiercely from the much bigger, hairier and scarier kids in our crew. But Mook never complained. He gritted his teeth and bore it. He become tough as nails. This first become evident on the sports field, and later in the ocean. At nine or 10 years old, Mook was the cross-country running champion of KwaZulu-Natal. He won national champs by so far, they made him run in the age group above him… and he still won. The Highbury moms cried and called foul play. But Mook had tasted victory. It was the beginning of a quiet confidence. A strength of will and determination that would come to define him. It started as a small flame; I saw it flicker, and grow into a wildfire. It drove him to run faster, surf harder and paint more graffiti than anyone could keep up with. He earned my respect and admiration a hundred times over. No longer Bush Mookie, he became Mook Lion, king of the jungle.

ZAG 46.1 / Art

The Water Birth of a Surf Rat “What I remember about learning to surf is being dragged out by the collar of my wetsuit, by my ballie, into what seemed like massive surf,” says Mook on the other side of a pixellated Zoom call. “I was always cold,” he goes on. “I remember roasties on my feet from my flippers. I remember following my friends into big surf, terrified, tryna avoid being called a ‘chicken’. I was always a little smaller and less brave than the other ous!” he admits. After a couple of years on a bodyboard, Mook started stand-up surfing at 10. It was a time before cellphones, when kids were dropped at the beach in the morning with 10 bucks and a towel. Mook spent thousands of hours in the Bay Bowl with his crew – the Smyly brothers, the Mason brothers, Judge, Luke Embelton, brother Joeg, that’s me, and other assorted surf rats. One time he got washed through Bay Pier and ripped to shreds, half drowned. But he kept on… 24

Surfing and skating became Mook’s life. He used to study the Zag like the bible. Family trips introduced him to the sweet caramel-scented point breaks of the south coast, the deathly hallows of Wacky Point, the perfection of J-Bay; and further south, the icecream headaches of Scarborough and The Kom. He soon rose to the top of the marginal ranks and began surfing a few contests… “At that time, New Pier was crazy,” he remembers, “high-performance surfing on every wave. I used to surf against Jordy, Rudy Palmboom, Craig Anderson, Chris Leppan. The one year I came ninth, and they took eight surfers for the KZN team; I was kinda over it after that. "But I did go to the SA Champs with the KZN Development team, and made it through a few rounds. That was the most fun I had in competitive surfing… being part of a team.”

Portrait of the artist as a young shredder. Kowie River Mouth, Port Alfred, 2021. ©MOSETIC

Writing on the Wall In his mid-teens, Mook got side-tracked by hip hop culture and the thrill of writing graffiti. “I remember my friend Dok went to Cape Town, where he saw the likes of Faith 47 and Falko’s graffiti,” he thinks back on how that adventure started. “Dok phoned me up and said: ‘Bru, we HAVE to do graffiti.’ I was like, ‘what you mean?!’ I didn’t know anything about graffiti. “Anyway, when he came back to school we went out bombing a few times, late nights. It was hectic… I was like, ‘Nah, this isn’t for me.’ But we kept going out every weekend. And there came a time when graffiti took over my life, and surfing took a backseat. But now the graffiti and street art is my job – surfing is that purely fun thing that I do for therapy. Art is my grind.” Mook’s commitment to graffiti in the mid-2000s led to two separate charges of malicious damage to property, but it also led him to a career as an artist. He became fascinated with oil painting

and print-making, and also began exploring street art as a form of visual activism in Durban, which grew into the theme for his Master's in Fine Art at the Durban University of Technology. Nowadays he lives in the remote one-donkey town of Makhanda in the Eastern Cape, where his partner Robyn lectures at Rhodes University. From there, he travels around the country working as a mural artist, to fund his never-ending quest for perfect waves. Incidentally, he’s found a rich vein of work in the film industry, where his ability to do his best work, fast is highly prized – a skill he learned from the many hours running streets and trainlines in the dead of night. “With my street art, the guiding factor for me is to respond to the location I’m working in,” he explains. “In the case of the recent donkey mural in Makhanda, the donkeys are a symbol of the town, in a way. Like Eeyore, they have a sad, downtrodden nature. 25

A cow grazes in front of Mook Lion’s donkey mural, Makhanda, 2021. ©ROBYN PERROS

“So I tried to flip that perception, and show the donkeys as though they have some kind of collective will, as if they’d turned their lives around and become a powerful entity, working together communally. I’m fascinated by dissidence in nature – nature is rebellious. When I see wild animals climbing walls in town, donkeys wandering around disrupting the flow of traffic – I really appreciate that, and admire the way they disrupt the functioning of public space.” By repurposing wasted urban space, Mook aims to produce art that performs a social and cultural function in society. His themes often respond to current socio-political issues and the importance of conservation and the preservation of nature. “My goal is to invigorate public space and invite people to become more invested in their community,” he goes on. “People are working online, we’re socially distant. Hopefully my work improves the emotional and psychological attitudes of people in the environment.

“To me traditional, illegal graffiti is very important,” he continues. “Graf-artists risk so much just to express themselves in the public space without any personal gain, except recognition and a bit of stoke. Unsanctioned graffiti is powerful and inspiring – it has a power that carefully considered murals can never achieve.” Mook draws a lot of parallels between surfing and graffiti. There’s the thrill and adventure of finding the unknown spots, the creative style each individual brings to the session. “Surfing during lockdown was exactly like painting graffiti… finding a place to park, hiding your board in the bush, running from cops. It was hilarious!” He chuckles. “In graffiti, style is the message. It’s all about pushing your style – a unique style is something worth sharing. Surfing is the same. The best style is when people are honest, when people aren’t trying to do the latest trend – they’re just creating their own thing. Being in the moment. Going on surf trips, or catching local spots with da ous... for me, that’s Shangri-La. Nirvana.”

ZAG 46.1 / Zen Shaping

Mark Sampson trying to translate this feeling into ﬁbreglass. ©VAN GYSEN

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y story starts back in July 2013. The Sampson family left Cape Town in our Big Green Truck to travel Africa clockwise, through 47 000km of bush, desert, rainforest and mountain, using only waste vegetable oil as fuel. One of the main inspirations for the journey is the fact that my Dad always aimed to sail the boat he built himself across the Atlantic with his sons, but aged 60 had the first of a series of debilitating strokes that put paid to that dream. So we didn’t wait for retirement to pursue ours. Fast forward to Cape Town, June 2020: peak First Wave Covid. The Sampson family is trapped in an apartment block, marooned in a vast concrete carpark in the already psychologically locked-down suburb of Fish Hoek. After our seven-year adventure in the wilds, it was challenging to come back to the restrictive rules of a body corporate in these no-pets, no-balls, no-fun flats. For the first time in 38

countries we were not offered hospitality, but made to feel like criminals simply for bringing our truck onto the property: “It’s an eyesore!” Far from the triumphant return home I had envisaged, I felt banished to the naughty corner; worse than being locked down was the feeling that we were not welcome. Like so many in this modern world, I’ve struggled my whole life with my mental health, self-medicating with drink and drugs, then anti-depressants. Our trip surfing around Africa was a more constructive solution. If laughter is the best medicine, travelling is the best therapy: constant challenges and new cultures experienced together, as a family. I felt like I was making a difference, in a small way, promoting climate change education across our beautiful continent. It was working well. Right up until the last year, when we had to rebuild our engine three times and spent 146 days stranded in garages. By the end of 2019, everything was getting too much. I was

Mark in his Tweety Bird yellow Gath helmet, on a moody morning in the Canary Islands. ©PAUL SAMPSON.

in a very bad place mentally, but surfing was keeping me sane – just. I’ve surfed for over 40 years, although I’m still pretty shit. I was never much of an athlete; more of a mascot. But any time spent in the ocean feels healing to me, so I’ve always turned to surfing in times of deep depression. And often, it’s enough. So Level 5 was tough, but we were lucky to be together with enough food on the table and a roof over our heads. During the first month of hard lockdown I tried every way I could think of to keep busy and keep my mind off the impossibility of surf. I emptied the truck, fixed everything I could find, cleared the garage, backed up hard drives, edited footage, emptied inboxes and sorted through clothes. But once everything was mended, painted, greased and donated – what more was there to do? With no possibility of doing stand-up or therapy, I needed a focus to cope. Others unable to work at this time chose to tackle the crisis by making masks, packing food parcels or checking on elderly neighbours – so what did I do? I decided to build a surfboard. By hand, with no power tools. I was inspired by shaper David Stubbs who has always encouraged me to be part of the design process of the dozens of boards he’s shaped for me, and helped by ding-repair king Tony van Ginkel, who can fix anything and was reducing, reusing and recycling way before it was fashionable. My love of surfing is equalled by my passion for the equipment: the aesthetic appeal of those sexy curves and smooth surfaces, those angular rails and sharp, glossy fins. No other sport has this. Does anyone return home with a new tennis racquet, stroke it lovingly and prop it up in the corner? Nah. But touching, smelling and standing around admiring a new board is part of the joy of riding it. I started drawing shapes on paper, curves and outlines I’d been dreaming about for ages, determined my design would be unique. I drew a standard single-fin outline with a simple pintail, added a

big spoony nose for paddle power, and decided this would become my ballie board, perfect for Muizenberg! 7’5, 22” wide, double concave into 6 channels and a retro rolled deck for maximum volume with sharp pinched rails. Two weeks of musings led to three days of pushing, pulling, sawing and sanding. Many talented craftsmen such as my neighbour Tony 'selfisolate' on a daily basis to do this work. All that time alone, and many don’t even hide behind music or podcasts; they just find peace in these repetitive tasks. I would have mocked such simple pleasures 20 years ago, but now I get it. Get it? I need it. It’s hard to explain the attraction of choosing to put on a mask and losing yourself in mindful, meandering thoughts, hour after hour. I loved every minute of the shaping and glassing. Even while sanding those channels, I found peace; that same feeling I have in the ocean. Totally Zen. Pouring a resin tint is a one-shot process, and admittedly pretty damn stressful. But glassing guru Caution Ruvinga made it fun. First we did a solid green tint on the rails, then I poured a curvy pattern up the middle. As we squeezed the excess resin off the cloth the pattern appeared – a graceful snake. Voila! The Green Mamba was born. Is there anything more beautiful than the final wipe-down of a fully polished resin-tinted board, gleaming in the late afternoon sunshine? I’d aimed to make a mid-length single fin with a retro style. And I thought I’d done it – more by luck than judgment, and without the correct training or tools, but that’s the story of my chaotic life. Just call me Peter Pan-demic. Level 3 came, along with a southerly, and it was time to test the Green Mamba. The swell was a perfect five-foot Berg, and my heart was racing as I paddled out. When you’ve designed and handshaped your own board, the anticipation before your first wave is next level. My heart sang with the sheer joy of the moment. I was smiling like I was about to get laid for the first time. 29

Caution Ruvinga mixes and pours the potion, while Mark admires his handiwork. ©VAN GYSEN

I paddled into a clean walling left-hander and jumped to my feet. There was a moment suspended, an unexpected hit on pause, hovering just beyond reality. A pre-orgasmic plethora of emotions I wish could have lasted forever. The drop was perfect, the release and glide of a classic single fin was there. All my dreams came true as I pumped along a steep wall, hacking two top turns and kicking out with a grin that cleanly split my face in two. Depression often means you can’t see anything good in the future, and there’s nothing to look forward to. As a parent concerned about climate change, depression for me comes both from existential angst and from obsessing over how existence itself will end. It’s hard to find contentment when there’s a sense that whatever I achieve is never enough, that there can never be a satisfactory conclusion for my kids. For many, surfing is an anti-depressant, a meditative pursuit where we can be transformed by riding nature’s purest energy source. For that one brief instant, we’re truly living in the moment, and we're free. Surf therapy organisations such as Waves for Change and Surfers Not Street Children understand the healing power of the ocean, and use it to make lasting social change. On paper, it makes no sense – how can paddling about in the sea make life worth living? 30

Surfing keeps us present, keeps us excited, tracking new swells, dreaming of that perfect wave. This old anticipation of the 'joy to come' is the opposite of today’s empty instant gratification. We’re the lucky ones, still able to evoke this elusive child-like ability. My 56-year-old brother Paul is still an obsessive skateboarder; his favourite saying is: “We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.” The bigger question for me is, can I cope during tough times when surfing is not an option? Will I be able to find hope when future pandemics or old age or sickness lock me down? Building this board brought me a glorious revelation. I didn’t really care (that much) if it worked or not. The real pleasure lay in designing and sculpting this gorgeous creation myself. I realised that my Dad probably enjoyed the process of construction just as much, if not more than the product. And after decades of mourning my father’s lost years building the dream yacht that he never had the chance to sail around the world, this discovery has been incredibly healing for me. It reminded me that the lesson of Africa Clockwise was that it’s the journey, not the destination, that matters.

William Aliotti is a rare bird – a free surfer as adept on a twin ﬁn as on his trusty Channel Islands thruster.

The night lights of the Maldives.

“So, where you from?” asks the middle-aged Israeli guy from under his white Florence Marine hooded rash vest, his face a mask of matching white zinc, his brown eyes two dots of colour. A human igloo. “Uh… South Africa,” I say, looking up the point as the oncoming set undulates through the crowded lineup, lifting us up and letting us fall together, like rhythmic dominoes. Three or four surfers take off, and pump like dogs to try and catch the heels of the surfer ahead of them and lay claim to the wave. “It’s good waves there?” he asks. “Very,” I nod. “So why do you come here?” He looks towards the 60 other pleasure seekers attempting to find their joy in the tropical rush hour. It’s a question that I struggle to answer succinctly, in that moment. Especially when you consider the vast and relatively untapped surfing riches of our homeland. If the pinnacle of the surfing experience is quality, uncrowded surf, then why do we 34

travel to popular international surf destinations like the Maldives to mix it up with so many other international surf travellers? It’s complicated. The last two years have not exactly been a normal period for the humans of planet earth. The bat-brewed chest cold that either leapt species in a bowl of soup, or got sneezed out the window of a lab in Wuhan, has disrupted our lives in fundamental ways – most obvious being the 18-month global travel freeze... Here at Zigzag, we like to think of ourselves as 'road less travelled' experts – the more obscure and remote the destination, the better. Places where we can claim some kind of ‘finder’s rights’ (or lefts, or A-frames). We like to talk about our surf trips as ‘explorations' and ‘expeditions’. But Covid, man... What a fucker. Even bankable, reliable Indonesia was closed. The borders to many African destinations – complicated enough travel destinations in the good times – were flashing red, amber and green like a faulty traffic light.

Matt Bromley, who gets his true kicks in the most dangerous ocean states, is understandably pretty handy in all sorts of surf conditions.

Eli Beukes is a preternatural surﬁng talent, showing the way from Day 1.

But the Indian Ocean tourist mecca of the Maldives had beckoned warmly. Sure, things have changed a lot since Tony Hinde Hussein shipwrecked himself at Pasta Point in the 1970s, and blew the lid off the zone’s surf potential in the 90s. Today, the Maldives is one of the most popular surfing destinations in the world… hell, it’s not just surfing. The military junta, or whoever makes the decisions over there, had done the maths. The world wanted tropical island getaways more than ever; and while Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar – not to mention Australia and New Zealand – had all initiated shutdowns and travel bans, the Maldives had slashed their prices and flung open their luxury ocean-fronted villas to the world. Just get a PCR test and wear a mask. And if anyone ever needs a reason to go on a surf trip, we had one of those too. An up-and-coming South African surfer had clinched 36

the 2020 Monster Combo, and the press release had promised them an “international surf trip”; and by the love of all things salty, we were going to honour that commitment! Sit tight Eli Beukes, we won’t let you down. After a winter of all-time surf conditions back in South Africa’s Covid year zero, the 20-year-old son of a Weskus diamond diver – whose surfing resembles those hard precious stones, shaped by the cold and unforgiving slabs of the Benguela – Eli Beukes had taken the win. This was his prize! Local Kommetjie heavywater specialist Matt Bromley came along as Monster’s South African chaperone; and French free surfer William Aliotti and his collection of high-performance Love Machine twin-fins brought a certain, 'ow you say, je ne sais quoi to the mix. Now all we had to do was work our way around the crowds, and pray for swell.

The boys get to work. Matt Bromley ﬂoats among the palms and pops one through the lip, while Eli Beukes grabs rail on a long down-carve with speed to burn.

Bird’s-eye view of the blessed Thanburudhoo Island.

Stage 1: The anticipation starts with the packing. Boards, fins, leashes, accessories, snacks. Cardboard or plumbing insulation? Then a small prayer for gentle baggage handlers with the soft hands of cricket players. Then retreat to the inner sanctum, behind the mask, through the airport protocols, the constipating food, the booze, the small TV, the long transit hours. Until finally, the plane circles the atolls and touches down on a runway built on a line of dredged sand. Now the excitement mounts. If we hustle, there might be time for an evening session. The froth is so foamy, it’s like a keg that’s been rolled down a flight of stairs and smashed open with an axe. We’re straining at the bounds of reality itself. Does this thing go any faster?! Queues, passport stamps, baggage collection, customs. Then we’re off, through the terminal and across a zebra crossing to a… holy crap, this isn’t a carpark, it’s a harbour. The dhoni, our slow-moving wooden surf taxi, pulls up and we throw the bags and boards across, step aboard... and now it has begun. Meet Anko, our slight, single-fin-riding Maldivian surf guide; Mohamed, the captain. Once we’re beyond the grey chop of the breakwaters of central Male, the ocean runs smooth and deep blue, soon enough there are dolphins off the prow, and flying fish skittering across the sea. We have arrived in another world. As we draw closer the boards come out, a scramble for leashes, fins, keys, wax; and even a quick, shallow discussion about concaves. The boys are overboard, into the sunset-pink water. The transit grime dissolves in a flash of salt water. After a few feelers in the almost-dark, we clamber back aboard, and our relieved-looking captain takes us to the floating hotel that will be our home. 38

Matt Bromley staying out of the midday equatorial sunshine.

Just another surf travel brochure lineup.

Who knows what will happen, in the crapshoot of a modern surf career? But watching Eli Beukes at play in the elements is a surf fan’s delight.

William Aliotti – in his left hand he holds style, and in his right, performance. But you don’t need to choose, because he surfs with both.

We lurch and roll to sleep in comfortable wooden cabins with too-powerful aircon. Wake up in the pre-dawn gloaming, corral the team, drink shitty instant coffee and make our way out to the wave just as it’s getting light enough to surf. The plan is to bank a few clips before the crowds get moving. As we draw alongside the reef, a perfect 4ft peak crests and runs. We pick up where we left off the night before. Only better. Astonishingly, we surf for almost two and a half hours, ace out, before any other surfers materialise. This is odd. But we do not question our good fortune. By the time we return to the zone, after breakfast and a short mid-morning siesta, our luck has run out. As far as the eye can see, stretching up the left break and across the right, zinc'd faces reflect the sunlight, tenders shuttle surfers in and out of the throng, many charter boats lurk in the deep channel surrounding the breaks. There must be more than 120 willing participants jostling for the inside. This feels more like a festival than a surf trip. So that whistling sound, like a bomb dropping, is just our expectations in free fall. Much like at Long Beach, Muizenberg or New Pier on a Sunday morning, we slip into the water to see if luck and rhythm are with us…

The next afternoon, tired of bogging with the masses, we persuade our trusty captain Mohamed and surf guide Anko to take us further north, to a secret spot we’ve gleaned from an old advert in The Surfrider’s Guide, featuring a surf map of the area… and that’s as deep as the research goes. It’s iffy, at best; there’s a reason the crowds are congregated where they are. This is a long, flat section of reef, with multiple peaks – some connecting, others closing out. A tropical Misty Cliffs, if you will. But it’s all ours. We’re still clocking six hours of surf a day. Food is fuel. We no longer return to the mothership for breakfast, but ask them to pack it on the dhoni instead. We subsist on tuna sandwiches, omelettes, boiled eggs and fruit. Late lunch and dinner are variations of bonito steaks, fish curry, rice and coleslaw. Sweet Indo-style jelly desserts. Payno always ensures the afternoon sessions are accompanied by a cooler box of ice-cold Tiger beers. Painfully, it’s almost impossible to find a good cup of coffee. Three days in, we’ve all had so many waves, the keg is dry; replaced by a deeper sense of sparkling satisfaction. We’ve transitioned from Froth Stage 2 into Froth Stage 3. The swell has not dipped below head-high since we arrived. A simple pattern has been established: we surf the mornings, miraculously alone, and then dodge the crowds for the rest of the day.

Clockwise from top left Zag’s Will Marshall-Smith, injured and on the hunt. The Frenchman, William Aliotti, rides the offshore. Eli, in the bowels of the 'ﬂoating hotel' charter boat.

On the afternoon of the third day – or was it the fourth? – in the middle of the rush hour, the crews of several charter boats started to whistle and gesticulate wildly to their clients in the water. It was time for them to go home. One last wave before the airport. Cheerio, chaps! Out of a sudden sense of magnanimity we let them catch their last waves. Within a few minutes, the lineup had thinned dramatically. We surfed into the afternoon, as usual, but with higher wave counts. There’s a strong new pulse on the horizon, and cold beer on the boat. Things have started to turn. By the morning, it’s 6 to 8 feet, with bigger sets. As usual, we surf alone from daybreak. But today is different. Heavy. And still building. No more playful twin-fin disco on the turquoise walls. The waves reflect a deeper energy, like dark windows into the depths. Only one other boat shows up for the expected mid-morning rush. We now hold the keys. The sets stack, growl and spin off down the reef, offering huge walls to carve, and monstrous barrelling sections as wide as they are tall. The surfing pedigree of our team becomes more evident. The growling swell also ignited the competitive hunger in our team captain, Ryan Payne, who casually navigated his way through some of the deepest and heaviest barrels of the trip. Among the mortals, Zag’s Will Marshall-Smith likes to have a go in the thick stuff, but managed to charge into a backhand pit where a karate chop from his board split open his ear, requiring stitches. So while the first major swell pulsed, we visited the local doctor on the nearby island, for running repairs. The next day, there's no let-up in size. For a brief moment I back myself to snag a couple of perfect in-between 8-footers on my most serious piece of equipment, a 6’0 twin pin. This is the Maldives after all… thought I’d be whooping it up on a fish every day. No one expected the swell of the decade. As I approach the takeoff zone, on cue the horizon darkens and tries to hug me. 10 foot. Nah, definitely 12. I pull like a viking on my oars, aiming for the safety of the deep channel. I make it over the set, but my confidence is shaken. I start the long paddle back to the boat, but the rip has me in her teeth, a conveyor belt pulling me back towards a takeoff zone I want no part of. Eventually, the boat dispatches the tender to bring me home. My kingdom for a stepup and some bigger balls. The gulf between the pros and the mortals grows ever wider.

Ryan Payne putting the younger generation to the sword.

Eli punts, projects and swings one into the ﬂats.

Eli and William enjoy the regular nightly visits of Samantha the Manta.

By the next day, the swell has moderated to a more manageable 6 feet, with bigger pulses. We’ve milked all the angles of the waves on our doorstep, and want to investigate the other world-class options in the region. Just because they’re different. We settle on a draining right in front of a small uninhabited island. As waves go, this one has a very enjoyable formula: a slingshot takeoff whips you through the first section before it slows down, stands up and spins off down a ruler-edged line of reef… forever. Getting flogged inside can be quite an ordeal because it breaks so much harder than it looks, on a deceptively flat and shallow coral ledge. But oh, lordy, what a jol. By now, we've graduated to the Fourth Stage of Froth. The nolonger-giving-a-fuck phase. We are so wave-gorged that nothing matters any more. The crowds, the snakes, the drop-in artists, the machismo, timing a session, avoiding other charter boats... who gives a crap? We are now so full of surf, it’s like we're waving away gourmet canapés made by Heston Blumenthal. Such a state of surf satiation is rare; but maybe also the pinnacle of the whole experience. Sitting back on the dhoni after another early-morning all-you-can-eat buffet of overhead translucent walls, we watch bemusedly as the newly arrived

Israelis and Brazilians try to out-crowd each other on the peak and kook their way through boggy turns. By this stage, I'm wearing Eli, Matt and William’s surfing pedigree as my own. We pull up the anchor and chug back to our corner of the atoll, and rest up before the inevitable afternoon delights. The next few days pass like this. But as the departure date looms, we start trying to cram in the waves, like force-feeding a foie gras goose. We’re sticking the tube down our throats and chugging as many as possible. World-class rides stack up and meld into one long memorable feeling. In fact, what I remember more clearly are the beatings, the failings, the blown opportunities and the near-misses. Like the time I kooked out and nearly killed William Aliotti... And then, all of a sudden, it’s our last session. Mohamed is standing on the prow, whistling and gesticulating wildly. We’re in the water with a group of Spaniards from the Canary Islands. “It's good waves there?” I ask. They all nod, yes! A set stacks up. It’s not my turn, but I shout: “This is my last wave – I have to go to the airport!” “Vamos hermano!” shouts the closest Spaniard.

William Aliotti dancing on the lip of the inside bowl, near the friendly island of Thulusdhoo.

I turn and paddle into the solid turquoise wedge. I slingshot through the first section, and and pull up into the pit as it starts to throw… its glassy aquarium perfection lifts me to her bosom and holds me for an infinite second, before throwing me down in a violent explosion of salt and foam. A perfect demonstration of our long relationship. My trusty surf hat is blown off my head and lost forever. I ragdoll and cartwheel benevolently over the reef, and surface down the line – alive, unscathed, invigorated, blessed – and start the long paddle back to the boat and home. We travel for many reasons. To gain an elevated perspective, to enjoy the experience of moving over and through so much geography. To fulfil strange desires. To overcome discomfort, and find comfort somewhere new. To make connections (both flights and with strangers). To see things differently. To understand that we are a smaller part of a much greater whole. But mainly, we travel to have nothing else to do but surf all day, with our mates, in wondrous natural environments… like the ancient, sunken volcanoes that make up the archipelago of the Maldives. If you can, you should.

Embraced by a large school of trevally off Cabo Pulme, Baja, Mexico.

hey are all gone. It can’t be. Did I swim into the wrong bay by mistake? No, of course I didn’t. To my right is the cake-shaped boulder carpeted by purple sea urchins; to my left is the distinctive crack at the base of a rocky pinnacle, home to a curious octopus that loves to explore my fingertips with its tentacles. Just ahead is a cluster of swaying kelp that, with a little bit of imagination, looks like a herd of drunk giraffes. I am definitely in the right place. I swim away into the swell rolling across the bay. But neither direction nor distance changes the fact that all my study animals – dinner plate-size sea snails, called abalone – have disappeared overnight. My confusion is soon replaced by despair, then anger, and then unedited rage; I actually scream four-letter expletives. The shock wave of insults cascading through my snorkel causes a nearby school of fish to scatter. Shaken, I try to piece together what has happened. Swimming a search pattern across the crime scene, I soon find clues left by the perpetrators: a slime-covered bag entangled in the kelp canopy, a rusty screwdriver wedged between two holdfasts, and a cracked flashlight on the seabed. I then find one, then two, then dozens of abalone shells.A wave carries me deep into a gully, and my worst fears are realised. Behind a large outcrop lies a mountain of empty shells. Carnivorous whelks and a few small sharks are already scavenging on the entrails of the dead. I turn over one of hundreds of shells. A blue plastic tag with the number 8 on it stares back at me. Then I uncover number 25, 53, 102, and more. As part of my research, I had spent weeks glueing these tags to their shells. Granted, they aren't Jane Goodall’s chimpanzees or Dian Fossey’s gorillas. But these abalone are more than just numbers to me. After all, I had devoted so many months following their every move. I watched

them reach out with their muscular feet to snatch drifting kelp from the water, use their specialised, zipper-like tongues to scrape algae, and vigorously twist their shells to deter predatory octopi. Slowly, these abalone were revealing the ecological role they played in this kelp forest ecosystem. That is, until a moonless night, when poachers stumbled across my research site and cut the conversation short. Only one abalone, number 82, survives; I don’t know why. I can only imagine that the poachers must have been disturbed right before using a knife to violently separate 82’s body from its shell, as they had done to the others. I sigh through my snorkel, and gently remove 82 from among its fallen comrades. I press its muscular foot to my palm until it takes hold securely. Hand in foot, we swim the hundred metres or so back into the bay, where I return it to its home on the rock flats. The act is more symbolic than anything else, for I know that 82’s number will come up sooner or later. That day is the beginning of the end; the sun sets on me as an active research scientist. The dawn of reinventing myself as an ocean photographer and conservation storyteller is coming. I just don’t know it yet. It’s 1999. I’m 24 years old, and preparing for the next chapter of my life. I stuff all my possessions into two oversize backpacks and head to South Africa, to begin my PhD at the University of Cape Town. Somewhere over the Sahara I pull out the inflight magazine, and fatefully flip to an article titled 'Abalone Wars: The Curse of the Sea Snail'. My PhD supervisor, George Branch, a legendary South African marine biologist, didn’t inform me that I would be stepping onto an ecological battlefield where violent showdowns between law enforcement and poachers are commonplace. I am only half joking when I ask him if my research budget has a line item for a bulletproof vest.

Chick magnet. A creche of king penguins on Marion Island.

For my PhD, I researched the impacts of marine poaching, but soon discovered I could be a more potent conservationist using photographs rather than statistics. Cape Town, South Africa

Across Asia, abalone are a delicacy. Their flesh can fetch over $440 (R6 600) a kilogram, making it one of the most expensive seafood items in the world. Despite the high price, the demand for the 'truffle of the sea' is insatiable. Chinese criminal syndicates, also trading in shark fin, drive this black-market trade and smuggle the dried abalone to Hong Kong. Local South African divers from impoverished fishing communities are taking the biggest risks. The gangs from Cape Town, who control the local drug markets, serve as middlemen between Chinese syndicates and local fishermen; abalone is often traded for methamphetamines, known locally as tik. I had begun my research when rocky reefs the size of football fields were blanketed in abalone. But within a few years, sights like this had become relegated to the history books. I was vocal about the conservation carnage I witnessed. Serving as an expert government witness in abalone-poaching court cases, I was not immune to the same threats and intimidation that law enforcement received.

A bronze whaler shark bursts into a bait ball, inhaling sardines like an industrial vacuum cleaner. Sardine run, Wild Coast, South Africa.

I wrote endless reports and gave interviews to any media outlet interested in abalone poaching; once, I even gave a presentation to a visiting FBI delegation that was investigating links between abalone-poaching syndicates and an international drug-smuggling ring. But no matter how important all of this felt, abalone were still being poached in record numbers, more than six million in 2002. My research supported a dismal truth: the species was quickly approaching extinction in the wild. Still, no matter how alarming my scientific data, all my warnings seemed to fall on deaf ears. My reason for becoming a marine biologist was to make a difference in conservation. But as I watched abalone Armageddon unfold and failed miserably to stop it, I realised that I had to find a more compelling way to communicate and inspire change. In tandem with collecting data, I had often made photographs, to include in both scientific presentations and my PhD thesis. Compared with the standards I use today, my early work was crude, at best. But my access to the frontlines of abalone poaching was unique, and so I was able to place my photographs in popular publications with ease.

At first it was just small, local community newspapers, often with a readership of fewer than 50, most over the age of 80. But regional and national newspapers and magazines soon followed, and eventually my images and stories appeared internationally. The more I published, the more the authorities and people with influence took note; my images and tales from the front lines touched a nerve, and inspired action. Extra resources and personnel for a dedicated marine anti-poaching unit were enough to significantly curtail poaching at my research sites. In a few short months, armed with just a handful of photographs, I'd accomplished what I'd been unable to do with years of data. This was a game-changing moment: I realised I could achieve more through photographs than statistics. Although there wasn’t a name for it yet, I had in essence become a conservation photographer. Googling this field at the turn of this century would have brought up articles about the restoration of historical photographs. Now, the same search yields nearly 50 million hits about how photography can catalyse the conservation of animals, plants, and natural habitats. 51

A cleaning entourage of clarion angelﬁsh follows a giant manta in the Islas Revillagigedo Biosphere Reserve, Mexico.

Despite having seen the degradation of our oceans in my lifetime, I believe it's not too late for a turnaround. I have witnessed the resilience of marine ecosystems; the ability of species to recover is astounding. I nurture my inner optimist and choose to invest in hope, rather than despair. As long as there are fish in the sea, I will keep documenting the stories they are trying to tell us. However, helping to protect the ocean is not the exclusive domain of photographers or biologists; it’s everyone’s responsibility. The decisions you make about the seafood you eat, the things you buy and what you throw away all make an impact. Never underestimate your power as an individual and as part of a community. Environmentalist David Suzuki said it best: “In a world of more than seven billion people, each of us is a drop in the bucket. But with enough drops, we can fill any bucket.”

Truth be told, the climate has been out of whack in almost every story I’ve worked on for National Geographic over the past decade. Predictable cycles that have held strong for centuries are being severely altered; salmon spawning disruptions, disease outbreaks in starfish, and favourable conditions for invasive species are just some of the negative impacts I’ve seen. As we burn fossil fuels, carbon dioxide levels continue to rise, which creates a disruptive ripple effect reaching every corner of the planet. The oceans heat up first and fastest; as a result, many marine species and ecosystems are threatened. A sustained increase in the maximum annual temperature of just one degree Celsius may be enough for most reef systems to go extinct as soon as 2050.

Go online to measure your carbon footprint. Fly and drive less. Bike and walk more. Reduce the amount of meat in your diet. Vote for politicians who understand the ongoing threat of climate change. Plan for smaller families. Consume less.

A young Cape fur seal, captivated by her reﬂection in the glass dome of the underwater camera.

I use fossil fuels every time I photograph a story. I get into cars, planes or ships; even my cameras are made from petroleum. But bearing witness to shipwrecks and seabirds covered in oil has made me more mindful when it comes to my own impact. I do what I can to minimise my complicity, while still trying to tell conservation stories that make a difference.

Buy local whenever possible. Support companies that are reducing their carbon footprint. Support legislation that champions renewable energy such as solar and wind.

I was in the right place at the right time to prevent this plastic bag from being swallowed by a whale shark. It was a small act, but I hope it made a difference. Filter-feeding marine animals, seabirds, and the very fish we consume inadvertently ingest large amounts of plastic. Most of what they ingest are microplastics: plankton-size pieces commingled with actual plankton. Most countries don’t have the infrastructure to recycle plastics; as a result, most enter the waste stream, and often end up in our oceans.

Reduce the amount of plastic you use (especially single-use items such as bottles, straws, and bags). Support food companies that prioritise the reduction of plastic packaging, and apparel companies that use natural materials or reclaim polyester-based items.

Baja California’s San Ignacio Lagoon is one of the few places in the world where whales seek out physical contact with people.

A brown pelican plunges beneath the surface to scoop up ﬁsh.

Forty percent of the world’s population lives within 100km of a coast. Photographing the festive crowds above Muizenberg Beach near Cape Town on New Year’s Day really brought this statistic to life for me. Coastlines were the first to be colonised, developed and exploited; wilderness was dislocated by concrete and asphalt. Today, very few truly wild coastal places are left. Namibia’s Skeleton Coast, Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest and Chile’s Patagonia are three of the few remaining strongholds.

Get to know the ocean and its inhabitants personally. Explore beaches and tide pools. Go whale and turtle watching. Learn to snorkel or scuba dive.

Spectacular manta ray mass feeding events occur about a dozen times a year in Hanifaru Bay, Maldives.

Half a dozen fishermen surround me. I follow as they hold their breath and dive to the seabed to remove beautifully coloured reef fish from their nets. Normally, the sight of dying fish makes me sad. But today is different. In 2003, the fishing communities on northern Mozambique’s Vamizi Island partnered with conservation groups to ban all fishing off one of its shorelines. Over the years, fish populations recovered inside this sanctuary, and soon began spilling over into the fishing areas. This spillover effect rewarded fishermen with good catches. I have never been so outnumbered. All I see are flashes of silver as a pulsating school of thousands of trevally embraces me. The fins of the uppermost fish break the ocean’s surface while the deepest scrape their bellies on the sandy seabed 25 metres below. The waters off Cabo Pulmo, a sleepy village along Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, were not always so full of life. Overfishing was rife until local fishermen convinced the authorities to create a marine reserve in 1995. After only a decade of protection, scientists measured the largest recovery of fish ever recorded. Today, Cabo Pulmo is considered the most successful marine reserve in the world, and others – especially no-take reserves, where fishing is prohibited – are also making significant contributions to ocean conservation. The De Hoop Marine Protected Area along the southern tip of Africa is a critical sanctuary for southern right whales. One of the newest preserves is the D’Arros and St. Joseph Atoll Marine Protected Area, where hawksbill turtles, reef manta rays and reef sharks thrive. With this proclamation, the Seychelles has now protected 30 per cent of its territorial waters.

Know where your seafood comes from and how it was caught. Use scientifically supported apps like Seafood Watch before choosing your seafood at a fish counter or restaurant. If you're passionate about the ocean, share that enthusiasm and love with as many people as possible. Take photographs, tell stories, and post on social media. Become the eyes and ears for people not able to experience the marine realm first-hand.

This project was inspired by love and fear; love for the oceans and fear that future generations will not get to experience it the way I have. May they, too, feel the rush of swimming with sharks, be overwhelmed by the riotous sound of a penguin colony, and experience the rich bouquet of a gray whale’s sneeze.

Frankie, Curren and Beschen searching their way into surf history in Mozambique.

The lights from Maputo flicker in the distance, broken by the flaps of the jib as the yacht bucks gently against the rising swell. The light strumming and plucking of a guitar floats on the evening breeze. On board the 45-foot vessel are surfing’s new-age luminaries, the grooviest ensemble of Zen masters to grace the pages of magazines and flicker across video screens since the 70s. Tom Curren, Shane Beschen and a local kid from Durban called Frankie Oberholzer are spearheading ‘The Search’ – part hardcore surf expedition, part marketing genius to discover and draw lines across untapped destinations. It’s the 90s, the new age of discovery, but the key is to keep everyone guessing and never say where. The point is rather just to remind us that it’s still out there, even close at hand. Like Mozambique. Rumours have been circulating about the incredible potential just beyond the South African border. The word’s also out about a mad South African who’d made his way through the chaos, as the civil war was raging, and set up camp on a small offshore island close to the capital, gorging on epic waves and sustaining a humble existence as the mainland simmered and boiled. Starting in 1977, the conflict was a vicious three-way affair between Mozambique and its neighbours, South Africa and the country then known as Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Landmines were the weapon of choice in the bush war, with over a million Mozambicans losing their lives and limbs in the ongoing conflict. Local kids were recruited as child soldiers and used as cannon fodder by all sides. Millions were displaced as infrastructure collapsed and the nation was torn apart piece by piece, out of sight from the rest of the world. And then it stopped. Almost abruptly. After Nelson Mandela was released from prison and South Africa teetered on the brink of regime change – or civil war – Mozambique reached a ceasefire, in 1992. Soldiers put down their guns. The borders opened. Peace crept in, along with visitors who had long been curious about what lay along Mozambique’s idyllic shores. Not even a year had passed since the war had officially ended, but the yacht’s course was charted; it sliced its way into the humid darkness, before dropping anchor. Midway through their first session, Frankie emerges from another tube in a cloud of spit, a grin painted across his face. He claims these are some of the best waves he’s ever ridden – as good as the perfection or symmetry they’ve found in Indonesia. Curren later likens the setup at Inhaca to a combination of Backdoor and J-Bay, all rolled into one. The waves haven’t stopped all morning: stacked eight-foot sets that smear themselves across the sheet of reef, feeling the bottom contours as they unload precisely down the inside ledge. They take off deep in the heart of the bowl, pulling in and slicing huge arcs across the open walls – the spoils of no more war, soon to be transmitted to the world at large. This session would lay the blueprint for what exists just beyond the border; but despite these early glimpses, the flood of surfers to Mozambique was nothing more than a slow trickle at first, made torturous by post-war lack of infrastructure and stifling bureaucracy. Police would cruise the potholed roads, sunning themselves like grinning crocodiles waiting for their quarry. Sometimes a joke and a pack of cigarettes would be enough. Other times, hard cash the only answer. For every quality lineup, there are countless dead ends and flat spells. But those who endure the obstacles are hooked, coming back again and again to discover that paradise isn’t always served up on a platter. It needs to be peeled off, layer by layer, to taste the succulent fruit wrapped beneath a tough skin.

Clockwise from top left: Frankie Oberholzer deep in the hole. Tom Curren and the foundation, hard off the bottom, blast off the top. Shane Beschen, driving.

Grant ‘Twiggy' Baker squeaked over this one and into a whole lot of trouble on the other side.

This was taken at Belharra during the Hercules storm of 2014, when Jamie Mitchell caught this gigantic wave. It’s still the biggest storm I think Europe has seen in a hundred years or so. Luckily for us, the swell actually peaked the night before. I’m pretty sure there were 100-foot waves breaking out there in the dark. There were only five or six of us paddling this session and a few guys trying to tow, but the lineup out there is huge. It’s so big it can break a kilometre out from where you’re sitting. We were stretched across the lineup when this wave came through and I just managed to scratch over the lip as Jamie took off [look closely and you can see Twig scratching through the offshore spray, just above Jamie]. It would easily have been the biggest paddle wave ever at that point if he'd made it, but he wiped out halfway down. Regardless, it was a watershed moment for paddle surfing at the time, just the fact that we were attempting to paddle these waves. As I made it over the top the next one was right behind it, and was even bigger. This huge, massive peak of water landed right in front of me and I just panicked. All my training and preparation, everything, it all went out the window. For some reason I tried to get my leash off and couldn’t. Then I let my leash go and went to inflate my vest properly before the wave hit me, which is also not a very good idea. But instead of pulling the inflation tab, I pulled the deflate tab. Most of the air that was in the vest got sucked out. I don’t even remember taking a deep breath or even looking at the foam, because I was busy messing around with my fucking vest and leash! But as soon as the wave hit me, I went calm. That happens in big and even in small waves, when you really get pumped – your body goes into shock. You see the same thing when a rugby player gets hit by a really heavy tackle and they just go limp, they’re not writhing around on the ground. It’s an automatic survival mechanism that your body employs to try protect you. After that the wave pushed me so deep that I had to equalise three times, but being forced to relax helped me cope with the beating, and I came up in one piece. 60

Magic when it’s on – but most of the time, it’s not. If you look closely, you can see a leprechaun getting pitted.

The South African coastline is littered with go-to waves; spots you know will have something to ride as long as there are a few basic ingredients in place – a pinch of swell, a wind that isn’t howling onshore, and you’re pretty much set. They may not be the best wave on any given day, but there’s almost always something to ride. On the other end of the spectrum are waves so rare and perfect, they've achieved mythological status. These gems are sprinkled sparsely along South Africa’s 2 800-kilometre-long coastline, and have cultivated a cult-like following that spans generations of locals. They are talked about in hushed whispers, and rely on the rarest combination of meteorological elements to align. Take, for instance, this case study somewhere along the east coast. A session at this particular wave is as coveted as a slice of bitcoin, and only happens once, maybe twice a year if you’re really lucky. Most of the time, however, you’ll arrive to find it completely flat, teasing you with promises of what could have been. It’s a maddening experience, to the point that surfing here is perhaps best left to fate. Just ask photographer Jerome Mosetic, who snapped this photo shortly before ditching his camera for his 6’0. Jerome grew up in the area and has known about the wave for 30-odd years, but could never crack its elusive combination, despite many attempts. Then, on a recent stint back home, he lucked into waves like this twice in two weeks – basically the equivalent of seeing a unicorn being ridden by a leprechaun. The wave hasn’t broken since, but the myth lives on.

After coming off what some regarded as KZN’s best winter in 20 years, surfers’ expectations ran high for 2021. Alas, KwaZulu-Natal’s coastline was not blessed with the same quality and quantity of waves as the previous year. Some would go so far as to say we were 'skunked'. However, Durban’s central beaches were the exception. For almost two weeks Durban’s finest were treated to standup tubes running from pier to pier, due to a prolonged and totally out-of-season succession of easterly groundswells. It was otherwise known as the 'Jordy Swell', in which SA’s perennial world title and Olympic gold-medal hope ended his run by rupturing his ACL on one of the more innocuous-looking tubes he rode. “About 10am was prime time,” he says. “I’d give that day an 8, maybe even a 9 out of 10. That 6-8ft range is the best size for the piers.” What followed were days of flawless waves along Durban’s beachfront, with some of the country’s top surfers trading barrels, session after session. As usual, Davey van Zyl locked into some crazy rides with his usual nonchalant rail game. Other standouts included James Ribbink, Karl Steen, Josh & Dan Redman, Twiggy Baker and Beyrick de Vries. As the spit dispersed on the offshore, surfers were left pondering what had caused such a groomed and perfect East swell in mid-winter. Global warming disrupting the weather patterns? Signs of planet Earth’s longawaited geomagnetic reversal? “The best day of the year was the second of June,” exclaims surf forecaster and New Pier local Jeremy Saville. “This was caused by a cut-off low, south-east of KZN. Overland cut-off lows are associated with terrible weather: persistent rain, and often, serious flooding. However, when they occur over the ocean, they can generate incredible surf. These are slow-moving weather systems; and for a surfer, a slow-moving storm is preferable to a fast-moving one. But what made it such an exceptional swell for Durban was the angle: 100 degrees is perfect for just about all the central beaches. If you could design a storm, and programme in the swell angle, you'd come up with something close to this. More than, say, 120 degrees, and the waves can feel like they're bending slightly out to sea. More than about 140 degrees, and the southern breakwater blocks the swell.” It may have been a weird winter, but if regular groomed East swells become the norm, there will be little complaint. 64

James Ribbink slides casually down the throat of an east-coast thriller!

Jordy Smith back home, moments before the knee blow-out, standing so tall he’s going backwards.

Tom Curren’s first session at Jeffreys Bay was the meeting of two legends. Curren had boycotted South Africa during the 1980s in protest against apartheid; and for years, pundits had speculated about what the finest surfer in the world would look like paired with the finest right-hand point break. His first ride, captured on film by the late Sonny Miller, defied all expectations. Riding a 6’11 McKee quad, Curren took off deep at Boneyards and proceeded to draw lines out there nobody had witnessed before – at least, not on a single wave. Up until that point, Curren’s freesurfing appearances had become increasingly elusive. After quitting the world tour, he'd hunkered down in his adopted hometown of Biarritz in France, far from the media limelight. Derek Hynd, however, knew how to coax Curren out of hiding, and convinced him to make the pilgrimage to J-Bay. “Nobody had seen a display of Tom Curren’s freesurfing until that turning point,” Miller later recounted in an interview. “He paddled out, took off on his first wave, and rode it flawlessly. It takes a certain person’s surfing to flawlessly ride that wave. All that speed, power, flow… all that stuff was just through the roof on one ride, on the first day he’d ever surfed J-Bay." It would be some time, however, before Miller fully grasped what he was witnessing. “I don’t think at the time I felt like that was a turning point in surfing, because of not being able to watch it back. It’s a miracle that the moments that mattered actually got caught on a two- or three-minute roll of film.” During the next few days, in booming surf, Curren displayed an intuitive understanding of the wave that beggared belief, and instantly set the benchmark against which all natural-footers measure themselves when it comes to riding Supertubes.

Inﬂuencing the approach of many generations. Tom Curren lays down a long bassline during his ﬁrst solo session at Supertubes.

If a surfer catches the best wave of his life (even by jetski stepoff), and there's no one around to see or document it, does it count? Did it even happen? I don’t believe in luck or coincidence. I do believe that there's a reason and a time for everything. No different here. Had COVID-19 not forced organisers to move the location of the inaugural Namakwa Challenge to this spot at that time… had there not been a jetski on standby for safety… had Adin Masencamp not decided to paddle out for a mere 15 minutes in the very solid surf between the semi-final and final of the event… had he not decided to choose this wave, in this set, at this peak down the beach… and had he not timed the step-off just like that… boom! There's no doubt that the 2021 Namakwa Challenge will go down in history as one of the best surf events on South African shores. It was that good. And since he was exhaled out onto the shoulder in awe and disbelief, Adin’s wave will likewise become the stuff of legend. Seen by a host of his peers, and fortunately enough for him – for us – unfolding in front of the only camera for hundreds of kilometres in any direction, Adin’s wave was documented for posterity. No matter what the philosophical question, it happened… And it certainly counts.

Adin Masencamp blowing minds with this mammoth pit and shampoo exit.

Peeling back the layers and legends of this fickle piece of reef will take you back to the early 2000s, when a motley crew of underground bodyboarders followed a lead from a fisherman who waxed lyrical about a slab he'd watched while enthusiastically feeding the local fish population. Many missions and months later, they finally managed to crack the code of wind and swell needed to unlock the reef’s glorious caves. Turns out not much of either made for the perfect combination. An old jungle gym nearby gifted the wave its original name: 'The Playground', which was coined by Bruce Hersleman and Shane Reilly. But were they the first to ride it? In the years that followed, while keeping their strike missions under wraps, they met a small crew of Cape Town bodyboarders. The Cape Town boys didn't seem too impressed that their yearly pilgrimage up the coast to their own piece of paradise was now under new curatorship. Slowly but surely, as with any secret, one too many people got to know about it. The combination of being sun-worn and barrel drunk, along with a couple of Black Label quarts, can lead to a smile so wide that any stand-up surfer with a penchant for thick barrels and a bit of adventure can smell a rat. A person who fits that description is Simon Fish. After doing a couple of reccie missions, he and Devyn Mattheys scored the first successful standup session here around 2005. Minds were well and truly blown. Photographers Louis Wulff and Kelly Cestari soon followed, as the studio-like conditions made for intoxicating photos. During the print-media frenzy that followed, the name of the wave went through some changes. Doorstops was one; and Pornstar Ledge, for those who didn’t have the skill to ride it but enjoyed watching. Deadmans was the one that stuck, however, named after the dead body that was once found in a nearby gully. But to this day, the OG crew still call it The Playground. Even though the wave is fickle and basically only breaks properly a dozen times a year, it still keeps the usual crew smiling. Good luck getting a set wave though, with the likes of Devyn Mattheys, Greg Emslie, Paul Love and the local boog crew dominating the takeoff zone, which is the size of a double bed and demands a grityour-teeth approach through the back door. Regardless of the changes it’s been through, this patch of reef remains a special place for me. I've spent hundreds of hours documenting the moods of the wave, and the bond shared by the surfers and bodyboarders who commit to riding it. We've all paid our dues; no one is spared. But put in enough time, and you might eventually find yourself on a wave like this. 72

You don’t want to fall off this jungle gym. Paul Love enjoys the slide.

The Chathams – littered with death, decay, and riﬂing slabs.

Dead trees, and a series of signs that may or may not be a set of instructions.

Directly in front of the Chatham Hotel pub is a little curve in the shoreline that produces a perfect, peeling right. It’s not a real wave, as in rideable – it’s barely ankle high, and breaks right on shore – but if you were a GI Joe action figure it’d be six-foot Superbank. On a sunny Friday afternoon I worked my way through a bottle of Gunn Estate Pinot Noir and mindsurfed it, bashing lips on my Al Merrick Flyer, swooping high and mighty on my Skip Frye fish, sliding sideways and backwards and twirling a 360 or two on my finless Derek Hynd F-F-F. It was an exhilarating surf, growing more and more real with every sip. During my week-long visit to the Chatham Islands I saw lots of good waves – slabby reefs, zippy rivermouths, A-frame beachbreaks – but that imagined session was as close as I’d get to the water. Sharks. You can’t mention surfing in the Chatham Islands without hearing about sharks. Before the word surf has left your mouth, the sha- is already forming on the local’s lips. “Sharks are all over the show,” Nick Cameron, a former surfer whose boards collect dust in his garage, told me. “They’re cruising around everywhere.” “You’re bloody kidding, aren’t you mate?” said a rough-looking guy I met on a bluff overlooking inviting head-high peaks at Kahunene Point. “Whitey’s lurking out there, big mean fuckers.” “I used to surf when we were young fellas,” said Vince Dix, a commercial diver, “but then we realised what was swimming underneath us.” 76

Before my trip I googled 'surfing the Chatham Islands'. At the top of the search was a video clip shot by a local surfer who had shown up for a morning session, only to find a very large great white flopping through the lineup. Located about 1 000 kays east of New Zealand, the Chatham Islands are the easternmost inhabited landmass, and the first to see the sun. They consist of about ten islands, but only two are inhabited. Chatham is the main island, and I arrived there on a Thursday evening and fell right into Ladies' Darts Night at the pub. Big men in fluorescent orange worker’s jackets huddled around tables. Women in casual dress threw darts. Tattooed blokes played the poker machines. Thoroughbreds galloped on a TV screen. I got talking with Floyd Prendeville, a commercial diver who's spent most of his 47 years on Chatham Island. “There’s 600 people here. One pub, one takeaway shop, one general store, one post office, one police station – we’re real family-oriented,” he told me. Solidly built, bespectacled, a neatly trimmed goatee, Floyd had a forthright way about him. He wore boots, jeans, and a flannel shirt. He was off the piss, drinking Coke and speaking with a calm and clarity that seemed anomalous to the rollicking room. “I was born and raised here. Got two kids of my own. It’s a great place to grow up, but there’s no high school, so we ship ’em off to the mainland. But we don’t call it the mainland. We Chatham Islanders think of ourselves as separate from New Zealand. We’re not Kiwis. We’re Wekas.”

We kid you not – this shipwreck is named the Thomas Carroll.

“What’s a Weka?” I asked. “Wekas are birds, kind of like chickens. They’re protected in New Zealand, but here they’re fair game. Good tasting buggers.” “Do you surf?” “Used to get out there, but gave it up a long while back. I’ve been diving 25 years. I’ve seen 20 sharks.” He explained that diving is his livelihood. If he’s going to get chomped it’s going to be feeding his family, not playing in the waves. He added that he feels much safer underwater, where he can see what’s lurking about. “Lots of sharks, but not a lot of women,” he laughed. We walked outside to get some air. Pickups filled the car park.

The ocean, not ten steps away, emitted a strong, briny smell. Floyd took a deep breath and looked up to the starry sky. “It’s going to blow its tits off tomorrow,” he said. The next morning was blustery and grey. I exited the hotel, walked up a short hill, and took in Waitangi, Chatham Island’s version of downtown. It was tiny, a couple of blocks consisting of the few businesses. Waitangi overlooks Petri Bay, a glorious expanse of whitecapped sea. To my right stretched Long Beach, which is exactly that – a long, sandy beach. To my left, a narrow road led out to Waitangi Wharf, the island’s lifeline. The Chatham’s economy is built on fishing and farming, and this was where the fish and livestock get shipped off to New Zealand. 77

Inexplicable car wrecks and other pastoral scenes.

The sky looked ready to burst. The gusty wind ruffled my clothes. I perused the general store, which had an entire room devoted to Chatham Islands souvenirs, though there were no tourists in sight. I wandered down Tuku Road, a quiet street of modest-looking homes with dusty 4WD trucks parked out front. Crayfish pots, often stacks of them, sat where mailboxes typically would. A van passed, the driver waved. Paved street turned to gravel. I nearly stepped on a tiny pink worm. Then another. Then another. They were everywhere, hundreds of them. They looked raw and exposed, like intestines. A sheep baaa-ed. A field of tall green grass stretched seaward. I hopped a fence, made my way across it and came to the edge of a dramatic cliff. Way, way, way down below, big waves smashed against jagged red rocks. The Chathams sit in the thick of the Roaring Forties. I pondered 18th-century explorers, and the terrifying seas they must have faced. I remembered my friend Nigel Veitch, a British pro surfer from the 80s who leapt to his death off a cliff much like the one I was standing on. Family, friends, and policemen were there, trying to talk him down. Before he jumped he took off his clothes, a detail that fascinated me – in naked, out naked. There’s a lot of death in the Chatham Islands. The first settlers were Polynesian tribes who arrived between the ninth and 16th century, most likely from New Zealand. Known as the Moriori, they lived as hunter-gatherers and fishermen. They were a peaceful society, practicing 'Nunuku' – disputes were settled through individual hand-to-hand combat, and ceased at the first sight of blood. Named after the chief who devised it, the covenant of Nunuku stated: For now and forever, never again let there be war. From today, forget the taste of human flesh. In 1835, about 900 displaced Maori arrived from New Zealand. Armed with guns, clubs and axes, they proceeded to take over the land, killing, roasting and eating about a third of the roughly 1 600 Morioris. The rest were worked as slaves. The last fullblooded Moriori, Tommy Solomon, died in 1933. 78

I asked Toni Croon, owner of the Chatham Hotel and pub, if she knew where the battles took place. “It wasn’t a battle, it was a slaughter,” she said. “And it happened all over the island.” There’s no cell phone reception on Chatham Island, which does an amazing thing. People are not looking at their screens, or anxiously awaiting a text or call. They’re present in a way that most of the world has not been for a couple of decades. But there’s a landline at the Hotel Chatham pub, and when it rings, whoever’s closest answers. The pub is the heartbeat of the community. It’s literally the only place on the island where you can get a drink or a meal after 6pm. Every night the same faces were there. Some eyed me suspiciously – the interloper, the foreigner. Most were warm and welcoming. I asked pretty much everyone I met if they knew of any surfers. There were rumours of “a few younger guys who get out there now and again,” but I never found them. It was easy to find divers, though, and all had shark stories. 45-year-old Val Kroon told me he’d lived in the Chatham Islands his entire life. Bright-eyed and robust, he worked as a commercial diver. “Seen about 14 great whites while I’ve been diving. Probably about six of them have been aggressive. I’ve been attacked.” He told me this deadpan, with a toothpick poking out the corner of his mouth. His beanie accentuated his narrow, sunburned face. His thick raincoat gave him a justblown-in-with-the-Roaring-Forties look. I asked him the obvious, and he told me how a 10-foot great white had come at him when he was diving for crayfish, grabbing his flipper and dragging him down while he was frantically trying to signal the boat. One of the shark’s teeth tore through the meat between Val’s big toe and little toe, freeing him from his flipper, and he popped back up to the surface where the boat driver almost rode Val over in the panic to pick him up. “I was bare foot on one foot, and there was just blood everywhere… Fifteen stitches in my foot. I got real lucky.”

Besides the obvious dangers, it’s what lies beneath waves like this that has kept the Chatham Islands devoid of surfers.

As raw and real as the Chathams are, they’re also a fantasy, a blank canvas or tabula rasa on which to project, romanticise, and splatter fresh thoughts.

Kev, a jovial man of about 60 who lived in Port Hutt, on the west side of the island, told me about the pet sharks in front of his house. “Every time we come in with our boat crayfishing, we fillet a bit, and within two minutes there’ll be six sharks swimming around the boat. And we feed them. And they’ve become our pets.” “How big are these pets?” I asked. “’Bout ten feet.” The next day I headed west on Port Hutt Road, the sun bright and bouncing. I passed grassy fields dotted with sheep, cattle, and handsome horses. I marvelled at the akeake trees, gnarled, skeletal, bent terrifically sideways from incessant sou’westerlies. It hurt my back just to look at them. At the tips of deep, rocky bays I saw what appeared to be primo slab waves. But here’s the rub with Chatham Island: there’s no ocean road that lines the coast. You’re often checking spots from a couple of hundred metres away. To get closer means crossing private land, and to do that you need the owner’s permission. As a result, these reef breaks are known only by the divers – who also know what lurks beneath, the upshot being that they remain empty. 80

Words of wisdom, scattered skulls and sea shells.

As raw and real as the Chathams are, they’re also a fantasy, a blank canvas or tabula rasa on which to project, romanticise, and splatter fresh thoughts. I felt like Mike Hynson on the road to Cape St Francis in the late 60s. A Weka darted across the road. A sign pointed to Port Hutt. I followed it through a canopy of trees and came to an idyllic little bay, though at the centre of the idyllic little bay was a large shipwreck, the Thomas Carroll. The vessel used to go back and forth to New Zealand, fishing cod. It’s been rusting here since 1969. I parked next to a rusty, dead tractor and went for a walk. The beach was littered with what at first looked like seaweed but was in fact scattered sheep, pig, and cow bones. A skull here, a rib there, a jaw, part of a leg. I wondered how they all ended up here. Adding to this haunting scene was the abandoned fish factory, which had a couple of broken-down cars next to it. I went in for a close look. Both were rusty and splattered with birdshit. One, a Corolla, had vibrant green vines growing through the interior, with a few yellow flowers sprouting. I sat on the beach for a while watching the ocean. I looked and looked and looked, but I saw no pet sharks. “Got something for you,” said Floyd, nodding towards the carpark.

It was Saturday night. We were in the pub. The All Blacks were smashing Wales on the telly. A lot of cheering. Eruptions of laughter. I followed Floyd out the door and through the smoking room. Along the way he grabbed a 20-ish girl, dark-skinned, likely a mix of Maori and Moriori. She was pretty, with tribal tattoos on her arm. He led us out to his pickup. From the bed he popped open a crate and pulled out a couple of big, black, spiny sea urchins. “Kina,” he said. “What’s kina?” I asked. The girl laughed. “You guys call ’em sea urchin,” said Floyd. “We call ’em kina.” We moved to a picnic table overlooking the sea. Floyd pulled out a knife, slashed a cut, and pried the kina open with his fingers. Goop spilled out. Again, the girl laughed. Floyd produced a spoon, scooped up a beautiful, soft bit, and handed it to me. It tasted spectacular – cold, creamy, briny, sweet. Floyd read my face. “Got ’em just a couple of hours ago,” he said, and smiled proudly.

Nic von Rupp tickling the dragon’s windpipe. ©SALYAK

It was late at night, and I was already in bed when Greig Sharp called. Swell chase to Greenbush! Two hard-charging freesurfers – Nic von Rupp and Nate Behl – had asked Greig to take them down to Greenbush on his 45-foot catamaran. Greig needed an extra hand, and I knew my way around the boat. I chatted to my folks. We agreed that I was ‘ready’. We have some proper slabs in our area, and I’ve been charging hard. What an opportunity this was! Plus my dad knew that Greig would look out for me – and most of the trip would fall over a weekend, so I wouldn’t miss too much school. It was on! With only a few hours’ notice I scrambled around Bilou (the Mentawai surf lodge I have the privilege of calling my home), trying to find a suitable board that would handle the biggest south swell of the year. I settled on my trusty step-up from Grow, and my dad's old Pyzel Ghost. It took 13 hours to get down there, and we motored the whole night. To decide the night watches, we pulled out a deck of cards. Whoever drew the lowest card got the latest shift. Luckily for me I drew an ace and got the earliest watch. Sometimes groms get lucky. We arrived super-early at the Bush. But I was blissfully unaware, dead asleep, while everyone else was stomping around waxing boards and psyching up. 84

Finally I awoke to Nic and Nate’s hooting and screaming from the lineup. Mutant barrels ran down the reef. Greenbush was pumping! Big green mountains formed from the horizon, and bottomed out as they hit the reef. I grabbed my biggest board, my thickest leash, and borrowed a mouldy old Gath helmet from Greig. I took a few deep breaths, jumped off the front of the boat and calmly made my way to the lineup – I may have forgotten to eat breakfast… I caught a perfect ‘little’ double-up that spat twice. I pumped through both sections, and kicked out feeling very confident. I had a big grin on my face. The first-wave jitters had subsided, and I felt at ease. But a few moments later, one of the biggest sets of the day came roaring through. Nic started paddling as hard as he could, but the wave was moving so fast – and it was so thick, at least five times overhead. I watched, mesmerised. It lurched beneath him, and he pulled back. Holy moley! Suddenly I wasn't so confident anymore. I watched the wave box out and spit like an atomic bomb. It was so heavy, and so perfect… That day, I saw some insane barrel riding. Nic and Nate were going on the biggest sets, and they were doing crazy under-thelip takeoffs on waves that were four times overhead. But they weren’t invincible; their fearless approach had consequences.

Meanwhile, I was a grom behind the scenes, checking out what it takes to create all this content that we see when we thumb through Instagram and YouTube. Nic von Rupp is the classic free-surfer with his own blog, producing a steady stream of surf media. He's almost like a movie director! It felt like I was in a reality TV show, at times. He made sure all the camera angles were covered, with land, boat and water photogs, plus his own GoPro. Then, when he surfs, he’s super-patient – waiting for the bombs, making sure he gets the biggest and most video-worthy waves. You may think that the video content guys like Nic create just ‘happens’. It doesn’t! He works extremely hard to get every shot. Later that day, Nate sent it on a grower. He air-dropped, then somehow he managed to hold his rail and pull up into this absolute beast. The wave hit the shelf and the foam ball swallowed him, then blasted him into the reef. What felt like minutes later, he broke through the water and sucked in air. His face was a bloody mask. But he just wiped the blood away and paddled back to the takeoff spot and carried on getting shacked. Nate is gnarly. Back in Florida, when he’s not chasing swells, he hunts wild boars for money. Safely back on board, Dennis – our chef – was eager to try his hand at stitching for the first time. Nate slumped over a chair, and Dennis began probing his mangled nose with a needle that was way too big for injecting lidocaine. We all watched in horror as Dennis hacked around the gash, removing chunks of coral. Then he butchered in a series of Frankenstein stitches. That was enough for one day.

Clockwise from top left: Nic von Rupp pays the band. ©SHARP The trusty yacht Tank Girl and the Greenbush lineup. ©SALYAK Nate Behl receives running repairs. ©SALYAK

"It wasn’t the Josh Malherbe and Nic von Rupp surf. It was the Nate Behl surf, with everyone else.” Nate Behl busy earning the praise. ©SALYAK

The next morning, the waves were even bigger. I was up early this time. Greig, our skipper, was already waxing up – he’s one of the gnarliest water photogs in the Ments. The previous day he’d been swimming with his housing, but now he decided to paddle out. Greig’s a close-out hunter. He loves pulling in deep, and doesn't care about the consequences. His first three waves were exactly like that: late drops, and no exits. But then he took off on another close-out, grabbing his rail and setting his line. He was riding a crazy bull, ramping over multiple foam balls, almost losing it a few times before being spat into the channel. He paddled straight back to the boat. Sometimes, you gotta know when to walk away.

Nate's nose had scabbed up somewhat, and he just carried on as if he was bulletproof, threading the mutant slabs one after the other. Nic was on the biggest waves, completely focused and not making many mistakes. But they were only taking the really big bombs. This was the perfect situation for a grom – plenty of inside nuggets, and I threaded confidently through multiple tubes. And then I got my ass kicked. I took off too deep, and got smashed. The barrel swallowed me, and the next second I was jammed in a gulley in the reef. I felt my leggie snap like cotton thread. No board, two foot of water, 10-foot monster waves bearing down on me. I was experiencing the ‘other side’ of Greenbush. 87

But I eventually made it to the shore, and found my board. I’d somehow got through it without serious injury. I was back on the catamaran, licking my wounds, when I heard shouting from the lineup. I looked up and saw someone in the impact zone. The surfer looked floppy and was paddling weakly, with one arm. Nate was in trouble again! Turns out he’d smashed the back of his skull on the reef, and needed help urgently. Luckily Greig was in the water shooting, so he started pulling him out of the impact zone. I grabbed the rubber ducky and sped over to help them. Nate was disorientated and we couldn’t get him onto the dinghy, so we just sort of tow/floated him back to the boat on his board. Greig took over the stitch job: cleaned the wound, and jammed four staples into Nate’s skull with a staple gun. That was when we all decided we’d had enough. When I got back home to Bilou, I slept for 12 hours straight. 88

Josh Malherbe rodeos the foamball and lives to tell the tale. ©VANNO

hat made it special? Fuck! Obviously because we scored so hard. Just a bunch of mates going on a trip. Everyone did their shifts while we were sailing, everyone cooked, everyone cleaned, just a real cool situation. When we pulled up it just looked so raw and scary and heavy. So much water moving. I mean, Greenbush is deceptive. It’s not as perfect as it looks. We were just sitting there watching it; and to me it looked like close-outs, really. Then Nick and Nate jumped overboard, and the first wave of Nate’s was this eight-foot double-up that just blasted him out into the channel. Insane. And then from that it just seemed to get better and better. The number of good waves they got was just mind-blowing. The one thing I do want to say is that it wasn’t the Josh and Nic von Rupp surf. It was the Nate Behl surf, with everyone else. Nate was just the most raw, hardcore surfer I’ve ever seen in my

life. The waves that he was spinning on were just so mean and scary, and so thick. Just insanely heavy and scary, all seemingly close-outs with a five-foot lip. And then to hit your face on the reef the first day, and then the back of your head the second day… just shows how hard the guy was going. Nate to me was the MVP. I think Nick got the two most beautiful waves, but Nate is just fucking hardcore. I’ve never seen surfing like that, just total disregard for his own safety. The wave that took Nate out, I was swimming on the inside with the fisheye, and was able to watch him drop in as I was bailing out the way. And that thing was so mean – it had teeth, bru. As soon as the foam ball hit him and took him out, I knew straight away something had to go wrong. There’s no ways you can get smoked like that and not have something go wrong. So when I saw him come up on the inside not moving, it was pretty scary. Luckily there wasn't a set behind that.

BUZZ The Buzz was designed for summer and small days, for the highest performance possible. Fuller-foiled rails keep it alive over ﬂat and dead spots. To be ridden ½ to 1 inch wider and 4 to 6 inches shorter. This board was attractive to shape from the moment Spider started it, with outline, rocker, rails and concaves all blending together.

Web www.safarisurf.com Email boards@safarisurf.com IG @safarisurfboards FB Safari Surfboard – Spider Surfboards

Shaper Spider Murphy Dimensions 5’4” – 6’6” Fin Setup Thruster

Tel (+27) 31 337 4230 Addr 6 Milne Street, Durban, South Africa

Shaper Spider Murphy Dimensions 9’0 – 10’0 Fin Setup 12” box

Tel (+27) 31 337 4230 Addr 6 Milne Street, Durban, South Africa

Web www.safarisurf.com Email boards@safarisurf.com IG @safarisurfboards FB Safari Surfboard – Spider Surfboards

This Mid-Length gives you plenty paddle power, free flow off the bottom, flying back Shaper Spider Murphy up the face of the wave, to sitting right in the pocket. Soft, thin, foiled rails with a Dimensions 6’6” – 8’0 clean rocker entry point flowing through to a good curve in the tail. Designed as a Fin Setup Twin twin, but can be surfed as a thruster or quad.

Tel (+27) 31 337 4230 Addr 6 Milne Street, Durban, South Africa

Web www.safarisurf.com Email boards@safarisurf.com IG @safarisurfboards FB Safari Surfboard – Spider Surfboards

Tel (+27) 31 337 4230 Addr 6 Milne Street, Durban, South Africa

Web www.safarisurf.com Email boards@safarisurf.com IG @safarisurfboards FB Safari Surfboard – Spider Surfboards

THE LOGGER The Logger is an all-rounder and great for all conditions. Paddles with ease onto waves and back into the lineup. Very manoeuvrable with no catch, which makes for smooth rail-to-rail surﬁng. The concave on the tail deck assists with nose riding, and extra tail lift helps you turn with ease. Simply put, a must for any quiver.

MID-LENGTH TWIN

SLASH The Slash is our leading high-performance board and competitive weapon of choice for team riders on the Qualifying Series, WSL and local tours. It’s loose and smooth on the wave, with no ‘catch’ or limit on speed. Clean, ﬂowing lines enable slashing manoeuvres. For surﬁng anything from knee high to 3x overhead waves, the harder you surf the better it goes!

Shaper Spider Murphy Dimensions 5’4” – 6’6” Fin Setup Thruster

Growling Greenbush, no takers. ©SALYAK

Josh did incredibly well. The waves he got were super-heavy, I take my hat off to the kid. When the sets came… there aren’t too many people who would’ve wanted those waves. Josh really stepped it up. He’s definitely gonna be someone to keep your eye on for the future. All in all, what made the session so special was that it was just a bunch of friends getting some really good waves. Somehow the weather worked out, somehow the swell was just perfect – and to top that off with a glassy evening sunset sail back up to the North just made the whole thing unbelievable. I guess sometimes you score, and sometimes you don’t. And on that trip, we scored.

ENQUIRIES

SURF BOOT 2 HI V

RRP R2 299.99

• 5mm neoprene with an antimicrobial lining • Round toe construction for universal fit • Hook-and-loop strap for maximum adjustability

T&C AUTHENTIC SF

ULTRARANGE EXO SE

EMAIL: info@vansza.co.za

FB: VANSSOUTHAFRICA

TEL: (+27) 21 709 0084

IG: @Vans_ZA

RRP R1 599.99

• EXO Skeleton providing built-in support • UltraCush® for increased comfort • All-terrain grip and increased breathability

RRP R1 199.99

• Suede and textile uppers with collapsible heels • Removeable UltraCush® Lite drop-in sockliners • Durable rubber outsoles and rubber toe caps

T&C ULTRARANGE EXO

ULTRARANGE EXO SE

RRP R1 599.99

• EXO Skeleton providing built-in support • UltraCush® for increased comfort • All-terrain grip and increased breathability

RRP R1 699.99

• EXO Skeleton providing built-in support • UltraCush® for increased comfort • All-terrain grip and increased breathability

T&C SK8-HI 138 DECON SF

RRP R1 499.99

• Deconstructed suede and textile uppers • Removeable UltraCush® Lite drop-in sockliners • Durable rubber outsoles and rubber toe caps

CHECKERBOARD MEN’S LA COSTA RRP R599.99 SLIDE-ON • Synthetic checkerboard nubuck strap • UltraCush™ waffle outsoles • Water-based inks and glues

WOMEN’S LA COSTA SLIDE-ON • Synthetic nubuck strap • UltraCush™ waffle outsoles • Water-based inks and glues

RRP R599.99

CHECKERBOARD WOMEN’S LA COSTA SLIDE-ON • Synthetic checkerboard nubuck strap • UltraCush™ waffle outsoles • Water-based inks and glues

RRP R599.99

VANS × T&C SHORT SLEEVE T-SHIRT

RRP R599.99

STAMPED SHORT SLEEVE T-SHIRT

• 100% cotton • 185gm 20/1 carded ringspun

• 100% cotton • 185gm

CONSTRUCT™ SHOULDER BAG RRP R399.99

VANS X T&C MINI WARD CROSS BODY

• 100% CORDURA® • Internal stretch mesh pocket • Removable adjustable strap

VANS X T&C SHALLOW UNSTRUCTURED • ‘Vans x T&C Designs’ patch on front panel • Vans flag label on back panel • 5-panel shallow unstructured hat

RRP R329.99

ALLOVER IT SNAPBACK • 100% cotton • 6-panel snapback hat with all-over print • Vegan leather patch

RRP R999.99

• 4-way stretch boardshort • Right pleated cargo pocket with hook-and-loop closure • Vans branded woven label and 18” outseam

RRP R449.99

CONSTRUCT™ BACKPACK

RRP R999.99

• 100% CORDURA® • Padded laptop compartment suited for 15” laptops • Anti-odour treatment and removable sternum strap

• 100% polyester • Exterior zipper pocket • Adjustable strap with keeper

RRP R449.99

VANS X T&C BOARDSHORT

RRP R499.99

HAPPY TRAILS CREW • Crew sock • Jacquard artwork • Embroidered Vans logo

RRP R179.99

ENQUIRIES EMAIL: support@boardriders.co.za

FB: Boardriders ZA

TEL: (+27) 066 390 9190

IG: @boardriders.southafrica

WEB: www.boardriders.co.za

SHIMMY OVER SHORT DRESS

RRP R899.95

• Printed viscose plain weave (125g/m2) • Fitted • Sweetheart neck • Button front • Can be worn on shoulder or off • Elastic waist

PURE SUNSHINE ONE-PIECE SWIMSUIT

RRP R1 099.95

• Fashion one-piece • Removable pads • Adjustable tie straps • Underwire one-piece for better support and a perfect fit at cups • Criss-cross back straps

JUST BE COOL 15L COOLER BAG RRP R499.95

SHIMMY OVER SHORT DRESS

• Printed 600D Repreve recycled polyester • Zip-up compartment • Roxy cotton patch • Adjustable shoulder strap

• Printed viscose plain weave (125g/m2) • Fitted • Sweetheart neck • Button front • Can be worn on shoulder or off • Elastic waist

RRP R899.95

GOLDEN ALLURE MIDI DRESS

• Mid-weight yarn dyed 71% cotton 29% linen (145g/m2) • Adjustable straps • Elastic at back top • Detail of yokes with gathers

BEACH CLASSICS LONGSLEEVE ONESIE BODYSUIT

• Recycled textured rib swimwear fabric • Fitted • UPF 50 sun protection

RRP R1 199.95

WILDFLOWER PRINTED 24L BEACH TOTE BAG • Large tote bag • Printed canvas (print placement may differ slightly) • 1 main compartment with hook and loop closure • Inside zip-up pocket

RRP R1 399.95

• Resistant, stretch fabric • Fitted • UPF 50 sun protection

SUNSET BOOGIE TRI ATHLETIC BIKINI TOP

ALL IN DREAM ONESIE SWIMSUIT

RRP R1 099.95

RRP R499.95

RRP R699.95

• Resistant, stretch fabric • Athletic triangle • Adjustable straps with rings and sliders

SUNSET BOOGIE HIPSTER MIDWAIST BIKINI BOTTOM • Resistent, stretch fabric • Hipster coverage

RRP R599.95

ENQUIRIES EMAIL: support@boardriders.co.za

FB: Boardriders ZA

TEL: (+27) 066 390 9190

IG: @boardriders.southafrica

WEB: www.boardriders.co.za

SURFMASTER SURF BOONIE CAP

RRP R699.95

RRP R999.95

• 55% cotton, 45% viscose (115g) • Regular fit • Curved hem • Regular button closure • Single chest pocket

• Poly microfibre fabric • Sun protection • Earflap straps

MYSTIC SESSIONS VOLLEYS

MYSTIC SESSIONS SHIRT

RRP R849.95

• Recycled 4-way stretch • 17” outseam • Side-entry and back pocket

COAST RIDERS 26L MEDIUM BACKPACK

SURFSILK WASHED SESSIONS 18” BOARDSHORT

• Stretchflight eco neoprene • GBS seams • Chest zip entry • Key loop • Aqua glue – eco-friendly lamination

• 4-way stretch • Made from recycled plastic bottles • Performance fit • Performance fly

RRP R999.95

• Durable Surfsilk fabric designed for comfort on the inside with a resilient exterior • 4-way stretch • Made from recycled plastic bottles • Performance fit • Performance fly • Pocket with flap

RRP R1 199.95

• 3-Compartment day pack • Laptop pocket • Accessory organiser • Cotton canvas fabric • Woven taping detail

2/2MM CAPSULE EVERYDAY RRP R3 799.95 SESSIONS CHEST ZIP SPRINGSUIT

SURFSILK MYSTIC SESSIONS 19” BOARDSHORTS (47MM)

HIGHLITE ARCH 19” BOARDSHORT

RRP R1 299.95

• Highlite fabric featuring engineered stretch and breathability for no restrictions in the water • Made from recycled plastic bottles • Performance fit • Performance fly • Pocket with flap • Key bungee cord inside pocket

RRP R1 099.95

HIGHLITE ARCH 19” BOARDSHORT • 4-way stretch • Made from recycled plastic bottles • Performance fit • Performance fly

RRP R1 299.95

ENQUIRIES EMAIL: support@boardriders.co.za

FB: Boardriders ZA

TEL: (+27) 066 390 9190

IG: @boardriders.southafrica

WEB: www.boardriders.co.za

HERITAGE MASHUP TRUCKER CAP

RRP R299.95

• Foam-backed polyester front with mesh back

LAST RAYS BODYSUIT

STILL SINGLE BUCKET HAT

RRP R499.95

• Cotton twill • Structured design • Soft brim

RRP R1 499.95

LAST RAYS SWIM SHORT

• Recycled peach stretch fabric • 50+ UPF sun protection • Performance fit • Biarritz, medium bum coverage • V-front, open back

• Swim volley • Recycled peach stretch fabric • Classic fit • Inseam 2” • Smocked waistband

LAST RAYS STRAPPY BANDEAU TOP RRP R899.95

SAFARI NIGHTS CROP RASHGUARD

• Recycled peach stretch fabric • Front knot • Skimpy coverage • Removable padding • Adjustable ring and slider straps

• Recycled carvico vita fabric • 50+ UPF sun protection

LAST RAYS TWIST LOWRIDER BOTTOM RRP R699.95

SAFARI NIGHTS SURF SHORT

• Lowrider • Recycled peach stretch fabric • Full bum coverage

• Recycled carvico vita fabric • Full bum coverage • High-rise, covers bellybutton

FORWARD FEELINGS JUMPSUIT

RRP R1 299.95

• Cotton viscose • Fitted bodice, easy pants • Straight neck • Faux button-up front, smocked bodice, removable straps

RRP R799.95

TAKE ME TO PARADISE BODYSUIT

RRP R1 599.95

• Recycled polyester • 50+ UPF sun protection • Performance fit • Biarritz, medium bum coverage

RRP R1 199.95

SAFARI NIGHTS SKINNY MINI REVERSIBLE CROP TOP

RRP R849.95

• Recycled carvico vita fabric • Medium coverage • Fixed padding • Adjustable ring and slider straps

RRP R799.95

SAFARI NIGHTS ARUBA BOTTOM • Recycled carvico vita fabric • Medium bum coverage • High-rise, sits just below bellybutton

RRP R699.95

ENQUIRIES EMAIL: support@boardriders.co.za

FB: Boardriders ZA

TEL: (+27) 066 390 9190

IG: @boardriders.southafrica

WEB: www.boardriders.co.za

TIDES PRINT STRAW HAT

RRP R549.95

• Printed under brim lining and adjustable cord chin strap • Seagrass straw and polyester

SUNDAYS AIRLITE 19” BOARDSHORTS RRP R999.95

T STREET AIRLITE 19” BOARDSHORTS RRP R999.95

• Airlite recycler stretch • Omni-directional engineered, stretch jacquard weave fabric technology • Made from recycled PET plastic bottles • Water-repellent coating for a lightweight and quick-drying fabric

D BAH PRO 19” BOARDSHORTS

RRP R799.95

ALL DAY IMPACT FLIP FLOPS

RRP R449.95

D BAH LO TIDE 17” BOARDSHORTS RRP R1 099.95

• Recycler 4-way stretch • A high-performance fabric • Made from recycled PET plastic bottles • Water-repellent coating for a lightweight and quick-drying fabric • Features a full waist draw cord for the ideal fit • Back patch pocket

• Anatomically correct foot bed designed for comfort • Hexagon-textured insole to increase traction • Vegan Nubuck upper strap with SBR padding • Yoga mat rubber used for cushion foot bed • Arch cookie and tapered heel wedge • Boat-friendly non-scuff outsole

• Recycler 4-way stretch • High-performance fabric • Made from recycled PET plastic bottles • Water-repellent coating for a lightweight and quick-drying fabric • Features a full waist draw cord for the ideal fit • Side and back patch pockets

4/3MM FURNACE COMP CHEST ZIP HOODED LONG-SLEEVE FULL SUIT

2/2MM ABSOLUTE BACK ZIP SHORT- RRP R2 799.95 SLEEVE FLATLOCK FULL SUIT

SUNDAY’S FLORAL SHIRT

RRP R7 499.95

• Airlite 4D recycler with 20% more stretch • Chest zip entry and high-quality power seams for a durable, secure fit throughout

• Premium Superflex neoprene • Details include comfortable flatlock seams and a full-length easy-on and -off back-zip entry

• Printed woven top with mechanical stretch • Seasonal floral print and chest pocket

RRP R899.95

DOMINATOR 2.0 “The Dominator II is a revisited version that I’m super-excited about. The Dominator has been a staple in my quiver and in the Firewire line since its inception in 2008. The DM II is a clean update of the original, with design features that allow it to work well in a wider range of conditions and enhance its performance. “

Shaper Mannkine Dimensions 5’2” – 6’10” Fin Setup 5 fin

Tel (+27) 42 293 1679 Addr Michael Ginsberg at Country Feeling Surfshop, Jeffreys Bay

Web www.firewiresurfboards.com Email surfshop@countryfeeling.co.za

FRK “In 2015 I was asked to shape Kelly a board for the ﬁrst time. I knew immediately what I wanted to make him. I saw it all in my head immediately; from the bottom contour Shaper Mannkine Dimensions 5’2” – 6’6” to the tail template. The way the volume would distribute through the width, the whole shape… It might actually be the most intuitive design I’ve ever done, probably Fin Setup 5 fin because I’ve spent so many years both watching Kelly surf, and shaping boards.”

Tel (+27) 42 293 1679 Addr Michael Ginsberg at Country Feeling Surfshop, Jeffreys Bay

Web www.firewiresurfboards.com Email surfshop@countryfeeling.co.za

Shaper Bill Tolhurst Dimensions 7’0 – 7’10” Fin Setup Quad

Tel (+27) 42 293 1679 Addr Michael Ginsberg at Country Feeling Surfshop, Jeffreys Bay

Web www.firewiresurfboards.com Email surfshop@countryfeeling.co.za

Shaper Bill Tolhurst Dimensions 7’2” – 7’4” Fin Setup 5 fin

Tel (+27) 42 293 1679 Addr Michael Ginsberg at Country Feeling Surfshop, Jeffreys Bay

Web www.firewiresurfboards.com Email surfshop@countryfeeling.co.za

Mid 6 – Thunderbolt Red The Mid 6 range has been designed to give maximum mid-length performance in all wave types. The ﬁne, round pintail, curvy plan shape, smooth rocker, with a bit of nose ﬂip is equally comfortable turning deep in the pocket or long openface arcs. High nose rails through to mid tucked and low hard in the tail, foiled from the centre for a nice balance of drive through sections while maintaining hold through tight-turning arcs.

MOE “When I started out designing the Moe mid-length range I wanted to have an easy ride and good paddling, while keeping good stability and support. The bottom is pretty flat with a double concave between your feet, a really good combination for carving turns in a wide board. Rails are not too thick, for sensitivity, and they transition from neutral round forward through round tucked edge to the fin area and low hard behind the fins.”

THE COTTON Mami Wata’s The Cotton was inspired by the superlative left point break in Robertsport, Liberia and the single ﬁn Egg shapes of the early 70s, producing a board that wants you to draw longer, more classical lines on the wave, but remains fast and responsive on the turn. The graphic is inspired by the Zulu interpretation of comets, inkanyezi enomsile, “stars with tails”, meaning good times ahead.

Shaper Mami Wata x Hugh Thompson Web www.mamiwatasurf.com Email helpglobal@mamiwatasurf.com Dimensions 7’6” x 21 ½” x 2 ¾” IG @mamiwatasurf Fin Setup Single fin with trailers

THE JELLY The Jelly is a diamond-tailed fish, with the distinctive ride and drive of a traditional fish, with a little extra freak and flow through the diamond tail. Named after the ripable Jelly Babies wave in Madagascar, the Jelly comes alive in bigger surf, while always encouraging a playful approach. Graphic wise, think OMO washing powder. The brand had billboards all over the African continent. Their design elements link instantly to cold water, clean and bright.

Shaper Mami Wata x Hugh Thompson Web www.mamiwatasurf.com Email helpglobal@mamiwatasurf.com Dimensions 5’6” x 21 ¼” x 2 ¾” IG @mamiwatasurf Fin Setup Single fin with trailers

THE NORTH The North is a quiver killer that will perform in any ocean conditions from 2 - 6 foot. A full volume board with a nice ﬂat rocker, that works best as a thruster, creating easy drive and instant speed. Inspired by the variety of conditions you will experience surﬁng Durban’s North Beach, with a graphic approach that gives a nod to the power of diamonds, the international symbol of commitment and wealth and also mainly mined in Africa.

Shaper Mami Wata x Hugh Thompson Web www.mamiwatasurf.com Dimensions 6’0” x 21” x 2 ½” Email helpglobal@mamiwatasurf.com Fin Setup Single fin with trailers IG @mamiwatasurf

THE POINT The Mami Wata Point, was named in honour of the popular end section of J-Bay’s long and hallowed reef. It has a relaxed rocker with a gentle nose concave and pulled in tail creating a longboard that ﬂies, glides and nose rides well, in all conditions, especially overhead waves. The graphic is a series of 3 hearts. Love nature, Love - Surf, Love - Africa. Simple as that.

Shaper Mami Wata x Hugh Thompson Web www.mamiwatasurf.com Dimensions 9’0” x 22 ½” x 2 ⅞” Email helpglobal@mamiwatasurf.com Fin Setup Single fin with trailers IG @mamiwatasurf

THE HUMANOID The Humanoid model is an all-round fun performance shortboard that we first designed and tested for Matt Wilkinson. It performs well in punchy, steep beach breaks or high-tide softer peaks, and is best suited to mid-range waves up to 6ft, Shaper Graham Smith for intermediate to advanced surfers who travel globally but need a one-board Dimensions 6’0” x 19 ⅞” x 2 ⅝” - 34.6L quiver. This model comes with a 5 fin setup, allowing more variation and flexibility. Fin Setup 5 fin

Tel (+27) 31 368 4022 Web www.smthshapes.com Email info@smthshapes.com

IG @smthshapes FB Smth Shapes

Tel (+27) 31 368 4022 Web www.smthshapes.com Email info@smthshapes.com

IG @smthshapes FB Smth Shapes

THE VOLUME The Volume is the board that Jordy made for the Olympics. We flew over to Japan to experience the waves first-hand and fine-tune the model. Jordy tested this design extensively when he returned to Durban, tweaking the rocker, concave and rails to make it perform better. The Volume also had a big impact on Matt McGillivray from J-Bay,who added vital feedback, making The Volume the most well-rounded and versatile shortboard.

Shaper Graham Smith Dimensions 5’9” x 18 11⁄16” x 2 ½” – 28.7L Fin Setup 5 fin

THE BLACK STAR The team rider’s favourite-choice board, The Black Star features a moderate entry rocker and low, drivey tail rocker, low, boxy rails and a single-to-double concave bottom. The Black Star is the result of ongoing reﬁnement based on feedback from our riders wanting both speed and tight-radius turning – simply put, it’s our take on the modern, cutting-edge, high-performance shortboard. Deﬁnitely more suited to an advanced surfer.

Shaper Kevin Colby Dimensions 5’11” x 18 ½” x 2 ¼” – 27L Fin Setup Thruster

Tel (+27) 31 337 0914 Cell (+27) 82 337 5378 Addr 42 Brickhill Rd, Durban

IG @colbysurfboards Web www.colbysurfboards.co.za Email kevin@colbysurfboards.co.za

Shaper Kevin Colby Dimensions 5’6” x 20” x 2 5⁄16” – 29L Fin Setup Quad

Tel (+27) 31 337 0914 Cell (+27) 82 337 5378 Addr 42 Brickhill Rd, Durban

IG @colbysurfboards Web www.colbysurfboards.co.za Email kevin@colbysurfboards.co.za

THE MODERN FISH The Modern Fish has been designed for those wanting a little more performance than is possible on a regular retro ﬁsh – we have increased the rocker ever so slightly and pulled in the swallow tail, allowing for tighter surﬁng that sits more in the pocket of the wave.

FISHKABAB Summer 2021/22 should be all about fun and catching waves, after all the stress and pandemic discomfort we’ve all experienced over the last 20 months. Have fun, catch waves, and smile – even in the small waves.

Shaper Mat Marais Dimensions 5’3” – 6’6” Fin Setup Twin fin

Cell (+27) 72 641 8003 FB Matsurfboards Addr 14 Rumboll street, Strand IG @Matsurfboards Email info@matsurfboards.co.za

Shaper Mat Marais Dimensions 9’0” – 10’3” Fin Setup 2 + 1

Cell (+27) 72 641 8003 FB Matsurfboards Addr 14 Rumboll street, Strand IG @Matsurfboards Email info@matsurfboards.co.za

LONGBOARD Longboards should also look the part. Choose a colour, get it polished, and be proud of your fun-day activity tool. Available in all shapes and colours. Fins included in each one.

BOBBY QUAD Bobby Martinez challenged us to build him as short a board as possible, with the goal of maximising his fun in Santa Barbara’s tiny summer surf. He also added that it had to be a quad, and it still had to live up to his high-performance standards. Bobby’s shortboards are 5’8”, but for this customised four finner he was thinking we ought to take it down to 5’2”. By shortening the rail line and distributing the volume into the width throughout the plan shape, he’d be able to skate over the flats and carry enough speed to still fit in his signature gauges.

Shaper Brit Merrick Dimensions 5’8” x 20 ⅛” x 2 ⅝” – 33.8L Fin Setup Quad

Cell (+27) 82 453 4361 IG @cisurfboards_africa Email info@cisurfboards.co.za

BV2 TT The BV2 Twin Tech is Chilli’s EPS/Epoxy construction. Twin Tech is light, strong and fast. This is a model developed from the popular Black Vulture. The BV2 sits in the summer-board category, and has been designed with increased speed and higher performance than the original. With smaller, weaker waves in mind when designing this board, we’ve blended features from the original Black Vulture to create a speed-generating board with a generous sweet spot.

Shaper James Cheal Dimensions 5’8” x 19 ½” x 2 7⁄16” - 29L Fin Setup Thruster

Cell (+27) 82 453 4361 Email info@chillisurfboards.co.za IG @chilli_surfboards_southafrica

BLACK BEAUTY Shaped for the Cape Crown. Designed for all-round fun summer conditions. This is the second twin I have featured in Zigzag recently. There has been so much development with twins over the years, making them way more versatile. No longer just an old, retro board in the garage, used occasionally when the surf is flat. The Black Beauty is definitley one of my favourite twins. Try one – like it, or your money back! Grow surfboards, guaranteed to perform.

Cell (+27) 82 895 5460 Shaper Glen Row Dimensions 5’4 ½” x 20 ½” x 2 ⅜” – 27L Addr 4 Dorsetshire Street, Paarden Eiland Fin Setup Twin

FB growsurfboards IG @growsurfboards Email growsurfboards@gmail.com

TURBO TWIN This board is a blend of two boards. It can be ridden as a twin fin or a single fin. There’s a 10-inch single fin box with fin systems for a twin fin. The shape has a pulledin tail that holds well when ridden as a twin fin or single fin. The four channels in the bottom give the board speed and also add to the hold. This board is a must-have in your quiver for those fun days when you want to ride something different.

FB Waveworx Surf Co Shaper Justin Healy Cell (+27) 82 256 7544 Dimensions 6’4” x 21 ½” x 2 ⅝” – 40,38L Addr 9 Manchester Rd, Hout Bay, IG @waveworxsurfboards_estd1990 Email justinhealy@mac.com Fin Setup Twin / Single Cape Town

MID-LENGTH CRISIS Easy-paddling, responsive and loose, the Mid-Length Crisis is designed for fast paddling, to easily generate speed and carry flow, and smooth turning at any speed. The fin setup is 2+1 single box, which gives you options of single fin flowing or the added drive and control of some small side-bites. The Mid-Length Crisis is a great board for those who want to try a new approach.

Shaper Jon Pyzel Cell (+27) 76 545 6245 Dimensions 6’6” x 20 ⅜” x 2 9⁄16” – 36.3L Web www.pyzelsurfboards.co.za Fin Setup 2+1 Email info@pyzelsurfboards.co.za

CHANNEL BOTTOM TWIN This board is by far the fastest board I’ve ever ridden. It has a smooth outline which allows it to ﬂow and turn easily. It features a beak in the nose – this helps with getting that extra bit of volume in for paddle power. The channels on this board run from ⅓ up from the tail and get deeper as they get to the tail of the board. These channels act like a third ﬁn when you’re doing a turn at high speeds. When you push down on the tail, the channels engage and bite down in the water to add more grip. This is a fun board for down-the-line waves or for barrelling waves.

Shaper Kei Weyer Dimensions 6’4” x 19 ⅞” x 2 ¾” – 37L Fin Setup Twin fin

Cell (+27) 72 156 1147 IG @analogysurfboards

SQUID FISH Designed for small to medium-size waves, with a skatey feel. Relaxed rocker with Cell +27 73 966 3593 IG @spacecraftsurfboards single concave under front foot and fluted double concave at the fins. Slight vee out Shaper Dan Riding the tail. Medium down rails are responsive and generate speed. Modified cutaway fish Dimensions 5’6” x 21 ¼” x 2 ½” Web http://spacecraftsurfboards.blogspot.com/ tail adds responsiveness. Resin tints and custom shapes made to order. Fin Setup Twin Email spacecraftsurf@gmail.com

THE 500 The 500 is Sixty Six Surfboard Design’s debut model. This late-60s-inspired longboard employs the design philosophy of Durban’s early board builders to place performance surfboards under the feet of champions. In that era, ‘involvement’ or ‘curl surﬁng’ was the thing! This ‘big board’ wants to be driven fast in trim on its low forward rocker through head-high sections. The moderate tail rocker with its gentle vee and harder rails back there produces butter-like cutbacks at speed.

Shaper John Whittle Dimensions : 9’6” x 23” x 3” Fin Setup Single

Cell (+27) 67 830 6652 Addr Lower Snell Parade, North Beach, Durban

Shaper Dutchie Dimensions 6’6” x 19 ⅝” x 2 ¾” – 40L Fin Setup Twin

Cell (+27) 83 580 0551 Web www.dutchie.co.za Addr No.43 Stella Park, 57 Stella Email info@dutchie.co.za Road, Montague Gardens

Shaper Hugh Thompson Dimensions 6’8” x 21” x 2 ¾” Fin Setup Twin

Tel (+27) 83 360 0003 Addr Shop No. 1 Da Gama Road, Jeffreys Bay

IG @sixty_six_surfboard_designs Email SixtySixSurfboardDesigns@ gmail.com

VOYAGER The Classic range Midlength step-up for good powerful waves, yet the twin setup makes it versatile for everyday surﬁng. A low entry rocker enables easy and early entry on take offs and improves paddling with a lot of current/water moving about. Beaked nose, angular rails and ﬂat deck creates reliable speed and drive with very solid and smooth feeling underfoot. Slight single concave under the front foot going into vee with 4 deep channels.

THE EASY TWIN PIN The Easy is for those who enjoy paddling and riding slightly longer boards, but enjoy the drag-free feeling of the twin. A decent amount of vee with a slight double concave running through the tail makes for easy surﬁng in most conditions and all-size waves.

FB Natural Curve IG @hugh_thompson101 Email hugh@naturalcurve.co.za

#JUSTPULLINBRU EMAIL: info@surfhq.co.za TEL: (+27) 31 332 0281 WHATSAPP US : (+27) 83 273 6792

BODYBOARDS • Biggest selection of bodyboards under one roof • Flippers, leashes, covers and all accessories • From R499 beginner boards to pro boards • Free expert bodyboard advice from our experienced staff • All trade-ins welcome

SURFBOARDS • Hundreds of new and pre-loved boards to choose from every day • Prices from R499 and up • SURF HQ represents ALL shapers and takes custom orders for ANY brand • Rent-to-Buy test-drive programme to test before buying • Ding repairs to epoxy and PU boards including SUP • FREE wax cleanup of your board with wax purchase • All trade-ins welcome

ALL TYPES OF SKATEBOARDS & SPARES • Biggest selection of brands and boards in KZN • Trick boards • Carver / surfskate style • Longboards and cruisers • Trade-ins welcome • All spares, decks, trucks, wheels, bushings, bearings and grip tape • FREE fitting of any spares purchased from SURF HQ

CLASSIC PIGMENT WASHED TORN TRUCKER

RRP R395.00

NORTH SHORE VISOR

RRP R250.00

• One size fits all

BIG DAISY

• Tote sling bag

RRP R275.00

• One size fits all • Woven stretch

RRP R295.00

• Cropped over dye tee • XS, S, M, L

BIG DAISY

REVERSABLE BRIGHT DAISY BUCKET

SEA & SUN & SURF

RRP R295.00

• Cropped overdyed tee • XS, S, M, L

RRP R175.00

SURF CULTURE • Mermaid ladies slops • Sizes 3 – 8

NOT ARGUING

RRP R295.00

• Cropped overdyed tee • XS, S, M, L

RRP R245.00

ISLANDS PARADISE SCENE • Large ladies beach bag

RRP R345.00

ENQUIRIES WEB: www.islandstyle.co.za EMAIL: sales@islandstyle.co.za TEL: (+27) 31 579 2101 WHATSAPP: (+27) 83 776 4633 IG: @island_style

CLASSIC LOGO RIPSTOP CAP

RRP R395.00

• Grey • One size fits all

THE DUKE

• Solid-band boardshort • Sizes 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38

RRP R575.00

• Hawaiian aloha button-thru shirt

RRP R315.00

• Gold • XS, S, M, L, XL

CHALK PROTEA

J-BAY ALOE

CHALK PROTEA

CHARCOAL/AQUA • Mens comfy-fit slops • Sizes 5 – 13

RRP R345.00

• One size fits all

RRP R575.00

• Hawaiian aloha button-thru shirt • XS, S, M, L, XL

RRP R575.00

SURFARI WIDE-BRIM SUN HAT

BACKWASH

RRP R345.00

• Tie-dyed • XS, S, M, L, XL

RRP R225.00

DAISY ALL OVER • Solid-band boardshort • Sizes 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38

RRP R575.00

ENQUIRIES EMAIL: hello.sa@rydbrand.com

FB: RYDbrand_sa

TEL: (+27) 21 202 3450

IG: @rydbrand_sa

WEB: www.rydbrand.co.za

LAYBACK SURF SKATE

RRP R2 450.00

• Black EVA deck pad • Carbonised bamboo + 6 layers of maple • 7” Paris aqua trucks

LAYBACK TRACTION

• Full fibreglass construction • Option to move the fin within the fin box • Comes with a silky matte finish

RRP R1 795.00

• Deck 31.9” x 8.25” • 54mm wheels • 5.25-inch trucks

RRP R495.00

• 5mm diamond groove pattern • 3-piece, high arch • 3M backing tape

ALOHA LONGBOARD FIN

SANS STREET SKATE

TRUE TRACTION

ALT FIN

RRP R450

• Medium to large waves • 6ft, 7mm high-grade urethane core • Double stainless steel swivels, quick-release cuff

RRP R495.00

• 5mm square-cut groove pattern • Luxurious 3-piece workhorse • 3M backing tape

RRP from R1 185

LAYBACK LEASH 7MM

GOOD TIMES TRACTION

RRP R495.00

• New 3mm diamond dot groove pattern gets you closer to your board • Narrower 3-piece design – good for groms and step-ups • 3M backing tape

RRP from R1 530.00

• Composite fibreglass construction – carbon base, honeycomb tip • Option of rake or pivot / fast or fun • Available in XS, S, M or L

ART FIN

RRP R1 235.00

• Honeycomb fibreglass construction • Lightweight, extra flex with option of rake or pivot / fast or fun • Available in XS, S, M or L

RYDBRAND.CO.ZA

HANK DUDE SOFT TOP • Modern-day mid-length, epoxy core • Single or 2 + 1 fin setup • Available in 6’10”, 7’2”, 7’4”

RRP from R5 235.00

EVERYDAY SOFT TOP

RRP from R2 205.00

• Sizes 4’10” to 9’0” • Double stringer, 100% waterproof foam • Extra volume for extra fun!

FIRST TIME SOFT TOP

RRP from R4 920.00

• Twin fin, swallow tail and slight winger • Available in three sizes: 5’2”, 5’7”, 5’9” • Epoxy core, shaped by Caio Ibelli

ENQUIRIES

RRP R900.00

ICONIC BLACK BOARDSHORT • Lightweight 4-way performance stretch fabric • Seamless welded inner legs • Hurricane Rhinotech Technology • Supporting African Wildlife Conservation

C5 TRACTION PAD

RRP R550.00

• 3mm brushed EVA on sides to reduce water drag over rails • 3M adhesive to provide durable and reliable adhesion • Cut-outs designed to reduce weight and add grip in all directions

2/2MM BUFFALO SPRINGSUIT

RRP from R1 300.00

• Hide-like durability due to superior design and materials • Non-slip, heat-retaining chest plate

EMAIL: info@hurricanesurf.net

FB: Hurricanesurf

TEL: (+27) 31 335 3760

IG: @hurricanesurf

WEB: www.surfboss.co.za

AVAILABLE AT ALL CORE SURF SHOPS

GOLDEN STORM BOARDSHORT RRP R900.00

GREY STORM BOARDSHORT

• Lightweight 4-way performance stretch fabric • Seamless welded inner legs • Hurricane Rhinotech Technology • Supporting African Wildlife Conservation

BERKY TRACTION PAD

RRP R550.00

REGULAR SERIES LEASHES

RRP R900.00

RRP R400.00

• Designed for Beyrick de Vries • 3M adhesive to provide durable and reliable adhesion • 2-piece traction pad with tapered tail and high kick

• Premium-grade urethane cord • Purpose-built self-lubricating marine-grade stainless steel swivels • Fully guaranteed against faulty workmanship and materials for 1 year from date of purchase

1.5MM MAMBA WETSUIT TOP

MAMBA LADIES CAPSULE

RRP from R1 400.00

• Superior design and comfortable ergonomic fit • Super stretch CR Mambaprene • Standard Hurricane Surf warranty

• Superior design and materials • Non-corrosive YKK front zip • Exceptional performance and durability

RRP R2 000.00

HURRICANE SURF PACMAN

RRP R6 450.00

• Beginner through to advanced, wave-catching machine • Wider outline, low entry rocker, single to double concave • Ridden 5-6 inches shorter than your normal board • Polyurethane construction, volume range 29.5L - 50L

HURICANE SURF VAMPIRE TWIN

RRP R7 000.00

• An ‘addictive’ twin fin! • Wider area under your front foot with a flattened rocker • ‘Magic’ reversed V concave + double channel combination • EPS construction, volume range 25.5L - 42L

OCEAN STORM BY HURRICANE SURF – SANCHEZ SOFT TOP

RRP R5 200.00

• High-performance soft top surfboard designed by Hurricane Surf • Original futures fin plugs • Strong and durable construction • Soft top, volume range 24.5L - 35.5L

ENQUIRIES TEL: (+27) 31 337 0914 FB: amhardgoods ADDR: 42 Surf Shop, 51 Sylvester Ntuli Rd,

South Beach, Durban

LEASHES

RRP from R280.00

• Constructed from high-quality polyurethane cord, with features that add durability and comfort across a wide range of surf conditions • Available sizes: 6ft – 6mm, 7ft – 6mm/7mm, 8ft – 6mm/7mm, 9ft – 6mm/7mm, 9ft – knee leash

TRACTION PADS

RRP from R400.00

• Made from the highest quality lightweight EVA and 3M adhesive tape • Diamond groove design ensures maximum grip in the most critical of sections

GLASS FINS

RRP from R1 000.00

• All-round fin that works well in all conditions • Suitable for most surfers and board shapes • Carbon strips add strength as well as drive without detriment to weight • Small 50-65kg, Medium 65-80kg, Large 75-90kg • Available in twin and single tab

ENQUIRIES

STANDARD MOUTH

RRP from R649.00

WIDE MOUTH

EMAIL: info@adventureinc.co.za

IG: @Adventureincza

WEB: www.adventureinc.co.za

IG: @Hydroflaskza

RRP From R799.00

LIGHTWEIGHT TRAIL SERIES RRP from R859.00

• Ideal for sipping • Ideal for pairing with our Standard Mouth Insulated Sport Cap • Available in 18 Oz (532ml) and 21 Oz (621ml)

• Full-on refreshment • Wide mouth opening for faster fill and flow • Available in 20 Oz (591ml), 32 Oz (946ml) and 64 Oz (1.9L)

• Bring more, carry less • 25% lighter • Available in Standard Mouth 21 Oz (621ml) and Wide Mouth 32 Oz (946ml)

HYDRO FLASK COFFEE

INSULATED FOOD JAR

BEER GROWLER

RRP from R599.00

• Caffeinate and go • Use at coffee shops for less paper cup waste • Available in 12 Oz (354ml) and 16 Oz (473ml)

COOLER CUPS • Brilliantly versatile silicone sleeve for hot or cold • Can or bottle cooler and a beverage cup • Available in black or white

RRP R749.00

• Pack well now, eat well later • Keeps ice cream cold and soup hot • Available in 12 Oz (354ml)

RRP R539.00

WIDE MOUTH STRAW LID • Compatible with all Wide Mouth bottles • Convenient finger loop for easy carrying • Durable rubber straw for faster flow • Dishwasher-safe • BPA-Free

RRP R1 399.00

• From tap to trailhead – stays refreshingly cold • The 64 Oz (1.9L) Growlers Fresh Carry System™ allows beer to stay carbonated

RRP R219.00

STANDARD MOUTH SPORTS CAP • Compatible with all Standard Mouth bottles • Insulated for enhanced temperature protection • Quiet, ‘no-whistle’ valve • BPA-free and Phthalate-free

RRP R219.00

SEX WAX & AIR FRESHENERS

SURFYOGIS WARM CLIMATE ECO SUNSCREEN

• Have eternal surf dreams and wake up to your favourite smell with Mr Zogs air fresheners and candle scents • Candles and air fresheners available along with your full Mr Zogs range of Sex Wax

• Protect yourself and the environment with the all-natural Surfyogis Eco Sunscreen • Made for surfers by surfers using only 100% natural ingredients, Surfyogis is 100% waterand sweat-proof, and offers 6 - 8 hours of protection against the full spectrum of UVA and UVB rays

ENQUIRIES ENQUIRIES

WEB: www.darkstardirect.co.za

CELL: (+27) 31 337 5812

EMAIL: info@darkstardirect.co.za

EMAIL: surfafrica@africansurf.co.za

IG: @surfyogisza

ADDR: 24 Osborne Drive, Salt Rock, South Africa

ENQUIRIES EMAIL: info@karmanow.co.za TEL: (+27) 21 020 0152 WEB: www.karmanow.co.za

XCEL WOMENS 4/3MM COMP

XCEL MENS 4/3MM INFINITI LTD

XCEL YOUTH 4/3MM COMP

• Watertight zipper, engineered fit system • One-piece front and back panel • Triple-glued and blind-stitched seams, reinforced FusionX taped stress points, water-based glue

• Channel flex upper body • Radiant rebound chest • New plush Thermo-lite infrared lower body • 100% Ultra flex lower body • Nanoprene lite Japanese limestone

• New plush Thermo-lite infrared chest • 100% Ultra flex • Nanoprene lite Japanese limestone • Nylon collar • Dope-dye yarn

NIXON SIREN SS (36MM)

NIXON RIVAL (38MM)

RRP R2 699.95

RRP R2 499.95

NIXON HEAT (38MM)

RRP R2 999.95

• Basic tide high/low tide functionality, chronograph, and countdown timer • Patented Locking Looper™ keeps the band secure • 100-metre / 10 ATM • Custom stainless steel caseback and gasket pushers

• Pre-programmed with tide information for 550 beaches around the world • Current, future, and past tide time with height coefficient, as well as sunrise/sunset data • A water-channeling pattern on the inside of the band keeps moisture from getting trapped against your skin

• Custom digital LCD module • Functions include time of day, day/date with auto calendar through 2099, chronograph, pre-set timers and custom timer setting • Options with a 60-second ‘Send’ notification, and EL backlight which can be activated in any mode by pressing both pushers simultaneously • 100-metre / 10 ATM

NIXON BASE TIDE PRO (42MM)

NIXON REGULUS EXPEDITION (47.5MM)

NIXON HIGH TIDE (44MM)

RRP R2 999.95

• Pre-programmed tide information for 550 global beaches, including high/low tide time and height as well as sunrise/sunset • Features date, chronograph timer, three alarms, backlight and our patented Locking Looper™ • The display can toggle between tide graph and date, depending on your preference

RRP R4 999.95

• Functions include altimeter, barometer, compass, thermometer • Camp mode with weather alert, session mode with runs tracker, dual time zones in 12- or 24-hr format, date, chronograph and alarm • 100M/10ATM custom 47.5mm, injection-molded TR-90 case with integrated stainless steel bezel • Corner-justified pushers and solid stainless steel screw-on case back

RRP R4 399.95

• Customisable home screen, including 550 pre-programmed locations with precise tide, sun and moon data • Custom digital module with front-lit, high-resolution MLCD • Like a high-quality wetsuit, the High Tide design centres around durability and comfort

#whereboardssleep

V3 CHARGER

RRP R3699.00

• The ultimate board rack • Store ten boards vertically or five boards horizontally • Powder-coated aluminium with foam padding to protect your boards • Easy to install, installation kit included • Free delivery in South Africa

ENQUIRIES TEL: (+27) 66 574 0380 WEB: www.rakit.co.za EMAIL: rakitsystems@gmail.com

SWIMWEAR

CONSTRUCT BACKPACKS

(24L) RRP R2 299.00 (28L) RRP R2 999.00

• Combines durability and ruggedness with the urban styling and design that Thule products are known for • These contemporary and practical backpacks are available in 24L and 28L versions, both of which boast plenty or organisation and storage for your work or travels • These backpacks are constructed with durable, water-resistant materials, custom metal accents and YKK zippers to ensure that they keep up with your daily adventures • Shop online www.thulestore.co.za

IG: @rakit_systems FB: Rakitsystems

from RRP R990.00

• Long-sleeve swimwear hand-made in St Francis Bay • UPF 50+ sun protection • Sustainable and eco-friendly

ENQUIRIES WEB: www.thule.com/en/za

LARGE ORIGINAL STICK 48ML

IG: @thule FB: Thule

RRP R210.00

• Our original blend is made with just four all-natural ingredients: coconut oil, cocoa butter, beeswax and vitamin E oil. To prevent chafing before or during activity, apply it to your underarms, inner thighs, crotch, nipples or feet, or under your bra or pack straps • As an all-natural product, the consistency of our salve changes with the temperature. The most versatile container for both extreme cold and moderate heat is the stick • The stick is best used in temperatures from below freezing to 35°C

ENQUIRIES WEB: www.surfsense.co.za

IG: @surfsense

ENQUIRIES WEB: www.squirrelsnutbutterafrica.com

IG: @squirrels_nut_butter_sa

EMAIL: hello@snbafrica.com

FB: Squirrel’s Nut Butter SA

ENDLESS SUMMER

MIKEY FEBRUARY KEEL

ITALO FERREIRA LITE SIGNATURE

“Surf’s gone flat again, Oh what a supreme bummer No worries, it’s all good cuz we’re gypsies Chasing waves and the endless summer...”

• Mikey February is known for his freestyle approach to surfing and his signature fin is no different • The Mikey February Keel is a multi-colour solid fibreglass layup • Mikey takes us back in his time machine with this classic keel fin design • This template is a touch more upright than a traditional keel, making it more versatile for down-the-line speed and control, which will complement your retro twin fin

• Designed to suit Italo’s surfing, each pad features the Square-loc traction pattern on which he, Mick and Steph all won their World Titles • Strategic heel and toe cut-outs, plus a moulded Thermo-lite base for ultimate foot engagement and performance • Fast, responsive and packed with personality • EcoPure® organic additive, biodegradable foam • Dual traction: Thermo-lite Square-loc traction pattern that is 15% lighter • 7mm teardrop wide arch • 30mm alpine kick • 3M™ adhesive • Responsible packaging that is recyclable and biodegradable

ENQUIRIES

TEL: (+27) 21 674 1030

WEB: www.merge4.co.za

WEB: www.captainfin.co.za

WEB: www.creaturesofleisure.co.za

IG: @merge4socks

IG: @captainfin_sa

IG: @creaturesofleisure_sa

FB: Merge4

FB: Captain Fin South Africa

FB: Creatures of Leisure South Africa

• These officially licensed Endless Summer Merge4 socks are the perfect way to keep the summer vibes rolling all year long • Rock the iconic Endless Summer sunset and surf imagery on these cotton-blend crew socks • Merge4 empower artists, athletes and musicians through meaningful collaborations, building a diverse family of ambassadors who share a common vision of merging together for positive change

ACTIVE ZINC SPF 30

RRP R240.00

Specifically formulated using only natural ingredients that are 100% healthy for your skin and for the environment. • Most conventional sunscreens are riddled with harmful chemicals such as parabens, oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate and methoxycinnamate, which contribute to coral bleaching and disrupt a variety of human and marine animal functions • Back 2 Nature’s Active Zinc acts as a mineral barrier using uncoated non-nano zinc oxide which ensures that it is non-penetrating and non-toxic to sea life • The combination of high-quality natural minerals, oils and waxes is also safer for sensitive skin types, and designed to nourish and protect your skin while exposed to the sun, effectively reflecting our harmful UVA & UVB rays

ENQUIRIES CELL: (+27) 81 566 6667

IG: @back2nature_sa

WEB: www.sa-back2nature.com

FB: Back2naturesa

EMAIL: info@back2nature-sa.com

PROTECTIVE EARDROPS

RRP R249.00

• Repels water from the ear canal • Insulates against cold water and wind • Antibacterial and antimicrobial protection • Contains a unique formulation that coats the ear canal, protecting and insulating the delicate skin from the harmful effects of prolonged, repeated and often contaminated water exposure

ENQUIRIES WEB: www.surfseal.co.za EMAIL: orders@surfseal.co.za

IG: @surfseal_protective_eardrops

, south africa kzn t

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SOZINHOS SURF LODGE

UMZUMBE SURF CAMP

Sozinhos Surf Lodge, owned and run by a South African, is located on Palau Asu a few miles offshore from the main island of Nias, West Sumatra, and offers everything you dream of. Empty lineups are there for the taking on up to eight of the local breaks. Our private gazebo looks out over a long left that is our jewel in the crown.

Located on the South Coast in the quiet beach town of Umzumbe. Only one hour south of Durbs, Umzumbe Surf Camp is a destination for surfers, beach lovers, saffas and internationals – with a “hey bru” environment, the vibe is always casual and relaxed. The lodge has one main house with four bedrooms, two luxury Surf Bungalows in the garden, and 650 square metres of beachfront property that lends itself well to camping, countless activities, and access to Umzumbe Beach.

The lodge is available throughout the year, and we offer good rates for long stays out of season.

ENQUIRIES TEL: (+62) 812 649 62045 WEB: Nias.surf

ENQUIRIES IG: @sozinhossurflodge FB: Sozinhos Surf Lodge

WEB: www.umzumbesurfcamp.com EMAIL: umzumbesurfcamp@gmail.com

IG: @UmzumbeSurfCamp FB: UmzumbeSurfHouse

ADDR: 11 Green Lane Road, Umzumbe

TOFINHO BEACH COTTAGES

AFRICAN PERFECTION

Nothing beats the view of Mozambique’s most famous surfing spot right at your doorstep. Tofinho selfcatering Beach Cottages will allow you to watch the morning waves while you relax on the veranda – and when conditions are ideal, which they often are, you can just grab your board and go! With so much more to offer, Tofo has lovely open beaches for swimming, and interesting reefs for fishing, snorkelling and scuba diving. An array of little restaurants can be found close to the local market; and sometimes, live local music will allow you to continue the sway out of the water.

The African Perfection B&B’s are situated right on Supertubes, Jeffreys Bay. Whether it’s a surf holiday, a beachside breakaway, or a work-away-from-home you’re looking for, this is the spot. Also available are two self-catering houses, and our more affordable, newly revamped Aloe Again (50m from Supers). Contact the Greenroom JBay for your work-away solutions.

ENQUIRIES

TEL: Gideon (+27) 81 438 5511

FB: TofoBeach

TEL: (+27)42 293 1401

TEL: Ricardo (+258) 842 9922 83

EMAIL: info@tofo.co.mz

(+27) 42 200 5600 WEB: https://greenroomjbay.com/

WEB: www.tofo.co.mz

IG: @africanperfection FB: African Perfection Guesthouses

on Supertubes

ZAG 46.1 / Backwash

"In golf, you take turns. In surﬁng, you take liberties."

don't think the editor is speaking to me anymore, because the brief for this edition came from the publisher. “Sessions,” said Mr Davis, a man who pays by the word and instinctively uses as few of them as possible. I tried to get more information, but he'd already blocked my calls. A lot of surfers think a good session is simply a matter of scoring good waves. Well, they are mistaken. As surfers often are, especially in the romance and employment departments. Here, then, is a guide to the perfect session. The important thing, right from the outset, is not to die in your sleep. That ruins everything. Waking up alive, preferably without a crushing hangover, is a good place to start. I once discreetly chundered in the line-up after an all-night party, but it developed into one of those violent projectile numbers and I got chased out. Depending on where you live, you needn't wake up too early. Dawnies aren't what they used to be. At my local break, people are in the water long before sunrise, and they're there long after sunset. Often they're the same people. A positive mindset is vital. I don't mean ‘a healthy body means a healthy mind’. That's a pack of filthy lies put out by hustlers who trade in vitamins, religions or yoga mats. There's no connection between the two, and I'm living proof of that. What I mean is that you shouldn't be worrying about anything. Empty your mind. This comes easily to a lot of people who do sport. If you're nervous about bunking work and going surfing, send your boss an email resigning on the spot. If you have a partner who wants you to do something that doesn't involve surfing, break up with them right away. You can thank me later. Having a wetsuit that isn't soggy and smelling of wee because you left it in the boot for three days helps a lot to get you in the right mood. The secret is having a second wetsuit. I discovered this very late (last week), and it’s changed my life. The same goes for boardshorts. Although if you only have one pair and can't be bothered to hang them up after your last surf, you're probably struggling to read this. A fresh bar of wax is a bonus. Reaching for a misshapen lump of Zogs gritted with sand and wedged against your spare wheel isn't the best start. Better than no wax at all, though. When I was a teenager, it was okay to borrow wax from strangers. I don't think guys do that anymore. Considering the price, it would be about as outrageous as asking to borrow their girlfriend.

Make sure your car has petrol and you haven't left the inside light on all night. You can leave as many urgent messages as you like, but none of your mates are going to come to your house with a container of petrol or jumper cables. They're going to be on their way to the beach, stoked that there'll be one less person in the lineup. If you don't have a car, marry a woman who does have one. If you're too young to get married, steal your mother's car. If you're too short to reach the pedals, hitchhike. Comfort levels are key. Choose wisely when it comes to reaching for your wetsuit or your boardshorts. You don't want to be half an hour in and turning blue – or sweating like a lovesick hippo. Durban surfers reach for their suits if there's a cloud in the sky, which isn't always the right call. Also, have a pre-surf poo. Nothing worse than starting to turtle as you reach backline. The most critical element to a good session is choosing the right break. Easy if you only have access to one, but most people have a selection. There have been times I've walked the entire Golden Mile unable to make a decision, in case it's the wrong one. Sometimes the onshore comes up while I'm trying to decide. I've even paddled from North to Bay, then across to New Pier and on to Dairy and back to North, convinced I was somehow missing out. The old saying that good things come to those who wait doesn't apply to surfing. If you're in the wrong spot, nothing will come to you, except maybe one dead shikken from the Umgeni. Think carefully about where you’re going to paddle out, and make sure you get your timing right. I’ve snapped a board in the Long Beach shorebreak before even paddling out. I've been humiliated on the rocks at the end of Point gully in J-Bay. I once spent what felt like six hours getting to backline on a four-foot day at Muizenberg. Potentially good sessions, all ruined by bad choices. And now, the one thing that can really make or break a memorable session. Other surfers. This is the only sport that can be utterly ruined by others doing it. Golfers don't see people on the golf course and say, “Ah, damn. Might as well just go home.” I suppose the difference is that in golf, you take turns. In surfing, you take liberties. It's carnage out there. The other day I counted 60 in the water out front. Rather find a spot that you have all to yourself. Let me know where it is. Finally: know when it's over. If you've been out for a while and it's been epic and you snag a bomb, go in. Don't start foaming at the mouth and paddle back out hoping for another just like that, because it never works. You'll still be waiting when the moon comes up. This has happened to me.

123

ZAG 46.1 / Shot Bru

Damn we love your pics!

Party wave on a 'friendly' session out at Sunset, captured by Alex Oelefse.

Ross Nagel caught this sparkly Jordy Maree chip shot into a K-Bay wedge. 124

Sometimes the shot is simply about the angle and the action. Mikey February hits a section, Zane de Lange pulls the trigger.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but we can all agree this Weskus keg needs closer inspection. Fine work from Shane Viljoen.

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Backwash It’s a well-known fact that many more people are surfing since the pandemic. There have been healthy rebounds in most core surf businesses, both locally and internationally. Shapers are busy. Stock is moving off the shelves. Lineups are bustling. This all bodes well for the surf industry. The fly in the ointment is that a lot of surf gear is imported and the whole global shipping network has been severely disrupted, which means a lot of brands that would otherwise be enjoying the ka-ching of the cash register are working the phone and shouting at their freight agents instead. Those who manufacture locally, however, are smiling ear to ear and talking of expansion. It’s good for jobs, good for the local economy and good for surf! But more than surging sales, more surfers means more people connecting with nature, imbibing vitamin sea and enjoying the well-documented mental health benefits that the surfing life delivers. Making the world a better place, one wave at a time. Let it boom! Head of communications for Monster Energy Ryan Payne proved he’s still got it on Zag’s recent trip to the Maldives. The two-time Xcel Pro Showdown J-Bay winner and former QS campaigner reminded everyone of his pedigree, especially in the heavy stuff. Putting the young pros to the sword, he clocked some of the best waves of the trip. After a few days charging triple overhead pits, during the uncharacteristically abundant run of swell, he could barely muster any interest in the more mundane but perfect 4-6ft conditions. So maybe a bit of justice

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was served when he was totally owned by the local booger posse! Did he get mad? Not at all. “I’d probably have done the same to a visiting surfer on a set wave when I’m home in J-Bay.” At last, we welcome back the pointy end of competitive surfing, with the first-ever Covid-lockdown-delayed Summer edition of the Ballito Pro, presented by O’Neill. The vintage 55-year-old surf event has returned, and is making up for lost time with a huge and varied beach festival – all revolving around the professional World Surf League Men's, Women’s and Junior contests, as well as the South African Surfing Championships – being hosted in Ballito for the first time in history. Finalists in the WSL Men’s and Women’s events are almost certain to qualify for the 2022 WSL Challenger Series, and with that comes a shot at every competitive surfer’s goal: the Championship Tour. During the long, dark corridor of the soul otherwise known as Zigzag print deadline, the more fortunate members of the Zag team were in Busua, Ghana with Michael February and co. for VANS Checkerboard Day, the brand’s global corporate social responsibility drive. MFeb and wife Zelti established their nonprofit organisation the Juju Surf Club to highlight and support emerging surf sites in Africa. Backed by VANS, they launched a sustainable surf programme in Busua, Ghana with local organisation SurfGhana, the same folks who are busy building Accra’s first skate park. Needless to say, everyone came back with huge smiles.

ZAG 46.1 / Defeat

Defeat by Will Bendix

his is the view from the bottom of the point at Skeleton Bay. In the distance, in among all that sand and water, you can see a slightly hunched figure wrapped in four millimetres of rubber, board under arm, making the long walk back up the point. That’s me – buckled from a day of relentlessly pushing against the elements (futile), but determined to try and get one more. It was my first trip to the edge of the Namib Desert. And it’s the kind of image that evokes an immediate yearning to be there, a conjuring of all the endless possibilities the ocean offers us. Yet now, this photo evokes a bittersweet melancholy every time I look at it. I spent my formative surfing years at a small patch of reef. The wave was short, localised and heavy for its size; but I became obsessed with the mechanical left tubes it offered, and dedicated myself to making the drop on my backhand. When Skeleton Bay surfaced around 2009, it became a priority to get there. That first trip had mixed results. The waves were 3-4ft – playful, by Skeleton Bay standards – and gave me just enough of a taste to convince me I could quite possibly get the wave of my life out there.

The next trip, a couple of years later, was markedly different. Driving along the fog-shrouded beach the morning of the forecasted swell, I thought we were looking at the dark line of the horizon in the distance. Except the horizon was moving. The thick bands of swell that proceeded to hit the shoreline were like nothing I’d ever seen before. It wasn’t the size – around 6-8ft – so much as the girth of the waves. Unlike many other points where the more a swell has to wrap in, the more refined and manageable it becomes, Skeleton Bay is the opposite. Waves would trip over themselves as they hit the sand, then grow and breathe dark plumes of spray as they hammered down the point. It was terrifying. I watched for three hours before the shame became too much, and I reluctantly put on my wetsuit. I paddled out halfheartedly, dodged a number of sets, hyperventilated, caught a smaller wave (nowhere near the barrel), and came in. There were life-changing waves out there – I watched dozens of them being ridden that day. But they were beyond me. Whenever I look at this photo now, I’m reminded of that. And of the endless possibilities that butt up against the hard-edged limits of ability and desire.

ZAG 46.1 / Checkout

Checkout “Let me not wander in a barren dream.” -John Keats

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