Sixty40 Bodyboarding Magazine #11 - The Inspired Issue

March/April/May 2010 R25 incl VAT (South Africa only) Inspired

I just returned from the Pipe comp in Hawaii which was a huge success, the South African guys really made a statement and for me were the surprise packets. So many talented guys and all really level headed guys! The sport is in good hands in SA. Gregg Taylor, Owner, Turbo Bodyboards M ark Watts, Pipe by The SPEX

massive image gallery inside

ISSN 1994-294X

bodyboarding//travel//photography//lifestyle www.sixty40.co.za

6040 moment Jarret Johnson at Oz Supers by Mitch Pearson

the inspired issue We have never had a guest editor and I suppose this isn't really a guest editor, but I asked Jared Houston to give us a rundown of his year of travel and I found the story rather inspirational. So instead of my usual intro here is his story, and hopefully it will inspire everyone to reach a little harder for their dreams, no matter how great or small they are.

Enjoy. ED > IAN Kruger

J a r e d Houston Makes it happen Sitting in my seat, high above the Indian Ocean in June 2009, I couldn't sleep. I was literally foaming at the mouth thinking about the 3 month trip that awaited me at the end of this stinking flight. I was fresh off my virgin Hawaiian season and now I was en-route to Australia, the land of the slab, land of the bodyboard, actually, the land of whatever you make it.

This is where the fairy tale stops and I take you through the rough, the tough, the good, the bad and the ugly things and times that unfolded from here. I went to Australia to try and build a name for myself, to surf all the waves I had seen on the videos, to make new friends and to have an adventure. I'll start right now by telling you that I feel I have accomplished those goals. Maybe not as quickly as I wanted or in the exact fashion I wanted to, but hey, that's what happens. That's life.

You have to take what you get and run with it.

Money was a massive issue for me in the first few months of my stay. Those of you who know me or see what I do will know that Jarret Johnson and myself were at one stage pitching tents on sand dunes after dark and removing them before sunrise to avoid arrest before going our separate ways for the

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day to find work. Looking back now I laugh about it, but at the time I was really down. We were digging in bins to eat (and for fun,it really was fun), sitting outside establishments for warmth etc. Just like you see the bergies doing back home! Thankfully there are still good people in the world and this only lasted a couple of nights before we both found steady work and places to stay.

The SIC came and went and to be honest I hated how I surfed. I was so angry and frustrated and this was the major factor influencing me too stay in Oz till the end of the year! It took me about a month to make the decision but I made it and I decided to stay in Australia till I left for Hawaii. This turned out to be a really good decision for me.

Hanging in Cronulla was amazing. Scoring cranking SI (Shark Island-ed) with only a handful of guys out was a dream come true.

I was actually getting sets and drawing good lines and wishing the contest happened a few weeks later. All good things come to an end though and I moved back to the Northern beaches to begin a labouring job that actually saw me right through till December! Thanks to Sully and the Cronulla guys, I was not off the chart and conveniently took days off when there was a swell down the coast.

Three months came around and I had to leave the country. Where to? NZ for a weekend or a two week Balinese sojourn with the boys? No contest. Bali was a real eye opener, I never knew the place was so ghetto! Its literally Soweto on the beach, but the people are friendly, the waves are always fun and the good times flow like water. I ran into a bit of bad luck packing fins that were too small

and getting cramps every session. And then on top of that, I hit the reef at Padang during our first surf there and was therefore nursing wounds the entire trip!

Jarret really shone here out at night, the man is a machine and I could only stare as girl after girl (even the big, dreadlocked ones) fell into his trap. Haha! Bali is an experience I would recommend to anyone, just pack plenty antiseptics and bring your dancing shoes as well as fins!

Arriving in Darwin, Australia, Jarret got stopped by Immigration while I walked on.

Always being considerate, I said to the other guys that I was pretty worried about Pik as he had been taken aside. Two hours later I was pretty worried, no one could tell us anything and in two hours we were boarding to Sydney.

Three hours went by and we were checking in our luggage and still no sign,what the hell? I went to a desk and demanded some answers.

After a confrontation with the rudest lady ever we were advised to board our plane with no further questions. Sitting on the plane I knew something heavy was up.

Arriving back in Cronulla I phoned Immigration and they put me on to Pik (PERFECT).

I was so stoked until he informed me that he was being deported and was leaving for London on the next available flight! Hectic.

Moral of the story: Don't keep a diary. You can ask him about that one.

These last few months before I came to Hawaii were hard, my friend was gone and my girlfriend broke up with me, although I definitely had that coming. I was pretty damn low to be honest. I was seriously consider-

Jared flying high above Backdoor - Shot by Kelly Cestari/Coveredimages | Inset by thespex.com

ing throwing in the towel and going home.

Until I realised I had come too far to quit. I had sacrificed to much to be here and I was gonna make it work come hell or high water.

I teamed up with a videographer and started getting some footage together and was surfing regularly.

The perfect opportunity for me to make a mark on the scene came in the form of the final event of the Ozzie pro tour, at D'bah in Queensland. What a sick event! D'bah is the funnest wave and very similar to my favourite breaks at home, full of rampy bowls.

My first heat was the first heat of the event.

I opened up with a 9 for a backflip and then backed it up with a 5 for a small combo wave.

I was stoked. Next up was round 2 and this is where it all came together, I paddled out and was last in line, all 3 guys paddled for the first wave of the set and missed it, I spun round to see a perfect 3-4ft bowl lining up, paddled hard and boosted. On the way back the Judges called out ten, I was soooo stoked!

The very next wave came through and somehow I got that one too and inverted to a 9.43.

My total of 19.43 remained unbeaten the whole event. Even though I went down in the 1/4's to Winny and Chad Jackson I was still frothing. I had made some new friends and people knew my name, which was my goal coming into the event.

Back in Sydney and 3 weeks till hawaii, a massive swell popped onto the radar. An extremely excited Sully called me up and told me he knew just the place. A psycho left slab

a few hours south. I was not as excited as him - I had surfed the wave before and it defeated me hard. I was not looking forward to the rematch, especially considering it might be 10ft.

rican, and this year you CAN expect to be proud yourselves, get behind our riders, I'm lonely and I'm sure Mccarthy is too.

Lets do this!* Ă—

Arriving there was cool. My best mate Josh Kleve was with me and there were 3 photogs at our disposal. Looking at the wave was not so cool - it was all of 10ft and just going nuts. The boys stared while I looked away, I didnt wanna give her the upper hand. That surf was one of the most mentally challenging times of my life, I was constantly aware of my surroundings and the state of mind I put myself in to take off was tiring to say the least. I caught 3 of the heaviest waves of my life that day and I left the water with a sense of accomplishment. The pats on the back and photographic glory was nothing compared to the self gratification I felt. I was pleased with myself, which doesn't happen often.

Putting my Australian trip into words is super hard. I wish I could properly share with you everything I experienced, accomplished and did over there. But I hate writing about myself and the waves that have been ridden at Pipe today have been distracting me badly.

I had a rough year, but it was also the best year of my life. I feel I'm on my way to achieving my goals and living out my dreams, even if you don't. I'm on a mission to prove something to myself and to others too, I guess.

Next year I'll be basing myself in Oz again to continue chipping away. I have never been paid to bodyboard and even if I never do, that's cool. I love it, I'm a proud South Af-

*Ed's side note: This letter is slightly dated, as you well know, since this inspirational piece, Jared has gone on to place an incredible 3rd at the Turbo Pipeline Contest in amazing conditions as well as signing a multi year international contract with Turbo Bodyboards. A stark reminder that if you put your mind to it, anything is possible.

Follow Jared Houston's Blog on Sixty40: www.sixty40.co.za/blog/jared-houston

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Miscellaneous

Managing Editor & Publisher Ian Kruger ian@sixty40.co.za

Mike had the following to say: “Just wanted to let you guys know the Al and I have recently made another technological breakthrough and are now able to offer customizable digital printing on our custom boards. Any digital image/photo can be ordered onto your new Science Custom now. We are pretty stoked as I think this is the first time that customized digital graphics have ever been offered on wave riding craft of any kind. Now your high performance piece of art can look the part.” ×

Associate Editor Damon Crawford damon@sixty40.co.za

Dallas Singer signs to 4Play

Art Director / Designer Samuel Sampi Kamffer (one2love) sampi@sixty40.co.za Online Editor / Senior Contributor Gareth White gareth@sixty40.co.za Sixty40 Founder / Web Developer Kelly Footit kelly@sixty40.co.za Video Editor Dustin Weber dustin@sixty40.co.za Sales & Advertising Ian Kruger ian@sixty40.co.za Proofreaders Morgan Phillips Tiffany Potgieter Francois van Rooyen Distribution Countrywide Stockists All good surf stores, CNA’s, PNA’s and Exclusive Books See: www.sixty40.co.za/stockists Contact Tel +27 (0) 82 594 3082 Fax +27 (0) 21 939 2246 Po Box 15107, Panorama, 7506 Cape Town, South Africa To submit images: send to images@sixty40.co.za Published by Panacea Publishing Printed by Signet Printing, Cape Town © Copyright subsists in all work published in this magazine.

Any reproduction or adaptation, in whole or part without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited and is an act of copyright infringement which may in certain circumstances constitute a criminal offence.

we design stuff one2love.co.za

Zion Team Manager Ryan Mattick on signing Griz to the team Zion wetsuits proudly announces the signing of man/bear hybrid and known anabolic steroid user Chris James to their team.

Chris was filled with glee to sign with what he considers, "an exciting and forward-thinking young company that has so quickly risen to the top of the wetsuit game... And working closely with a passionate and dedicated crew to develop the kind of customer care and quality PFD product that bodyboarders deserve."

"I'm proud to finally ride for a company who let their product do the talking the materials and construction are of a caliber I've never seen before and the suits provide an unrivalled amount of comfort and warmth. And they've even got f@ckin' speed stripes on the legs which is doubly sick" said Chris when we caught up with him between pushups.

"We've also been working closely together on my very own signature suit.

All I can say is it's an exemplary piece.

It comes with a little extra room around the pecs, glutes and biceps and the crotch panel has been altered to accommodate those who are also packing some extra lunch down south." ×

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“[IT] marked a big moment for me as I continue to roll through my twenty-something’s as a professional bodyboarder - something that still sounds weird to me even after signing the second long term agreement. Although the decision to stay with 4Play was probably the easiest one I’ve had to make, there’s still plenty I want to achieve with Reon in board design and I’ve still got stacks of ideas floating around in my brain that I know 4Play will support just as they have in the past. The legal binding contract states I must rip, shred and tear the ocean on my bodyboard for the next 3 years which is exactly what I plan on doing. I'll be following the IBA contest tour around the world, looking forward to letting my feet leave the ground and bodyboarding in ways I’ve imagined. Thank you to the crew at 4Play, I’m looking forward to this one!” ×

Image courtesy of dallassinger.com

making the magic happen

Custom graphics from Al Taylor and Mike Stewart

Image courtesy of Manny Vargas.

Sixty40 Bodyboarding

Skipp teams up with Manta Hawaiian Spencer Skipper has signed to ride for Manta in what should prove to be a symbiotic relationship of fluidity.

Skipp has always been known for his exemplary style and he had the following to say about the new venture: “I’m stoked on the new deal. It gives me the chance to travel and do what I love doing best. I’ll be hanging on the North Shore for the Hawaiian winter and plan on surfing Pipe as much as possible. Then heading down to Oz for their Winter to do some team trips with the boys.”

Reon Fisher Manta’s team manager added: “It’s cool! Skip has always been one of my favorite riders. He has that really unique style of riding that I don’t think anyone else can really mimic. I’m looking forward to getting some good shots of him from the Hawaiian season and getting him out here for the Aussie Winter.”

Keep an eye out for the Manta Skipper pro model out in 2010. × 8 advertorial

Check out http://vimeo.com/8850128 if you want to watch something interesting. Trust us.

[Shapes With Lackey]

Turbo Surf Designs News

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NEW WEBSITE - Turbo Surf Designs have launched their new website www.turbosurfdesigns.com Here you will see the first images of the new Turbo board range including the Damian King Signature Board, the Jacob Romero Signature board and the new Turbo 5 board.

WIN A TURBO SPONSORSHIP - To celebrate the release of the new Turbo 5 board, the Turbo 5 Project has been launched. The Turbo 5 Project is the latest chapter in Turbo Surf Designs’ rich 27 years of history in the sport of bodyboarding. Turbo has assembled 4 of the hottest emerging riders from across the globe to represent the latest edition in Turbo’s iconic board range. We are offering you the opportunity to become the 5th member of this elite Team. We are looking for the hottest emerging bodyboard talent in the world to become a member of the Turbo 5 team. Log on to www.turbosurfdesigns.com for more details.

AMAZING VIDEO CLIP - Finally, there is this amazing video clip of Jacob Romero surfing in Maui in January 2010 on his new Turbo signature board. Please find the attached link http://vimeo.com/9317578 We appreciate your support

Fressh Toast

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Fressh Toast, the distributors of Turbo, Hot Buttered, LMNOP, Custom X and Empire Bodyboards are stoked to announce our 2010 Bodyboard Team. Soon to be seen in the barrel at a beach near you riding our boards are: Charles Pass: Custom X Ratt Ostler: Turbo Daniel Worsley: Turbo Ismaeel Grant: Custom X Johno Mellish: HB Steve Du Preez: HB Peter Oberholzer: HB Surf HQ based in Durban has in less than 12 months established itself as South Africa's Top Bodyboard Store, owned and run by bodyboarders. With over 200 boards in stock at any time you'd be a kook to shop anywhere else. Join our Facebook group "SURF HQ" for monthly specials and updates on latest Bodyboard arrivals. Now in stock, Turbo, Hot Buttered, LMNOP, Custom X, Empire, Science and Nomad. ×

Be sure to logon to www.sixty40.co.za to keep up-to-date on all the local happening's in and around South African bodyboarding and to support our guys over in Hawaii for the Turbo Pipeline Pro, the first Grand Slam event for the year.

Miscellaneous

HB Bodyboards 2010 ONEMOMENT ~ ONETEAM

Agent 18 8

After 22 years, HB bodyboards has based its world-class bodyboards on the following key elements: • Use the latest materials and techniques in board construction • Apply experience and knowledge gained through years of extensive global testing • Utilize team influences in design and style In 2010, our team represents all aspects and facets of our sport. They have put our boards, leashes and fins through their paces in a range of locations across the globe. Forget what you thought you knew*.Welcome to the 2010 team.

Brad "Hugey" Hughes The Professional. The waves Hugey has ridden have redefined what is possible on a bodyboard. The boy from WA is a threat on both the Oz and World Tour due to his ability to tear apart anything from 1 foot to 20. Hugey is planning a massive assault in 2010 having already scored in South Oz, WA and East Coast he has now turned his attention to Hawaii and the first event on the 2010 IBA Calendar.

James "Flames" Kates The Freestyler. The kid has blown up over the last 12 months with a continuous stream of shots and mind smacking video coverage. His style both in and out of the water is unique and infectious** something that holds him in good stead with his peers.

Nick *Baby Face* Rubesaame The Grom. Been a loyal rider for HB and is now finding his feet in the BB world. Breaking free from his birthplace, the Sunshine Coast, the kid is looking for a big 2010*. The boardbag will be his new home with trips to Hawaii, Indo, NSW South Coast as well as team trips for the upcoming video release.

Chris "Bill" Winchester The Shadow. When your brother is world #2, some pretty heavy expectations are thrust upon you. The northern beaches shredder has traveled the world, surfed the spots and got the shots. He surfs with consistency and style above his years** and never lets anything get in the way of a Sunday session.

Chris *Ceedub* Wilson The individual. Never one to care for the mainstream or the comments made by its followers, Wilso finds comfort in big waves, huge airs and very tight jeans. His personality is nothing but likeable and with a new ski in the garage, 2010 will be nothing short of astonishing. Look for him somewhere above you.

Matt "Hulk" Young The underrated. After lying dormant on the South Coast for the past several years, the Hulk is about to explode on the bodyboarding world. He has conquered the South Coast and now has his eyes, and exceptional talent, set on world domination. He will be working the angles with the other boys in the upcoming HB Team flick.

This eclectic crew has done the hard yards and helped architect the 2011 range for HB Bodyboards due out in June. Check out more from the crew at the new hbbodyboards.com.au*.. due out MARCH 2010 PHOTO | philgallagher.com

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Which brands will you be bringing into SA? And which is your main focal point at the moment?

Current brands on the cards are Agent Eighteen Wetsuits, Toys Bodyboards, Lee Stacey Surfboards and Luminair Clothing Company. All these brands are listed on our website, accompanied by some of our partners. At present we are running a wetsuit exchange program through Agent Eighteen Wetsuits where you hand in any old suit and you receive a 40 to 50% discount.

What is your brand strategy for WE trading?

We are not distributors. We are not a marketing company. We are not a promotions house. We are a partner who actively expands a brand’s reach worldwide. We achieve long term brand growth through a strategy of diversified retail reach of a brand worldwide.

What are your long term goals for the sport of bodyboarding in SA? We actively get involved with brand’s marketing campaigns, advertisements, events and team sponsorships. From target specific publications and trade events to each and every corner of your industry, we develop region specific programs to fit your brand. After all, this is a lifestyle we are actively promoting (and living ourselves!)

We put a great amount of effort into sponsorships that fit your brand and regions. But we don’t just sponsor riders, we appoint them as active representatives for the brand. This results in a stronger bond between the rider and the brand, creating a team of brand ambassadors rather than just “riders”.

Invitational event sponsorships also comprise a great deal of our marketing strategy and goals. Organizing brand sponsored invitational events with ultimate crowd attendance is our aim. Well-known competitors, excellent marketing campaigns and lots of giveaways draw great numbers to the events.

Growing the brand through increased exposure is critical.

For dealer enquiries contact eben@we-trading.com

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Miscellaneous

FEVER DREAM the musical

IBA news 8

This kaleidoscope of imagination will leave you frothing at the bit for more,, that I can promise you. The film is incredibly forward thinking and breaks new ground for sure. It comes as the second film produced by Ryan Mattick who is also the man behind Zion Wetsuits. With it he has merged together some unbelievable angles and some really amazing sessions.

Predominant focus is on the Zion team but there are cameo performances from other cast members too, of course everybody rips. It really is like being in a dreamlike state when the Shippies section comes on. This is really taking things to the next level in terms of what is possible to ride and I can make you another promise, you’ve not seen anything like this. The film follows a mellow indie type soundtrack and carries the essence of a Sipping Jetstreams style of production reflecting the culture Mattick encountered along the way while filming. The film’s title is really appropriate and the editing is slick. Definitely one for the library. Get yours at (Damo) × www.factory7.co.za

With what has easily been one of the most exciting IBA events ever to watch live having just past – The Arica Chilean Challenge – we can hardly wait to see how the rest of this year’s World Tour is going to play out. We have Amaury Lavehrne making his second Grand Slam final of the year lining himself up well for a solid charge at the title and then we have chargers like Winny coming from nowhere to win his inaugural IBA event in absolute style. “This is my first victory on tour and this is very special. I was competing like it was a free surf.” said a stoked Winchester on his first place at El Gringo.

The tour is proving to be a wide open pit of competition this year and even the old crew need to up their game. The Saffa’s have claimed some big scalps en-route to their charge at the title race with Jerry most notably knocking out Damian King and Dan Worsley claiming a career highlight victory over Mike Stewart at the IBA Soldiers Pro event. The boys are working as a solid unit and the support of fellow Saffa bru’s at the comps seems to be paying dividends.

We are FROTHING to see how it all goes down! Be sure to follow sxity40.co.za for all you latest IBA news. ×

THIS IS AFRICA The dVd Three weeks of chasing waves along south africa’s coastline

COMING WINTER 2010

with Chris James, Glen ThursTon, saCha speCker & adam luehman Trailer: http://bit.ly/tiadvd presented by riptide, nomad, limited edition & Custom X Filmed & edited by dan niCholls (Claws & TeeTh) www.sixty40.co.za 11

Miscellaneous

DIE ANTWOORD OOR BOOGIE // \\ D: Yo NINJA NINJA: Yo Damon Wat pomp my blaar?

Q&A --------------------by damon crawford

D: If Ninja went into the water, would he bodyboard?

N: When I was at school I used to go boogie board wif my friend Adrian who's mom bought him a fokken spif orange MACH 7 wif black underneath.

Plus Adrian also forced his mom to buy him those shmoove little Wap flippers and a fokken fancy O'Neil wetsuit. But my mom only got me a kak boogie board from Makro that I had to put wax on to not slip off. Adrian's MACH 7 didn't need wax and went much fokken faster than mine. Plus I had to get those flippin’ massive kak-cheap flippers cos my mom said they were much cheaper and they would work the same. Plus I wasn't allowed to get a wet suit cos it was miles too expensive, so I just had to wear my underpants when I went boogie boarding. So Adrian always got all the hot chicks. Maybe it was cos Adrian's spif MACH 7 helped him bust the real fonky moves. Maybe it was cos my board was so kak it couldn't even duck under a wave properly when I paddled out cos it floated too much.

12 SIXTY40 BODYBOARDING MAGAZINE ISSUE 11

Maybe it was cos Adrian looked so cool when came out the water wif that spif MACH 7 under his arm rocking that hitech wetsuit and those sexy little wap flippers.Maybe it was because I had a Chinese totti when I came out the water shivering in my underpants wearing those big stupid flippers.

D: And surfers?

N: Am I scared of surfers? What do you think my bru?

D: What does Ninja feel he has in common with bodyboarding?

N: Maybe you can borrow me your boogie board and some spif flippers this time. Then I can klap a heavy bong and we can go find some f@ckin’ big waves that I can bust some fonky moves on while you film me wif an underwater hi-tech camera. I will even wear my new Oakley’s from the Waterfront. That could look spif in your magazine. Then we can all feel heavy connected.

D: If Ninja found a sick new spot what would he call it?

N: Kots spot.

D: Would big waves be afraid of Ninja or would Ninja be afraid of big waves?

N: Ek skrik vir fokken niks my blaar.

NINJA. Uit.

D: Is Ninja angry I asked that question?

N: No, but this question here is quite stupid, but it's fine - I don't care.

D: And sharks, Ninja?

N: I will put my finger in his eye.

D: Does Ninja think some of our spot names are cool like “Tand”, “Kokkerot”, “Pipe” and “Skaapies”?

N: Ja hulle klink noggal zef my blaar.

D: What sort of new moves would Ninja introduce to the sport?

N: 360 arial round-house kick to the face if someone tries to steal my fokken wave.

D: Sick Ninja.

N: Once Pappi.

Check out Ninja up close and personal taking over the interweb at www.dieantwoord.com

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iboogie

MURRAY “MUZZA”

VAN VUUREN iBoogie with PE’s latest grom sensation

iboogie --------------------by Jot de Lauwere

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Muzza hails from a strong sporting family, his dad being the notorious “Fires van Vuuren”, one of EP’s great fast bowlers while his older brother is a first team rugby player for Grey High School and EP. I don’t know any further up the family tree but I’m sure they also excelled at their respective sports. When you meet his family, you feel their love for sport and you can see that natural talent flows through their blood. It’s been passed down from generation to generation, genetically encoded into their genes.

Whatever bat, ball, shoe, cap or glove they put on, they’ll kick ass at it. Luckily for us, Muzza picked up the boogie and has never looked back.

I recently had the responsibility of taking Muzza to Indonesia on a month long surfing adventure.

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“You’re only 14!? No way man! I thought you were 19?”

“If he’s only 14 now, I’d hate to see him surf when he’s 20! The kid rips.” These are just two comments I heard while on our recent trip to Indo: Muzza makes himself heard, both in and out of the water.

He’s the most hyperactive, energetic, adventurous, confident and fearless grom I have ever met. Wherever he goes, he’s heard, liked and gains respect.

And boy, what an adventure it was! There was a day at Padang Padang where the tide started getting a bit too low for the spot. I had caught a wave, rode the barrel to the end bowl only to find the wave exploding onto the dry reef and dragging me over it all the way into ankle deep water. After that, I ran with my tail between my legs and sat in the channel. Our two Californian friends who we had met there had a similar experience and also joined me in the channel.

Muzza was left to surf the break by himself, which he did with ease, careless of how dry it had become. We sat in the channel and watched how this fearless kid pulled into dry barrel after dry barrel. It was ludicrous! Muzza just came up laughing after each wave that beat him down while saying how fun and crazy it was.

The next incident occurred at Bingin where the locals are quite heavy. They get all the set waves

and if they like the wave you’re on, well then they’ll just go, it’s that simple! Muzza, being the friendly, well liked kid he is, became such good friends with the locals that they’d call him to the inside and give him the set waves. Wave after wave, barrel after barrel, Muzza would paddle back to his new “friends” and they’d hoot him onto another smoker. A surfer dropped in on Muzza during one session after which the locals just whistled to him and told him to get out, which he did straight away.

He told us one evening while we were catching a bemo (taxi) into Kuta City, that one day he wants to be world champ like his hero Dre (Andre Botha). One or two laughed at his “far fetched” dreams while I sat in the back, quietly assured, with a smirk on my face and knowing full well that he has the will power, drive, energy and

FREE DELIVERY ANYWHERE IN RSA WITH EMAIL ORDERS iboogie TO SURFHQ@TELKOMSA.NET

natural talent to make it happen.

I caught up one evening with the hyperactive grom after a recent swell that we had taken advantage of to find out how he enjoyed Indo and to ask him a few questions.

Jot) O.K Muzz, at the age of 14 (he’s now 15), you’ve just returned from a month in Indo that most kids your age are only dreaming of. How was the trip?

Muzza) Jeez my bru! Pretty sick! I got to meet a lot of cool people. It was insane!

Jot) You were the youngest member of the crew and maybe one of the youngest bodyboarders there. How was it travelling with the older crew?

Muzza) Interesting, very interesting. (he chuckles). I’ve certainly grown, become a lot wiser and learnt a lot about life.

Jot) What was the funniest moment for you?

Muzza) Oh my goodness! (he chuckles) Seeing bengchongs for the first time.

Jot) How do you rate the waves compared to back home?

Muzza) A lot more powerful. Far more unpredictable, way sicker, heavier barrels and perfect and consistent too.

Jot) And the ladies? haha Muzza) Ooooiw! Friendly at times. (says it with a big grin) Jot) I witnessed you pulling into some really shallow barrels over there. What were you thinking?

Muzza) Um, balls to the walls hey. To leave the people thinking that groms in SA rip and are a force to be reckoned with.

Jot) What was your favourite wave there?

Muzza) Oooooiw. Um, Padang was definitely one of them. Bingin comes out tops and Ulu's was good at the end.

Jot) We had a hectic boat trip! What was your view on the whole situation?

Muzza) Oh my goodness! I didn’t really know what was going on. When I realized what was happening I freaked but I knew uncle Jot was sorting it out so I had nothing to worry about.

Jot) At Bingin you seemed to get all the set waves and barrel after barrel. What was the secret?

Muzza) Ah… um, be friendly to the locals and show them you aren’t going to waste waves. When they realize you can surf and that you know what you’re doing, they give you respect and waves.

Jot) I know you eat a lot but after racking up the food bills like you did at Mama Ketut, I have to ask you, was the food that good or is that the secret to all your energy? (for those of you that don’t know, the kid can eat enough for four people on a daily basis) Muzza) (he laughs) Most definitely the secret.

Add six cokes to that my bru!

Jot) Back next year or what?

Muzza) Definitely! I’d love to experience it again.

Also, the waves in Indo improve your riding dramatically and I’d love to keep improving.

Jot) Ok Muzz, I’m gonna ask you a few short questions or say a word. You must answer with the first thing that comes to mind.

------------ ----------------------------------------------------Beachies or reefs?

Reefs Illusion shakers?

Death!! (we both laugh) Bengchongs?

Miff!

School or surf?

Surf Best boards?

Nomad That Aussie doll?

Very interesting World champ one day? No doubt!

------------ -----------------------------------------------------

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Jot) You’re 15 now, still a spring chicken with one Indo trip already under your belt. Future plans and travels?

Muzza) Definitely Indo next year and maybe chat to my ballies about Hawaii at the end of the year.

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Jot) Okay, enough about Indo! I’m getting withdrawal symptoms. Onto SA and your home town of PE. PE’s had some good bodyboarders come out of the small city. We don’t get that much exposure, who rips there?

Muzza) Actually a lot of people. Uncle Jot, DVT, James Jones, Warren on his best day. Quite a few East London guys too.

Jot) I know Fence is your baby but tell us about this new spot I won’t name, you’ve been surfing and going on about lately?

Muzza) Oh, that one!? Pretty nice. (he smiles) It’s a little flat bottom slab which is pretty consistent.

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Jot) A lot of the time when I pick you up for surfs, you’re jamming guitar. Future rock star too?

Muzza) I like to pull a few strings now and then.

Jot) I’ve got to ask you this as we all heard everyday on the trip how much you love your local spot, Fence. (Fence is a left wedge/peak that comes off PE’s harbour wall). You told Spike so many stories about Fence that he is coming to surf it and you compared it to so many barrels in Indo. Tell everyone why you like it so much.

Muzza) Well, bodyboarders like wedges and Fence happens to fall into that category. If you have heard the myth about PE having no waves, then you’ve never heard of it. We really do have a gem and it works more than usual.

Jot) Ok Muzza, I've got to get going. Any last words?

Muzza) Thanks to Derek for all my boards and stuff. Thanks to mom and dad for sponsoring my trip. And thanks to uncle Jot for inviting me.

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Jot) How did you get into bodyboarding?

Muzza) When my older brother was lighter (His boet is a big, solid chap) and younger, he took me down to the beach with his mate Shaun Heydenrich. I used to go fishing and watch him bodyboard, so one day I grabbed his board and got some shories and I've never looked back since.

Jot) If you didn’t bodyboard, what would you be doing?

Muzza) Probably be a rugby player. (Muzza’s a big lad, if you haven’t seen him)

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65 BRICKHILL ROAD • DURBAN www.sixty40.co.za 15 SURFHQ@TELKOMSA.NET • 031 368 7568

Genetic Lottery

Hazel Joubert D: You recently became Mrs Joubert. How does that influence your attitudes toward the kind of work you choose to do going forward?

H: Henk has supported my modeling since the very beginning. He's my biggest fan and trusts the decisions that I make. I don't think the work that I do is going to change much. It’s just another job at the end of the day.

D: You are also genetically blessed mentally and hold an interior design degree, making you quite the all rounder. Are you planning anything exciting on that front, as I hear you planned your own wedding?

H: For the moment modeling keeps me busy but I know it’s not a 'long term career' - that’s why I'm so glad I've got my Interior Design under my belt. I'm definitely keeping my options open!

D: I’ve noticed you on TV at the cricket, actually 6 odd times the one day. Have you ever thought of an acting career?

H: (Laughs) A bikini and a South African flag is all it takes!

Well, with modeling, you often cast for TV commercials so there is definitely some acting involved! Who knows what the future holds!

D: You also seem to like sport in general?!

H: I do! South Africans are brought up where sport is part of our lives. I've always tried to stay fit and go to gym at least 5 days a week. I also love watching the rugby and cricket at Newlands!

D: Now, you grew up in George - Vic Bay and Herold’s Bay to us. Why are there so few bodyboarders in the Southern Cape? Do people think surfing is better there or something?

H: It might be the fact that my dad and his surfing mates keep the body boarding population under control!

(Laughs)

Genetic lottery ----------------------------------by Damon Crawford

D: Now I know your dad used to charge the West Coast hard back in his time. Have you ever wanted to experience that feeling of riding a beautiful wave?

H: My dad has definitely tried to get at least one of his daughters to surf, but no success yet!

D: There are also more sharks in the water these days since the ban on hunting white sharks in 1993. What is your take on solving the issue of the increase in shark attacks over recent years?

H: You would think putting up nets at popular beaches would be a solution, but because of the rough seas and kelp we have in the Cape it wouldn't work, so for now I guess just respect the ocean. Sharks are wild animals and we are intruding on their territory!

D: Do you think shark cage diving has influenced their behaviour at all?

H: I'm sure it has altered their behaviour somewhat. They now associate humans with food which can only be a bad thing!

D: Hazel. Awesome. Thanks so much for your time. ×

16 SIXTY40 BODYBOARDING MAGAZINE ISSUE 11

compete

Compete --------------------by Billy Tennant

IFC World Championships

Singapore

The IFC World Championships were set for 16-18 October 2009 in Sentosa, Singapore. The SA Flowboarding Team consisted of Matt Lammers, Wesley Fischer, Marta Jekot and Billy Tennant. The contest was staged over 3 days.

We boarded the plane on the morning of October 15th. Wes Fischer was already in Singapore, he had left a week prior to the competition in order to get a feel for the wave and get used to it, packing in about 4-5 hours of practice per day. After a few Tiger beers on the plane I was well on my way and feeling ready for the competition ahead. We arrived bright and early on Friday morning in the Singapore heat settling at about 33 degrees celcius, humid as ever and set off for Sentosa Island.

We arrived at our hotel, Siliso Beach Resort, and were greeted by the hotel staff and escorted off to breakfast.

It was the morning of the contest briefing, so we headed off to the briefing and this is where I met the rest of the world riders from the USA, Chile and Singapore. I also met up with my fellow team mate Wes. Wes was ready for the action to begin and we started off with the flowrider event where he showed what he was made of and got a 2nd in the standup category. I wasn’t as lucky and fell short in the semi-final which even went to video-review as it was that close. After day 1, I was sitting in 3rd place and Wes in 2nd.

Day 2 Started out on the Flow Barrel and this is where I knew I had to pick up my game. We

started off with the Strapless semi-finals where Wes continued his good form from the previous night throwing some mean carves down, huge super man 360’s and tight shoves. He nailed his heat and cemented himself into the Final for later that evening ahead of Eric Silverman (U.S), knocking out Greg Lazarus (U.S) and Sean Silveira (U.S).

I started out in my Drop Knee heat against Tyler Danek (U.S), Nick Nguyen (U.S) and Claudio Calderon (CHI). We were settled in pretty tight in the heat trading off spins, carves and a few airs but in the end it was Nick Nguyen (U.S) who took the lead with myself in second knocking out top contender Tyler Danek (U.S) and Claudio Calderon (CHI).

The Finals were set: first final was the DK Final which saw myself go against Nick Nguyen (U.S). The heat was intense and with valuable points up for grabs I needed the win, after taking the lead early, Nick came back with a few huge air 360’s and air shove-it exchanges which saw him take the lead. I tried my hardest throwing some huge snaps right under the lip, tail slides and even a huge air 360 but it wasn’t enough and Nick took the win ahead of me.

The Strapless Final was next in line and Wesley was up against US top seed Eric Silverman.

Wes and Eric were trading off

trick for trick: superman’s, air 360’s, board varials and massive carves. It came down in the end to skill, style and overall impression and Wes was definitely the winner putting Eric in second.

After Day 2, Wesley Fischer was sitting in 1st place in the standup division and myself in 2nd.

The Morning of the Final…

Day 3 kicked off with a 38°C weather climate and the humidity factor was insane!! The Pro Bodyboard final was up first and it was myself vs Tyler Danek (USA). The heat started with Tyler Danek busting out some clean el rollo’s, spins and inverts. I then hit the water and started off with some huge rolls, inverts, spins and was just linking my tricks all over that wave.

It was a super close heat but it came down to how big each rider went and who fell the most.

Tyler fell on two air revo’s and I fell on two big ARS’s. In the end the best rider and New World Champion won - myself!

Billy Tennant – Pro Bodyboard World Champion ( FlowBarrel ) Wesley Fischer – Pro Strapless World Champion ( FlowBarrel ) & IFC World Champion.

That evening we celebrated with a few Tiger beers at the Wave House, Sentosa, the bands kicked off later that evening followed by a few drinks with all the competitors. We had an amazing time, met some great people and friends for life! × www.sixty40.co.za 17

the dodgy boat trip

Author: Jot De Lauwere

Our intrepid Indo explorers embark on a two week boat trip hoping to score the waves of their lives, instead they find their boat is carrying a bit more than just excess passengers.

the dodgy boat trip We were picked up from Bingin and wished a hap­ py trip by Dodgy, I mean Doggy, and whisked off to the Sanur side of Bali where our boat was and where we’d set sail from.

Jeez, we were excited now! The swell was com­ ing and we were going to be on a boat trip surf­ ing the waves many of us had only dreamt of. And of course our young­ est member, Murray van Vuuren, was hitting us with question after ques­ tion. “Jot, where we gonna surf first?” “How’s Scar reef?” “What we gonna eat on the boat?” “Just chill, wait and see, you won’t be disappointed.” Rossi re­ plied.

I won’t lie to you, all the questions brought back fond memories of the freight train barrels at Desert Point and the perfect sections you can annihilate at Scar reef that I encountered on a trip there ten years ago.

We boarded the boat and met Captain Coke or not, I mean Coconut, and his crew that would be sailing us off to island after island the next couple of weeks. We then did our rounds introducing ourselves to the other surfers onboard. There were four Aussies, five Canary Islanders, a Brit and eight Saffas. Rossi, being the observant guy he is, came over to me and said that there were 17 people and only 14 beds? What !? They’ve overbooked us, the b@!$@?ds! Well we were on the boat so it was too late. We were the last on board so

18 SIXTY40 BODYBOARDING MAGAZINE ISSUE 11

everyone else got beds and as they say in SA, “A boer maak ‘n plan.” Spike had claimed a bed earlier but being the nice guy he is, he gave it to Aggie (Rossi’s fiancé). A few of us got beds while Rossi and Spike ended up having to sleep in the TV room and Ryan’s mate Dylan had to sleep on the open deck.

Although it didn’t phase us too much as we were so psyched on the swell that was coming.

Cruising the deck I met a guy from the Canary Islands who we randomly named Phil.

This guy could easily have passed as a drug lord and I even mentioned it to Rossi, saying he seemed a bit dodgy. He didn’t look like a surfer, more like a party animal you’d find in a dark corner in a Brixton night club.

We left it there though, I mean we were on a boat trip on route to get crazy waves. What could he do or happen?

Forgetting about Phil, we arrived at our first surf spot on an island right next to Nusa Labongan, it was called Singigi. I could see the waves peeling down beside a palm tree riddled cliff, exploding on the reef. It looked shifty but fun. Muzza was already geared up and ready to go, I was following suit. We jumped into the dingy and one of the crew members raced us to the break. As we paddled in to the break, I noticed that the waves weren’t as small as they looked.

We were greeted with 6ft lefts peeling down the reef. Our hopes were high as this wave wasn’t even surfed that often and apparently the best was yet to come. After a few hours at Singigi we moved onto Nusa Lembongan, home to waves like Shipwrecks, Lacerations and Playgrounds. As we got in the bay at Nusa we saw that the swell was picking up and wrapping perfectly down

Shipwreck’s reef. Even though we were tired from our last surf, we geared up again, jumped into the dingy and headed for Shipwrecks. We were greeted by 3-4ft rights barreling perfectly down the razor sharp reef. It then jumped to a solid 6-7ft leaving a couple people opting to shoulder hop. Muzza was taking off really deep and got a solid barrel in front of one of his hero's, Manny Vargas, who was in Indo doing his annual trip with the Californians. Manny was tearing it on the knee and making barrels some wouldn’t even have made on prone. We surfed for about 2 hours and all got some solid bombs before we called it a day. Two solid 6 ft surfs in one day, that Indo dream was starting to turn into a reality.

Later the Captain informed us we’d be heading to Lombok Island and to Desert Point, the heavier of the spots. Warmed up, we were ready to tackle the heavy freight train barrels of Deserts. It was early to bed and the Captain put the boat full steam ahead to Lombok. It was an uneasy sleep as the boat rocked all night on the large swell which boded well for our potential surf in the morning. To our dismay we arrived at Desert Point early the next morning to a 2ft swell and three other boats packed with surfers. We surfed even though it was small and got a few fun ones.

Later that day, we were told by Captain Coke or not; I mean Coconut, that we were going to set sail for the Gilli Islands and then from there to Sumbawa as Scar Reef would be bigger. That was fine with us, the bigger the better!

On route to Gilli Islands our new mate Phil’s girlfriend was looking rather anxious and

Muzza, Spike, Dot, Rossi, Captain Coke

Useful Indonesian Words Tidak - No Tidak mau, me bangkrot – No thanks, im broke.

Hati Hati – be careful Tarihma makahsi – thank you Camuu chantik – You’re beautiful Bagus – good Jiggy-jig – doing the no pants dance Ahpa Khabar – How are you?

Selemat Pagi – Good morning Selemat Malam – good evening Bengcong - ladyboy

Just another Indo setup... image by JOT

www.sixty40.co.za 19

the dodgy boat trip

Author: Jot De Lauwere

UFO at Bingin... image by JOT

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excited. She eventually ended up telling all of us a different reason for visiting the island but I thought nothing of it. About 30 minutes later, I went below deck to fetch something and saw Phil and the Captain at the bunk beds exchanging a lot of money and trying to hide it by holding up a pillow. I told Rossi but we left it at that, maybe they were buying extra Bintangs although it was more money than you would ever need for beer. When we got to Gilli Islands, Phil, his doll and his other mates got into the dingy and set for shore. We said cheers to her as we weren’t going to see her again. Later on we went ashore with the Aussies to buy supplies and have a look around. We got a bit buzz on and headed back to the boat to carry on drinking aboard. The Aussies were well liquored by now and wanted to head out to the other island, aptly named, Condom Island. The Captain was very reluctant to take them and he still gave his speech of “surfing first, drinking second and partying third”. What a motto I thought.

After about an hour of talks, the Aussies persuaded him to take them. They agreed on a time and jumped into the dingy and set out for Condom Island. We stayed on board and just chilled.

Later on we saw Phil and co waving the crew down to come pick them up. As the dingy neared the boat, we saw that Phil’s doll was with them. “What, I thought she was staying on the island?” I said suspiciously now. Rossi told me to chill as there was probably a perfectly good explanation. I was still quite suspicious though.

When Phil, his doll and crew got back aboard and discovered that the Aussies had gone to party and would only be back later, the s#%t hit the fan! They broke into an argument with Phil saying “We had a deal, now we don’t have a deal anymore”. What deal? Right after that his doll came and told us that the Captain had a large quantity of drugs on board and that we must be careful. Then it all made sense, the cash deal, the lies and going ashore, the buoy, the argument and now what she told us. My suspicions were now making sense and I started freaking out a bit. Drugs in Indo mean straight to jail, no bail, no phone calls and eventually you will be sentenced to death. I told all the Saffas what I’d seen 20 SIXTY40 BODYBOARDING MAGAZINE ISSUE 11

earlier and what I wanted to do. Rossi and I were the only ones that knew what had happened up until the point where she told everyone about the drugs. So we had a team talk, some guys wanted to stay instead of forfeiting a week on a boat.

Our plan was to act ignorant and tell the Captain we heard that things weren’t going well on board and we didn’t feel safe. We wanted to go ashore, stay somewhere and we’d get back on board the next day once they had sorted things out.

Knowing we would never return to the boat. Rossi and I went to chat to Captain Coke or not, we knew we had to try talk him into taking us ashore. We told him our story but he wouldn’t buy it, he told us we had to stay aboard. He told us that there was a problem (hell yes! there was freaking drugs on board!) and he was trying to sort it out. After about two hours of negotiating, the Captain said that we could go ashore but we had to leave our belongings aboard.

“Please don’t tell anyone or make trouble in Bali” he said. “No we won’t” I replied. Screw that, we were going to, we thought to ourselves. We were going to tell everyone we could find! We set sail for shore, some of us leaving valuables behind but at the end of the day our lives and safety is what mattered most. After a night of uneasy rest ashore in a hotel we met the captain the next morning and told him we weren’t getting back on board. He took it rather well even though we left some of our possessions behind. Then we had to mission to get back to Bali… It was a nightmare, the bus ride to Lombok harbour was insane! We were all crammed like sardines into a half working bus with no aircon. We missioned through a crazy mountain pass, dodging oncoming traffic and pedestrians to get to the harbour.. After six hours, we arrived at Sanur harbour in Bali, from there we got into a bemo which would take us to Kuta. Boy, was this bemo driver a nutcase! I’ll never know how we survived that taxi ride. It was raining, he couldn’t see more than ten meters in front of him but he was driving like Michael Schumacher would on a gram of speed. I think at one stage, Rossi had to tell him to slow down and be careful. None the less we got back to Kuta in one piece.

We found a hotel where we crashed for the night. The next day we went back to Mama Ketut’s to stay in Bingin and go see our friend, Dodgy… ×

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Soul Surfing in the Mentawais Author: Colin “Otta” Hall

Soul Surfing in the Mentawais The day I got my redundancy notice I knew it was on! I was sitting in the office of the head of the HR department, 25 floors above the bustling streets of Sydney, getting the same news that would bring the majority of my colleagues to tears. And all I could think was, “Awesome, I’m going to the Mentawais!” A 4 month salary payout and time to kill are the only prerequisites for a surf trip of this scale, for the Mentawais are notoriously expensive and these are tough economic times. Two months of trying to organise a trip with friends from London, and back home in S.A, ended up being to no avail as people clung to their jobs and hard earned savings in fear of tougher times ahead, but with promises of joining a trip in 2010.

22 SIXTY40 BODYBOARDING MAGAZINE ISSUE 11

www.sixty40.co.za 23

Soul Surfing in the Mentawais Author: Colin “Otta” Hall

My mind started racing through the permutations of going solo and getting on a boat with complete strangers. I took the chance and booked onto “The Bintang” - a good omen in being named after the local beer I had enjoyed soooo much before in my trips to Bali and Sumbawa. And the price was right Bob! All the tours are pretty much discounted by 30% at the moment in order to get more bookings, and there were rumours of it being the most uncrowded season in over a decade as many charters were cancelled due to a lack of bookings. Flights were a breeze to organise and they were by far the cheapest flights from Sydney to Padang anyone I’ve spoken to has ever heard of. The GFC (Global Financial Crises) has its pros!

I was grinning from ear to ear as I boarded the Bintang. I had just seen the rest of the surfers who had booked onto the boat for the first time. 3 surfers from Florida in their late 20’s and that was it! The worst case sce-

nario was 14 Brazilian Pro surfers who didn’t speak a word of English (coincidentally, that exact group had just disembarked) so I was thrilled. I was shown to a 5 sleeper dorm room with it’s own en suite and was told it was all for me. I couldn’t believe my luck. 6 crew and 4 passengers – luxury at it’s best and no instant crowds when we anchored up to surf.

It’s a 12 hour journey out to the Mentawais from the bustling harbour town of Padang.

We motored all night and woke up to see dolphins and flying fish breaking the mirrored surface as far as the eye could see. Being only 1 degree off the equator means there are no real trade winds like Bali and, more often than not, there’s not a breath of wind at all. We rounded the first islands to see promising set ups in every nook and cranny. The captain told us that unfortunately there was no real swell and we’d be lucky to surf something decent. An hour later and we were surf-

24 SIXTY40 BODYBOARDING MAGAZINE ISSUE 11

ing overhead Burgerworld. I thought he had it completely wrong, but he’s the type of character to call maxing North Beach 3 foot. The Floridians were calling it 8 to 10. Not a boat in sight and we surfed to our heart’s content. We stayed in the Playgrounds area for 3 days and didn’t see another boat! I couldn’t believe it – friends who had been a few years earlier had said there were 6 boats at every spot with 50 wave hungry surfers all jostling for the good ones. Unfortunately, the big name spots like Rifles, Kandui and Ebay weren’t working but we still had some quality, powerful and uncrowded waves against flawless, tropical island backdrops. Paradise!

We decided to head south with the promise of the first really big swell of the season only 4 days away. We took our time exploring the 350km’s of islands and coastline, favouring the more popular breaks along the way as the once crowded line ups of previous years had nothing but tumbleweed blowing through them.

There are probably 100 surfable spots in the Mentawais with only 25 of them being “named” breaks. Some will only break a couple of times a season as big swells push right through the island chains and refract around corners to unleash themselves onto hidden but perfect points. Most spots are fairly tucked away and you wonder how they were first discovered as sailing past their outer reefs gives no indication of the juicy secrets they are harbouring.

We had given up on surfing Rag’s right (which is one of the heaviest barrels in the Mentawais and breaks off the most picturesque island) at the start of the big swell to head to Greenbush and Macaronis. Greenbush was doing it’s thing, but on closer inspection the tide was too low and there was just no way out of the Teahupoo like barrels. With the swell continuing to lift, we headed towards Macaroni’s which the Captain assured us would be off the hook. My heart was beating out of my chest as we came into the bay.

We were on a 110 foot yacht and couldn’t see the horizon because of the size of the swell and, once again, there wasn’t a breath of wind.

We arrived to the most “crowded” line-up we’d seen – 4 boats with about 20 surfers in the water. The average day at Uluwatu for instance will have close to 100. It was bodyboarding heaven at that size as the main takeoff was too steep for the natural footers and there were only 3 goofy footers taking it on from the outside. With the swell continuing to pick up and noticeably so with each new set, getting your fair share of waves was no longer a concern. In fact, there were a few calls of “No, you go” as things started to get a little gnarly. It all culminated with the biggest and heaviest wave I’ve seen in my life exploding a few feet behind me as a wide eyed punter backed off at the last second, avoiding a Hiroshimic explosion on the reef beneath him.

2 feet of back and sidewash emanated amidst a cloud of spit from the barrel and the line-up was reduced from 20 to 10 in an instant. That wave marked the peak in the swell and it started to settle from there, but over the next 24 hours the waves continued to run flawlessly down the point. I’d always thought of Macaronis as a high performance stand up wave but in 1 session, I got 19 perfect barrels out of 20 waves ridden and I don’t think I saw anyone out there do a × single manoeuvre!

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Mother's Pride Mark McCarthy

by Pierre de Villiers

The Mothers Pride Award was set up in memory of one of South Africa’s finest young bodyboarders who passed away under tragic circumstances almost 2 years ago.

Chris “Chrizzle” Elliott was a rider reaching his peak, pushing his limits and is sorely missed by all who knew him.

Basically the award is given to the person who, Chris’ Mother, Jacquie Jorgensen, judges to have busted the most Chrizzle like invert, or “Sly Guy” as Chris dubbed them, from photos submitted into the competition.

On offer to the winner is the coveted Mothers Pride floating trophy, a R500 voucher from SA’s leading online surf store www.factory7.co.za and a double page spread in sixty40.

Last years winner last years winner, Mark Mccarthy, is no newcomer to the media spotlight,and took thethe award with a photo taken by Pierre de Villiers at a spot somewhere on the West Coast.

Congrats Mark, sick shot Pierre!

“Chrizzle’s attitude towards riding was an all out assault - the all or nothing approach. He took the same approach in life by setting himself goals and working tirelessly towards achieving them. Setting goals was something Chris and I spoke of frequently and the year that he passed away he had set himself the goal of winning the SABA Tour in his division – Juniors. He took that on and won! The most important thing here is, no matter how hard the challenge ahead may look, setting the goal in the first place made Chris realise that he could go for it. I can only say that the way in which one lives their life should not be determined by the normal standards others perceive, but rather by ones own passions and desires. You decide in which direction your life goes.”

Chrizzle’s friend and mentor, Derek Footit.

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Chad Jackson (AUS) at the Right in Walpole, Western Australia by Tungsten

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Jared Houston (ZA) at Pipe, Hawaii, by Spex

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UFO (?) at Scottburgh, South Coast, South Africa

by Ewing

S S S

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Spex (ZA) at an unnamed Spot, Australia by Watts/ Spex

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Mike Stewart (USA) at Pipe, Hawaii by Lee Kelly

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Warren Botha (ZA) at Deadmans, East London, South Africa by Wulff

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Rayner Venter (ZA) at Scottburgh, South Coast, South Africa by Ewing

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James Mason (ZA) at Kalk Bay, Cape Town, South Africa by Peter Lambert

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Brandon Foster (ZA) at Keiki, Hawaii by Spex

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Eugene (ZA) at The Wedge, Plettenberg Bay, South Africa by Engela

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tombstones Author: James Moolenschot A spur of the moment day trip that reaped rewards.

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The gentle yet annoying alarm of my phone drags me out of a deep sleep at 4:30am… I grunt in dissatisfaction and hit the snooze button giving me an additional 10 minutes to remind myself why I am getting up at this hour. Visions of perfect blue barrels try to lure me back into a peaceful slumber when suddenly the idyllic image mutates into a murky, angry monster wildly gurgling and spitting huge frothing foamballs at me while I am trapped with it in a morbid arena of tall dark rocks that rise out of the frothing water as in some epic scene from an Indiana Jones movie.

The vision abruptly brushes the soft mists of my dream state away and I shudder when I realise that this is no simple nightmare that is so easily forgotten over a tasty bowl of Coco Pops, but rather the reality that lies ahead of me. I shudder again as I think of the reputation that lurks over the intended destination, a spot so ominously named Tombstones…

As I swing my legs to the floor and force the last of my desire for more sleep out of my head, I recall the events leading up to this point. The forecasting websites were predicting a good swell to hit Cape Town despite it being the middle of a very flat summer, even more rare was that the winds were not predicted to hit the usual gale force proportions. I had spent days planning to check a few local options when Mark Clark got in touch: “I want to hit Tombstones…”

My stomach lurched slightly as I quickly formed my defense against the idea of risking an excellent day of swell by driving hours along the coast to check on a spot that was as fickle as they come. I tried a number of angles to convince him to stay local but he had a counter attack for every one, finally hitting me with logic that few true bodyboarders can reject: “I’d rather ride some sick bombie reef, pull into big mad barrels and shoot crazy water angles…” I was sold.

Large image > James Moolenschot Inset > Jarret Johnson

By 5:30am I find myself blazing along the freeway to fetch Peter Lambert and meet the rest of the boys.

The crew Mark had put together also included Jarret ‘Pik’ Johnson, Simon Heale, Andrew Raath, and Kyle Mosetic who were busy packing cars as I pulled into Marks place. At 6am I don’t really spend too much time on pleasantries, so without fussing over any introductions I’m back on the road with our trusty boat in tow. I figure all social delicacies will fall away when we hit the water, but I still tell myself I should be more friendly in future. A few hours later and Mark and I are running the obligatory stop at the service station to fill up and prep the boat. I noticed the boys are stocking up on water, chocolate and coffee, and seem to be well focused on what might be in store for us.

Thirty minutes later as the convoy of cars is driving

All Shots Peter Lambert unless otherwise stated

down the hill towards the coast with our first view of the spot, I see what appears to be a set roll over the reef. Two waves out of four look clean, hollow and deceptively tame from this distance while the boys in the cars ahead are fist pumping out of the windows… these guys are quite clearly amped and I start to consider that we might be in for an epic session.

My pre-session stoke is starting to kick in. The morning sun is baking on my back as I stare out at the reef in question watching some bombs roll through. A small surge of adrenaline heightens my senses to the point that I can smell the salinity in the air courtesy of the relentless swells launching huge columns of whitewater off the rocky shoreline. Each wave that smears itself over the distant slab of rock is visually scrutinized in fine detail as I am drawn into analyzing the water moving through the wave. A complex shifting architecture of steps and caverns forms from the mass of water sucking off the rock shelf and driving with immense force back onto the unforgiving ledge.

I can sense that somewhere in that mayhem there exists a moment of peace and tranquility, a timeless place that offers a reprieve from the stress and mania of everyday life.

I snap out of my zone as I realize that someone needs to organize the rabble and get this mission underway.

Mark and I quickly prepare the boat for launch and the boys catch on and start climbing into their wetsuits.

Many hands make light work and the usual labour of launching is quickly done and dusted, although there is the problem of seven riders and a boat that can handle four at the most. Two trips will be required to taxi everyone from the launch spot, to the deep water reef around the point. I grab the tiller arm and www.sixty40.co.za 39

tombstones Author: James Moolenschot

Jarret Johnson by Mark Clark

stare quietly out at the ominous task that lies between us and the wave, remembering the previous times I have launched here and had to confront what I refer to as, The Gauntlet. The launch is situated in a keyhole shaped bay that forms a natural harbour. The narrow entrance to the bay makes for a perfectly calm launch even with a big swell, however getting out of the bay means negotiating a fifty meter dash through a narrow, kelp ridden channel that has waves breaking on the rocks on either side. Occasionally a wave will break right across the entrance to the bay, placing the utmost importance on timing an exit run during a lull in sets. In the past we have had some close calls whilst running The Gauntlet and it will always command my respect. With the tide being quite full, the channel is well behaved and soon we are outside with Mark, Peter and Pik onboard. Approaching a heavy wave from the seaward side is always a bit freaky, which makes for an awkward silence in the boat as I skirt around the back of the reef and motor into the channel surrounded by tall dark rocks protruding from the water.

The sight gives a clear reminder of where the name Tombstones comes from. Just as I turn the boat away from the rocks to face the wave, a set unloads on the reef. Three bright green waves barrel along the reef one after the other causing all of us on the boat to erupt in a chorus of hooting and expletives. Game on!

Mark heads off to fetch the rest of the crew while Pik and I paddle across to the wave leaving Peter swimming in the channel with his camera. I gasp out loud as I adjust to the freezing cold water that is in severe contrast to the sun which is cranking out one of the hottest days of the year. I also welcome the baking heat as it burns away

the memories of my last experience here on a dark, cold and stormy day where I witnessed Peter get beaten to within an inch of his life. The conditions today are perfect though: the wind is non existent and the tide is going low in a few hours giving us a chance to settle into the wave. I find myself sitting in the take off zone, trying to find markers that I can use for positioning and decide the best option is to reference the great pointy rock that sits a few meters across from us and pushes out the water like a snarling tooth each time a swell swings past. Pik and I both have a few small waves under our belts and Mark has returned with the rest of the guys when a solid set stands up in front of us. I turn and paddle for one of the waves thinking that I am positioned perfectly for an early drop and clean line into the barrel when suddenly before I know it, the wave face upon which I planned my descent disappears and I find myself perched precariously on the wrong side of a lump of water about to be pitched out over a platform of rock. I backpedal furiously off the lurching lip in shock at how the wave tripled in size within an instant. I note that the bigger waves will obviously take more commitment than my last attempt…

A mid-sized wave leaves me in the channel paddling out just as another solid set rises up on the horizon. This time I see Pik turn in front of a giant wall of water and start paddling like crazy towards the reef. He is just about to push over the step when he gets stuck on the lip as the bottom of the wave drops out. Peter screams encouragement with his camera pointing at the action, while I watch in disbelief as this madman continues to grip his board and gets punted out in front of the wave still half encased

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in the ugly upper jaw of the beast. He only has one way to go now: down.

The howls of excitement that rose from everyone else in the channel echoes off the surrounding rocks long after the thunder of Pik’s wave fades away. Still bewildered by what I just saw, I know that Pik has just blown away the boundaries of the session and epic events are on the cards. A feeling of cool determination switches me into the mentality: If you don’t go, you won’t know…

Peter is frothing so hard from watching the show that he pleads with me to take over the camera duties while he snags a few bombs. I promise him a switch right after I tackle one of those set waves. Soon enough I find myself face to face with a mound of water looking to wreak havoc on the slab of rock a few meters behind me. The all too familiar fight-or-flight reaction kicks in and I am compelled to paddle like a maniac for the horizon, as far as possible from the boiling danger zone where I am sitting. I choose to fight; to tackle this grunting beast head on and survive. With my previous attempt to take a set still fresh in my mind, I know that I need to ensure I get under the lip and into the pocket before the wave surges up and flicks me into oblivion. I start paddling early and with all my power to get over the reef before the wave hits, but it feels wrong to be this far in front of such a menacing wave that is likely to give me the beat down of my life. I stick with the approach for just two more strokes and then in a flash, the wave sucks me backwards and upwards as it prepares to unleash its fury. The tactic pays off and I find myself suspended in place for a fraction of a second, balanced between the pull of gravity and the rush of water pushing me up into the top of the wave. With time

seeming to slow down, I descend into the shadow of a gleaming cavern that gives me a moment of respite from the intense sun. Drops of water swirl around in mid air as I traverse across the wall plotting my way out. My personal time flux snaps me back to normality when the beast makes its last gasp and collapses behind me as I slow to a stop in the channel. I spend a short moment reliving the experience and look up with a grin on my face to see the boys in the boat hooting and fist pumping. That was insane. As agreed I hand my board over to Peter and fix the leash of the water housing to my wrist while I bob precariously in the water next to the impact zone.

Peter being as he is, wastes no time in finding himself a watery ledge to push himself over and commits to a take off while his legs are still sticking out the top of the lip. With expert precision he maneuvers his freefall into the tube and earns himself a damn sick pit. Pik is right behind him on another bomb and this time he gets slotted right in front of me while I hold down the trigger and fire off some shots. After Peter gets a few more I can’t handle watching any longer; I claim my board back and head out to the back just as Pik stuffs himself deep in the bowels of another barrel. I am still hooting at Pik when the very next wave looms up in front of me and I turn and drop into another barrel that spits me out into the channel grinning like an idiot.

Sure enough in the middle of all this, Simon and Mark also paddle out to score a few sneaky bombs, taking turns to ride and skipper the boat in the channel. Both of them get stuck into hooking some beasts with Simon getting clean barrels and Mark taming a few very solid waves. I watch from the channel as Mark negotiates a number of steps on his way down a glassy face before the wave warps and

opens up into a gaping tube around him. Shortly afterwards I am witness to Mark taking a huge air drop into a foamy moshpit that dragged him right down the reef underwater. My throat is getting sore from the constant howling at all the incredible action and my face feels like it is permanently stuck in a grin.

No surf mission feels quite right without some heckling in the lineup and Andrew was copping more than his fair share. At one point he paddles across to the reef and looks at me with a wild stare and claims: “I think I’m going to vomit…” I kill myself laughing and join with the boys in calling him to go deeper on each and every wave. Regardless of the ragging, I see Andrew and Kyle score some good waves as they join a short list of guys who have ridden this elusive spot.

Sadly, Pik needs to head off to work, so I jump in the boat with Simon and give Pik and Kyle a ride back to the launch. On the way out again it occurs to me that the tide has dropped significantly and we were facing a very tricky exit through the Gauntlet. The kelp on either side of the channel is really thick, giving us a narrow passage out and the waves at the back had

begun to break almost entirely across the entrance to the bay. The channel looks bumpy and not easy to run out with speed, so Simon and I circle in the bay a few times trying to find a lull in the sets. I finally decide to make the run and halfway along, at a point of no return, I see another set standing up on the outside which is not a good sign. The boat is bouncing around like crazy as I try to find a balance between speed and stability. I grip the side rope of the boat tightly with my free hand and jam my feet into the foot straps as hard as I can just as we see another wave stacking up in a very bad position. The wave foams in front of us but I manage to steer around the side of it while simultaneously launching over a big piece of chop with the prop grunting loudly as it leaves the water. When we finally slip out to the back I hear an audible sigh of relief from Simon and I realize I still have a death grip on the rope myself. That was too close for comfort. As I motor back into the channel I realize that the tide has really started to turn the wave nasty. If it was menacing before, now it is just plain evil, yet I decide to join Peter on the reef regardless. This time it’s all about survival and I watch in disbelief as Peter is forced to duckdive a wave

that bottoms out a meter below the level of the reef itself. Later on Peter is sitting in the take off zone when a set forms up just behind the reef, looking ugly as hell. He starts his duckdive at the bottom step and realizes that there is just too much water moving, so he releases his board and lets it flip into the lip as he swims through the face as hard as he can. I think he’s fine, and I want to believe it but as I look over the back of the wave I realize he has been dragged a short way toward the reef. The next wave finishes what the first started and pushes him right over the reef and into the channel on the far side. Shortly after joining me out at the back again, he gets tackled by another set and dragged over the reef again. Things are really getting ugly and I have little energy left to negotiate the madness that is beginning to unfold here. Peter and I get a last ride each and crawl limply back to the boat. It seems everyone feels that its time to get warm and rejuvenate, so Mark skippers us expertly through The Gauntlet and back to the launch where we can start to thaw out and rehydrate.

The next few hours seem to roll over in a haze of depleted energy and the

aftermath of adrenaline overload.

Packing cars, hitching trailers, hitting up the local food joint and a long drive back home that seems to take way longer when my body is already starting to ache from the abuse I have just put it through. I crank up the tunes to keep me focused while Peter bombs out in the passenger seat.

Scenes from the day replay in my head the whole way back: Pik’s bomb that started it all, the sight of Peter shoving his camera into the barrel as I get taken out by a heaving shockwave, Marks technical take off, the close escapes… the whole sequence of events spins around and around slowly etching its way into my memory. As I reflect on the day the one thing that stands out to me above the rest is that I would never have had such a great time if it weren’t for the awesome crew that pulled together to make the mission happen. It is amazing to have a bunch of riders that amp each other to go bigger, push their boundaries, and share all the triumphs and punishments. I could not have picked out a better way to spend my time and as Peter and I part ways he tells me: “Mr. Clark made the right call today” All I could say was: “Hell yeah, he called × it alright!”

Mark Clark

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Create

Create --------------------by damon crawford

Join us as we get barreled down memory lane and into the mind of surely one of the best board designers around who has literally seen it all, from cranking Pipe in the Nineties to Shark Island as big as it handles. Did I mention he is also 8 times SA Bodyboarding Champion and designs boards

exclusively with Mike Stewart in Hawaii? To top it off he married the beautiful 1999 Women’s World Champion Karla Costa Taylor.

They recently moved to Hawaii, not just for good waves but to expand Alistair’s design company that manufactures the ATD board range.

Alistair Taylor

Not your average shapers corner images by thespex.com

Damon: How has the first year gone for the Taylor’s after moving to the Island? Are you managing to settle into the differences of island life versus life back in SA? Alistair: It's going pretty good so far. It wasn't all that easy though. We were basically starting our lives all over again, without family support and just a little help from friends.

Moving a family of 4 around the world with minimal start-up budget is actually a lot more complicated than it seems, especially with Hawaii being the most expensive state in the US, but there are a lot of up sides to being here and we're getting pretty settled in now.

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Damon: You must feel fairly welcome there after travelling to the 7 Mile Miracle so many times over the years. What has changed since then on The Rock?

Alistair: Not that much really. The waves will still offer you the ride- or the beating of your life, depending what receiving end you're on. There are probably more resident travelers now, so a bit more crowded in the off season as well as peak season, but if you go and search for it, you can still find good empty surf.

Damon: Do you find yourselves missing SA at all?

Alistair: I miss certain things, probably family and friends more than most – but I was getting kinda frustrated by the lack of available technology too, at least with what I

Alistair Taylor

was trying to do with bodyboards. Here in the US you have a pretty cool array of materials and technologies to tap into.

Damon: And the Saffa crew? Are we building up a strong reputation again?

Alistair: Oh I have no idea what anyone is thinking hey. You'd have to ask them. I pretty much just go and surf pipe now and then, when there is a chance of it being less crowded, like big or onshore or something – get a few waves to keep a solid feel for the place and then I'm outta there. I really prefer to surf uncrowded waves, so I'm mostly invisible most of the Winter - not good for media coverage but surfing with a million people around me just takes all the fun out of it and that's why I started surfing in the first place.

Damon: There is eager anticipation amongst your faithful SA audience as to what you have been up to design and planning-wise throughout 2009. Things have been quiet on the information front. Can you fill us in on what you and Mike have been up to?

Alistair: Well we launched Science Customs a few months ago, but it would be termed a soft launch really, i.e. no real marketing as of yet. We've been using that time to refine the product. It's something really revolutionary, so there have been some hiccups to straighten out along the way. By getting a few boards out here and there, we get feedback from customers on what needs to be fixed or improved.

Right now we're basically in uncharted territory and there is no reference point for comparison of our boards, it's like the reinvention of the wheel – so it's a process to perfect it. But at the time of writing I think I now have all the bugs worked out and a solid product. Basically the concept is a seamless, waterproof board with surfboard like finish, but softer decks than standard boards for soft landings on airs etc, and a super durable core with a wide range of flex options, from icy cold water to super warm water. There are many customisable options in terms of shape and matching to your size/weight, and we now also have the option of custom digital printing to the top or bottom of the board, so you can get some cool artwork on there too.

things filter down to the stock boards or not remains to be seen, but at the moment the work involved in making these boards doesn't fit the mass production mould.

Damon: Board design is becoming more popular in that custom boards are freely available now. Why do you think the SA market has been so slow to adopt this? Or is it a world trend?

Alistair: I don't really know how it is globally. I know in Aus some of the custom board shapers are doing very well. Cost may be a big part of it, but I think mainly one difference is that custom boards, until now, have not been world's apart from a stock board – so some customers may be inclined to think, why pay the extra? But with the Science Customs, we have a much greater degree of customisation available – not just in things like getting the board thickness and flex accurate to what you need, but also in terms of colours and graphics – something that surfers have had available on custom surfboards for years. So it makes customs that much more personal now.

products also - it's just a matter of time to getting to them, and making them the kind of thing that functions well also.

Damon: Now unfortunately bodyboarding products are not really “green” or good for the environment. Is there any way this type of greener design can make its way into board design and still achieve effective performance results?

Alistair: Possibly – as is, I don't think bodyboards are too much of an environmental burden.

It would be good if they could be recycled for sure, but the foams in bodyboards probably constitute less than a tenth of a percent of all the foam made that is used mainly for packaging, which is a real issue. Mike and I do have an idea for a carbon positive functional board, but it's just an idea we're researching now, and don't even have a prototype yet. I think one thing that could help indirectly with our boards is that if they cost twice as much but last twice as long, a rider might have one of our boards in two years as opposed to two cheaper ones in two years – so less wasted material.

Damon: Mathew Hancock designed a few awesome wooden boards recently and the design is so simple. Do you think there can be much more innovation with the design of the bodyboard?

Alistair: I don't really know, but 10 years ago I don't think I'd have had any idea that I'd be doing what I'm doing now – it just sort of evolved. And the same may apply to the future. Once someone comes up with something cool and functional, it can create a whole new thinking and approach to board design, so things may change a lot yet.

Damon: And if I throw DK in there?

Alistair: Well I'd say with regards to shape, there are very few limitations, and pretty much anything is do-able. Custom stringer structures are also possible for more stiffness under the knee or something to that effect. DK is probably one of the design areas where there is still a lot of room for exploration since the riding technique is so different than prone - maybe some more crossovers into borrowing from surfboard design would be interesting to pursue here.

Damon: You have an amazing reputation for being at the forefront of technological and performance innovation. What is going into your boards now?

Alistair: Basically just a lot of work and trial and error. In a sense these boards are an extension of the ATD’s, but in another sense there is no comparison either. Here in the US I have access to the materials and technologies that have enabled me to address any and all issues I had with the ATD boards. The one thing that has remained the same is that these boards are really labour intensive, taking 5-6 hours to build each one as opposed to about an hour to build a conventional stock board, hence the higher price. But I think there is also a noticeable performance and durability difference with the Science Customs too.

Damon: I see that you and Mike are offering some new and creative custom slick designs with your range? Is this to carry on the theme of customer service and personal relationships that is the essence of your brand?

Alistair: Yes and actually the designs can be applied to the deck side of the board also, without getting messed up by wax or anything like that. As for the customer service element, I think that is more about just making sure the customer is happy with their board. If they aren't, we try to fix it, that is all. It's not about making a quick buck off people.

And it's also largely about making better performing boards – if you get a board that rides really well, it just enhances your whole wave riding experience and makes everything better.

Damon: And on the board range front – what can we expect for 2010?

Alistair: For 2010 the business will continue to focus on custom boards and we have a couple of other interesting and very unique innovations in the pipeline, excuse the pun. If or when some of these

Damon: Could this innovation offer a “greener” option in terms of what riders stick onto their boards?

Alistair: So far for us, this is not a greener option, although I don't think it's particularly polluting either. But Mike and I have some ideas for green

Damon: Into the future. Where are you planning to go with the sport over the next decade?

Alistair: Just keep pursuing what I'm doing now and see where it takes me. Like a bodyboard, I'm pretty flexible and open to changes in direction, but I definitely want to try to takes boards to the next level. Even if Mike and I can get them to the point where they're 20% faster than they are now, I think that'd be a big improvement. The board I'm riding at the moment is performing insane and I'm having a hard time to get a crease on it, even with lots of big surf that we're having over here – and it's a reasonably flexible board – so I'd say that's a pretty good sign we're on the right track so far.

Damon: Thanks for your time and ever valuable insight, Al. We wish you all the best for the future.

Alistair: Thanks for the opportunity.... ×

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MUSIC

Folktale storytelling in the Summer Shade

MUSIC --------------------by damon crawford

It’s a sick winter’s morning as I mission across my beautiful city. The air is crisp with the smell of the sea and the waves breaking.

I arrive a little late at a beachfront local hangout located on the stretch of road that runs between Table View and Blouberg. Roasted coffee bean smell hits you as you walk inside the humble pizza-pub-breakfast atmosphere and you realise there are few better places to be in the world at that exact moment in time. Obviously, getting barrelled goes without saying, so let’s go for the “I did that before this” sort of vibe. The wind and the rain have cleared the smog from the City and Table Mountain is proudly arching it's chest out toward me, displaying its formidable structure across the bay. Right inside the door I spot Dom and Greg – two of the three piece trio that is the band Nungarin.

The other member unfortunately not able to make it is Sean Thijsse, Greg’s younger boet and the man responsible for the classical sound to the music they play together.

Sean is an exceptional violinist, keyboard player, bassist and backup vocalist. Dom De Jesus is the art behind the drums, Yiridaki – the traditional aboriginal name given to the didgeridoo, lyrics and the percussion. Sean is the make-ups lead vocalist but is also responsible for the 6 & 12 string guitars, weissenborn, banjo, harmonica and lyrics. Now you’re getting a feel for the music that they create and blend together as a unit.

My first real question, after a cup of coffee and a little bit of gossiping about a mad session that went down at an 8-10ft beach break in Noordhoek the day before, immediately speaks to Dom and Greg’s passion they share about their unique band culture. More specifically, their core love of the ocean and its raw energy. I want to know

The word Nungarin originates from deep within ancient Australian Aboriginal language and culture. Originally spelt “Noongarin” after an expedition to an area located 278 km North East of Perth in 1865, the word was used to plot and name the area after a particular granite rock and cave landscape formation that was encountered en route their journey. Through time the double ‘o’ letter combination was dropped for a more pronounceable letter ‘u’. Nothing in history suggests a meaning for the actual word Nungarin, but there are some that believe it stemmed from the locally used Aboriginal word signifying “to see” – Nungoo; and so the rock structure was the place of seeing. Radiating out of the cover of their debut album Summer Shade, Nungarin ooze the resonating reverberation that the wood of a didgeridoo makes. The band, with their unique story-telling sound, strikes a startling resemblance to that of the embedded culture of the word and the peace that must accompany the place itself. Dom says he found the word to be original which instantly appealed to their style and sound. I’m going to write this whole article with the last track of the album, “amelias peace”, on repeat. When you hear it you’ll understand why.

what the bands message is to their listeners and people out there. To me it seemed as if there was a holistic message I needed to get my head around, a feeling I was not yet aware of, and I was battling to single this concept out. Seemed like a simple enough question.

Dom quickly drops in that it’s a wide range of pertinent everyday issues like the well being of the environment, racial divides, love and happiness. He stops me short at simply assuming this message is one material factor over another. Greg nods. The storytelling of all these life lessons meshed together makes up the movement of the songs they create, write and perform – an important element

44 SIXTY40 BODYBOARDING MAGAZINE ISSUE 11

of the band's persona as a group. A positive message about life in general - this is what they are about. We move to the artwork on the album cover – something that speaks loads about aspects of their influences: Dom an oldish school legend DK’er and Greg a highly respected and internationally represented kiteboarder. The image is of a sick left hander peeling away, set against the orangey glow of the sunset from what looks to be a fisheye shot from the water. “The colour,” Dom says “would be the colour of our music.” He states this matter-of-factly and without hesitation as he glances in my direction, and goes on to tell me that his older

The boys warming up Image by Ian Kruger

NUNGARIN

brother Nic, an artist and legend in the old skool CT booger community, designed it for them. You can sense the trust and understanding that they had on putting the project together and Dom explains they were immediately stoked with the final product first time round.

I probe them about a perceived stereotyped genre of music that the layman would place them in – Jack Johnson, Ben Harper and so on. Greg says that he tells people it’s a mix of folk rock and instrumental, but instrumental in the fact that combined they all play such a diverse amount of instruments and stew this into an experimental and original sound. Dom mentions that all the songs germinated out of instrumental beats which they then wrote lyrics to, and he and Greg then go on to explain that there are no instructions to the method they use to create the music they play, but a beat provides the base and platform from which to generate the end product. Greg also points out that Dom writes a lot of poetry and that there is no shortage of lyrics when they need some new lines to put to a tune. This takes me to wanting to find out more about their per-

when I was a grom. Booger posters all over the walls with a special section dedicated to the really sick shots. How sick it must be for the band to have their own studio to go to and not to have to share it or worry about anything like time constraints and associated costs. They simply have a ‘home’ for the band to be comfortable in. This can only aid the production of their music and their creativity as artists.

I raise the question about gigging: the band played to a disappointingly small crowd at one of their J-bay gigs this year. This probably due to the fact that they played before the crowds arrived, but Dom quickly points out that even though some gigs are not well attended, as is the case with South African music fans, they still have enough fun just jamming and being onstage together. On the flipside Dom humbly states that “... just being asked to perform there was big enough for us.” I think this shows his and their collective modesty as a band destined for success. The second J-bay gig was better attended, with Greg depicting the mood of an enthusiastic and positive mix of local and international audience, even buying

Because our music takes a little bit of a while to grow onto people because it’s so different, when it does start to grow and we do start to spread our word, it grows on a substantial basis which it is already doing for us. Things are actually happening and we are moving forward really quickly, which is exciting sonal influences over the years, the reasoning behind why they have ended up playing the kind of music they love so much. Right away Greg signals to the individuality each member brings to the table as being the biggest factor. Xavier Rudd is the kind of flavour Dom describes it to be like. I guess it is easier to say that the band grew up with similar, but individual styles of music, whilst being influenced by likeminded artists along the road. It is easily their simple love of music and composition of this music that encouraged their own personal instrument exploration which best illustrates the point I am trying to make. It is the love of the jam session and seeing where it leads the creation part always being the most exciting they say.

Greg reveals that they have converted his mom’s garage into their own personal studio and fully soundproofed and sorted it into the real thing, even recording the album there. He goes on to say that they are always making it their own personal space and filling it constantly with influences they come across that appeal to the band.

I immediately get images of my room from

CD’s and other band merchandise. I ask about favourite destinations to play, seeing as we’re on the topic. I’m met with the culturally rich European countries like Germany, France and Austria, and some of the festivals in and around central Europe. Style and genre of music similar to theirs has long been widely adopted throughout this region with past South African bands having even made previous appearances over the years.

South Africa has a sick festival in Rocking the Daisies which is something I know must appeal to the band so I enquire. “We’ve played at ‘the daisies for the last two years now.. it’s just been awesome.” Dom says.

Greg takes the opportunity to tell me about one of the social responsibility awareness initiatives the band is conducting this year, namely “Walking to Daisies”. Essentially the concept is to get to ‘Daisies this year with no carbon emissions, and fundamentally offset your carbon footprint on the event. They plan to calculate their carbon footprint from their recent trip up and down the coast and then offset this by planting the number of trees equal to restoring things to as close to an equilibrium as possible. They also don’t want to sound like or be perceived as phi-

lanthropists and environmentalists, but rather as just doing their bit to help save the planet. Simple things. Like what you and I should also be doing wherever possible. It’s the concept that if everybody is doing their little bit then it’s the sum of all those little buts which will make all the difference in the long run.

I want to know about the South African music scene, but more specifically about the adoption of their music here locally. Greg responds that they are extremely lucky to have now been able to release a full length album and the fact that this genre of music appeals to so many different levels of South African society has enabled them growing acclaim. This he tells me is something that they have been particularly fortunate to experience. “Because our music takes a little bit of a while to grow onto people because it’s so different, when it does start to grow and we do start to spread our word, it grows on a substantial basis which it is already doing for us. Things are actually happening and we are moving forward really quickly, which is exciting” Illustrates Greg. They’re obviously hoping to break that level where it gives their music the opportunity to reach a much wider spectrum of audience than it currently does. Greg backs this up by saying “I think there is a lot of hope for us in the near future”. And it’s already been a good year for the band so I’m not surprised.

I suddenly stare down into an empty coffee cup. I’ve now knocked back three cups of coffee, as I’m sure the rest of the table has too. It’s virtually lunchtime. We’ve been sitting here for well over an hour and conversation has rolled and flowed through into a break. Sensing I’ve gained and drained enough insight from the guys, I decide to ask a couple light ones while we wait for the bill. Greg pips that he reckons one of his funniest moments in the band was dropping his guitar no less than three times during their first ever gig. One could understand his nerves, and maybe accept two drops as extraordinary but three is just classic bru!

Greg says “that the guitars were so out of tune from the drops that the sound engineer just turned them off! [Laughs]”.They both remark at how sometimes a song won’t come out quite right as they strike up the first chords during a gig and they sort of just jam their way out of it for a few moments before the real thing kicks in. It is easy to see that they all get on really well as mates and not just a band – what’s the story after a gig?

Buzz on if it’s a goody.

I leave feeling I have a better understanding about what this band, Nungarin is all about.

Before I just jammed away to their songs when I saw them play but now I feel like I have come away having learnt something about life in general and how easy it is to just appreciate small things more. That, after all, seems to be the answer to my question about their message. Nothing hectic, just do × your bit and have a jam. www.sixty40.co.za 45

Rudi Geyser @ Washies

by Peter Lambert

46 SIXTY40 BODYBOARDING MAGAZINE ISSUE 11

Southern KZN WWW.F AC TO

Southern Cape

O.ZA 7.C RY

SU RF

& ATE SK

The Surf Shop Tel/Fax: 044 533 3253 (Shelley) Lookout Centre Main Street Plettenberg Bay, 6600 thesurfshop@telkomsa.net

Factory7 Shelly Beach Cell: 083 694 7885 Tel/Fax: 039 315 1814 Shop 9, Shelly Boulevard (By Shelly Spar) Shelly Beach, 4265 shellybeach@factory7.co.za www.factory7.co.za/shellybeach

Eastern Cape

online WWW.F AC TO

Sport Unlimited Tel: 021 794 3240 Constantia Village, Shop 29, Constantia Cape Town ross@sportunlimited.co.za www.sportunlimited.co.za

RF

& ATE SK

Durban

O.ZA

SU

Sport Unlimited Tel: 021 914 7945 Tygervalley Centre, Shop 600, Tygervalley Cape Town ross@sportunlimited.co.za www.sportunlimited.co.za

7.C RY

Surf Africa Tel: 042 293 4128 Da Gama Road, Jeffrey's bay mikelarmont@africansurf.co.za

FACTORY7.CO.ZA Online Surf & Skate Shop Tollfree: 0800 FSEVEN Tel: 039 315 6698 Cell: 083 488 3916 Fax: 086 680 2141 help@factory7.co.za www.factory7.co.za

To advertise in the sixty40 Surf Shop Directory ...or elsewhere in the magazine, contact - ian@sixty40.co.za

Advertising in the Sixty40 Surf Shop Directory is only available to SURF SHOPS (includes online shops.)

Surf Africa Tel: 031 368 2421 98 West Street, Durban mikelarmont@africansurf.co.za

Specifications - please include: Name, Address, Tel, Email, Web address, Region: Northern KZN, Durban, Southern KZN, Eastern Cape, Southern Cape, Boland, Cape Town, West Coast, Online. Include a Logo or photo - (CMYK - 300dpi - eps, pdf, ai, jpeg, tiff, psd, cdr) OR Advert - 54mm x 54.187mm (no bleed, CMYK - 300dpi - eps, pdf, ai, jpeg, tiff, psd, cdr)

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Walker Bay Surf Tel: 028 312 2893 Shop no. 12, Warrington Place, Harbour Road, Hermanus, 7200 gibson@intekom.co.za

www.sixty40.co.za 47

Surf Shop directory

Cape Town

one on one

We get our two prominent North Shore (Hawaii) coverage kids, Ryan ‘Cracker’ Janssens and Sacha ‘Spex’ Specker, to quiz each other on the early season as well as a few of the plans for the year ahead.

Q > Spex A > Cracker January 19 at 1:37pm

 First things first. Did you see any heavy stuff on your visit to the Hawaiian islands? e.g. wipe outs, carnage, beatings etc. Best moment on The Rock? e.g. waves, party, lucky break etc.  Was it all you expected? Please elaborate.  Who from home, would you like to see make the pilgrimage to Hawaii?  If you make it back for another season, what would you do different? e.g. more money, different crew, longer stay etc.

48 SIXTY40 BODYBOARDING MAGAZINE ISSUE 11

January 24 at 9:47am

 I saw some really heavy wipe outs, guys committing to some of the craziest waves I have ever seen with no chance of making the bottom. Apart from that there was not a lot of heavy incidents, I didn't see one beat down although I saw a lot of people getting dropped in on.  Best moment on the rock would have to be new years in Waikiki. To cut a long story short, we ended up sneaking into a party for free and spent the night in the VIP section getting as much free champagne and drinks as we wanted. Also had some epic times on the beach with all of us from S.A.  Ah it was everything I expected and more. The beaches are amazing, so tidy and the water is amazingly clean especially round the west side, there was always a new swell building so we were never short of waves. And I saw some of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen in my life.  Our crew this year was good, had such good times with all of them. To be honest I could name so many people that should have been there. But I seriously think that Oros did it wrong by not going this year.  I think I was good on the money side. I managed to come back with a bit to spare, and I also did a couple of days work which helped me out a lot.I went from the 20th of November till the 20th of January so hopefully next season I can stay longer. I definitely need to go more prepared with regards to some of my camera equipment. The one thing that made my trip a bit lame was these two absolute donkeys that stayed with us in the house, wasting their life getting hammered drunk every day and causing fights with everyone in the house. That pretty much killed the vibe for everyone most of the time, so next year I'll make sure I stay no where near them.

Spex + Cracker

Q > Cracker January 19 at 1:26pm

 So where to next, what are your travel plans for the rest of 2010?  You have been shooting a lot lately, how do you decide if you're going to shoot or surf now?  What’s your best memory from the 09/10 season?  What do you think of the season so far from a photographer's point of view and from a bodyboarding point of view?  Who do you think has been the biggest stand out this season?

A > Spex

January 19 at 3:15pm

 After the Pipe contest I will be heading off to Oz for a few months. I am amped to meet up with Chris James and some of the other local boys and do some missions into the desert. I would also like to do a trip to West Oz and another mission to Indo. I have some spots I would like to revisit and some other spots I need to go see for the first time. In between all of this, I will be doing some Oz Tour events and any World Tour events possible.  That is a good question. There are definitely moments where I feel torn between shooting and surfing. Most days it's pretty easy. If the light and waves are good and there are a couple guys out who I like to shoot, like Jerry, McCarthy, 'Boy Champ' Watts, Hubb etc. and no other photogs are there to get the job done, I will be shooting. If there are other photogs in the water, getting the job done, I don't like to swim out and compete with them for the shot. I would rather paddle out to try get some waves for myself and get some shots of myself to grow my profile and represent my sponsors. I love to ride and shoot equally, the hard part is just deciding when which one will be more beneficial.  Best memory in the bank would have to be the countless Keiki sessions with all the boys. Shooting them, pulling into bombs with my fellow Saffa bru's. Prime!  From a photographer's point of view, it has been good. There have been plenty days with good light and favorable conditions and the Saffa boys were ripping every session. The only aspects missing to date are those perfect 10 foot pure west swell Pipe days, where I could be shooting those mutant pits from the channel and of course some perfect Waimea Shorey. It's either been too big or just not big enough or too much sand etc.

From a bodyboarder's perspective, it has been the most consistent season I have experienced. I think in total there have been no more than 5 days where I did not want to ride a bodyboard in the 3 months I have been here. Like I said earlier, the only thing missing is those perfect Pipe and Waimea sessions. We have had plenty amazing waves at both spots, but the conditions have just not been favorable for documenting it as covers or spreads.  Without taking anything away from any of the other Saffa boys who have been putting their life on the line almost every surf, I would have to say that Jerry has been turning the most heads almost every session. His timing and style has been flawless and he seems to be pushing the limits on every wave possible. It looks like Jared is all in! ×

{

Sacha 'Spex' Specker by Ryan Cracker Janssens Ryan Cracker Janssens by Sacha 'Spex' Specker

} www.sixty40.co.za 49

6040 moment Mark Watts at Keiki by Spex

tel: 031 313 0237 email: russshaw@telkomsa.net