Sixty40 - Issue 05 - The Birthday Issue

the “birthday” issue July/August/September 2008 R25 incl vat (south africa only)

Considering th is 2008 winter season was on e of the worst winters in hist ory, by mid January the w inds died and the waves turn ed on. For thre e weeks in a row the North Shor e was picture pe rfect. I met Wesley Fischer late Decembe r with Mark McC arthy at Off Th e Wall. We were both to surf and shoo amped t but the waves and wea ther weren’t in our favour. Th is shot was Wesley's first w ave of the day at Backdoor, a pure gem. If there is a heav en on earth, th is is it. Much aloh a from Oahu, Hawaii! * Maurice Au

buchon ©

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ISSN 1994-294X

05 bodyboarding // travel // photography // lifestyle

Birthday is the name given to the particular date each year on which many people in many cultures celebrate the anniversary they were born. It is often marked by a birthday party and/or friends when gifts are given to the person celebrating the birthday. It is also customary to treat people specially on their birthday, either generally acceding to their wishes, or subjecting them to a rite of transition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthday

Mark Clark flying out of the bowl on a rare Llandudno left Lydia RichterŠ

ed.

Our first Birthday: We are a whole one year old, it seems like just yesterday we were brought kicking and screaming into the world to fill the void left by our predecessors. As I look back over the highs (many of these) and lows (not too many of these, but some) of the previous year I am struck with an overwhelming love for the sport and the creative individuals that the sport produces.

Our aim at the magazine is to portray the sport in the way we as bodyboarders see it, and I hope we’re doing it justice. On that note issue 5 is action packed with the annual pilgrimage of the boys to the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Our Create section speaks to DK ripper Dominic De Jesus, we have a beginners look at bodyboarding through the eyes of a woman (“A Saffer in cold waters) and we catch up with that crazy cat and Big Wave Award winner, James Moolenschot and how he and tow partner, Peter Lambert, bought a rubber duck to find some waves.

On behalf of the guys at the mag I would like to thank every single one of our supporters and we look forward to bringing you more action from SA and around the world.

Enjoy! ed.

[Ian Kruger]

DCmike©

Photo: Phil Gallagher

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Voice your opinion, go to www.sixty40.co.za and let us know what you think. say hi, send us stuff...

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

Hot Buttered Hot Buttered has just received their latest 2008 summer range and will be travelling to stores in the next few weeks to book forward orders.

Associate Editor / Senior Photographer Mike Dei-Cont dcmike@sixty40.co.za Art Director / Designer Samuel Sampi Kamffer (one2love) sampi@sixty40.co.za

If you would like to stock some of our products please call Russell Shaw on 031 3130327 or email on russshaw@telkomsa.net

Online Editor / Senior Contributor Gareth White gareth@sixty40.co.za Nik Kruger© snapped this pic of Winny and Nick Perry checking out Sixty40

Web Support Kelly Footit kelly@sixty40.co.za Contributors Kade, Bernadine Rodgers, Sports Performance Institute, Sacha Specker, Josh Kleve, Gareth White, Martin Otto, James Moolenschot Photographers Maurice Aubuchon, Lydia Richter, DCmike, Nik Kruger, Cracker, Alistair Jones, Porcelain, Shannon Granger, Sacha Specker, Tungsten, Cestari/Covered Images, Lee Kelly, Joe Robinson, Dylan Watson, Caleb Bergfelt, Damon Crawford, Wayne Beekman, JFK, Fay Klusener, Peter Lambert, Richimages, Rylin Richardson, Matt Ryan, Deon Meyer Sales Ian Kruger ian@sixty40.co.za Mike Dei-Cont dcmike@sixty40.co.za Advertising Ian Kruger ian@sixty40.co.za Distribution Countrywide Stockists All good surf stores, CNA’s, PNA’s and Exclusive Books Sixty40 Magazine Contact Tel +27 (0) 82 594 3082 Fax +27 (0) 21 939 2246 Po Box 15107, Panorama, 7506 Cape Town, South Africa Published by Panacea Publishing Printed by Intabatu Printing & VRP Print, Cape Town © Copyright subsists in all work published in this magazine. Any reproduction or adaptation, in whole or part without written permission of the publishers is strictly prohibited and is an act of copyright infringement which may in certain circumstances constitutes a criminal offence.

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Factory 7 Derek on the ski... Terence in-flight.

The new range is totally revamped, sporting new deck logos, new informative board wrappers and the new material specs are sure to push the boundaries once again!

Factory 7 is proud to announce the signing of Terence Pieters to the F7 Team.

Terence has been showing his skill as a high flying freak in the bodyboarding arena. From what we have seen Terence has great potential for the future and we look forward to working with him.

Welcome to the Team Terence!

He joins the likes of: Derek Footit 2007 SABA DK Champ Sean Tickner 2008 Wimpy/Rossi DK Champ Peter Lambert All round Big Wave Pioneer Sampi Kamffer Free Surf PROgressionist Chris Elliott 2008 Cape Classic Junior Champ Jared Schafer Editor/Videographer of the successful Pull The Plug DVDs Mark McCarthy 2007/08 World Tour campaigner - 4th overall 2007

design >> sampi@one2love.co.za - Profile >> Dcmike - Action shot >> Gallagher

At Factory 7 our aim is to help get you onto the equipment which is right for you and have an extensive range of bodyboarding gear on our website for you to choose from.

Visit our website, email us or call our toll free number for sales and impartial advice.

Mark McCarthy 2007/08 World Tour Campaigner

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visit www.sixty40.co.za

Reef & Science The Mark McCarthy, DK5 and the MS 1 LTD boards will be available by the end of August! At the moment the samples are here and they look like the thing to put on your Christmas list! Mark is currently in Australia getting ready for the Shark Island event that takes place in Sydney this June/July. We at Science would like to wish him the best of luck!

In March the Sport Unlimited Cape Classic went off in perfect conditions for the 3 days of competition. Congrats to the WP committee for putting on a great contest! Congrats to all the Reef & Science team riders who did so well in the Cape Classic. Science had riders in all the finals except Pro’s. Daniel and Vaughn were in the top 8 and well done to Ian Thurtell who won the Men’s division.

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James Moolenschot was crowned 1st place in the Reef/ Science Biggest Wave Contest. 2nd went to Ishmael Grant and Peter Lambert came in 3rd. Peter also received front page coverage in the Cape Times for his Biggest Wipe-Out, well done Pete, we hope all the carrots you won have improved your vision!

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Mark Watts shows the Gorilla a thing or two Cracker©

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NMD and VS Bodyboards as ridden by 4 of the 5 top riders in the world are now available in Cape Town, if you would like to stock them in your surf shop, or would like to know where your closest stockist is please contact Peter Lambert on 083 313 6106 or e-mail dangerbeach@gmail.com Signature Models include Ben Player, Ryan Hardy, Dave Winchester, Pierre Louis Costes, Mitch Rawlins and Nick Mezeritz.

Lizzard International Lizzard are proud to announce the signing of Mark McCarthy to their team of renowned sportsmen and women. McCarthy joined the label in March and according to Lizzard International Marketing Manager, Mike Frew, they are pleased to have been able to associate their label with someone of Mark’s calibre.

Having only just signed McCarthy, Lizzard then went on to be an associate sponsor of the Wimpy-Rossi Pro-Am held recently in Margate.

Lizzard International were very much a part of the bodyboarding industry throughout the 90’s and it is good to see them back on the scene once again.

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Reef Wetsuits & Science Bodyboards will once again be one of the proud sponsors at this years SA Champs, which will take place at Richards Bay in September. Reef will also be one of the sponsors at the Wedge Classic.

Reef Wetsuits would like welcome 2 new riders to the team. Jake Rosenberg and Mark Watts. Adam Morley did well in the Brazil comp and will be on the rest of the tour, competing on the rest of the IBA events.

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Lizzard International offer a wide range of mens and ladies clothing for all seasons. For more info log onto www.lizzardsurf.net and look up your nearest store.

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Cold, big and heavy... don't even think about it until you are fit enough.

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Getting Into Action

In order to reach peak performance in any sport, it is important that you have an idea of how to train and what to train. Bodyboarding is no different, and it is important to know a couple of things before you get started with your training programme. This article looks at why it is important to train beyond your normal bodyboarding sessions, training principles to apply to your programme, as well as the important fitness components of bodyboarding.

Why Train?

“I surf 2 hours every day, why should I train?”

This is the reasoning of many bodyboarders out there. However in order to take your bodyboarding to the next level, it is pivotal that you see the importance of training beyond time spent in the water.

Many professional surfers and bodyboarders have woken up and seen the benefits of following a training programme that develops them holistically and in the best possible way for their event. The aim of any training programme is twofold: 1. To improve performance 2. To reduce the risk of injury It is only really once you have undergone a series of fitness tests that you can identify your strengths and weaknesses, and realise which fitness components you really need to work on. All of us will have certain fitness weaknesses, so by working on them and improving them, we will not only improve our performance, but also reduce the risk on injury.

Training Principles Just like a good builder needs a plan to build a masterpiece, so you need a principled training plan to reach peak performance. Specificity, overload and progression are important principles to keep in mind when designing your training programme.

Principle of Specificity This principle states that the effect of exercise training is specific to the muscles involved in the activity.

For example, you would not expect to be doing your bodyboarding much benefit by performing a 10-week land-based sprint training programme. The type of training influences the adaptations that occur in the muscles, and the rest of the body. What this principle highlights is the need to train in a way that is specific to bodyboarding. This is not saying that all you do is spend your

time bodyboarding, but that you incorporate sport specific training into your programme. For example if you are getting tired quickly during a surf, you may need to develop your endurance capacity, and spending time in the pool might be just what you need.

When developing a training programme, you should consider the following facets concerning bodyboarding:

• What are the most common

Principle of Progression This principle states that overload should be increased gradually during the course of a programme.

It includes the exercises that are employed and the total amount of work that is done in a training programme. Progression that is too slow will result in limited improvement in physical fitness, and progression that is too rapid, may result in fatigue and injury.

movements performed?

• Which muscles and joints are specifically important?

• How long does the event usually last – is it continuous and how much time do you generally get to rest?

• At what speeds are most of the movements performed?

Principle of Overload This principle states that in order to keep making gains from an exercise programme, you must find some way to make the programme more difficult. There are a number of ways to achieve this, and they include increasing the load or weight lifted, increasing the volume or amount of work (repetitions, sets and duration), modifying the exercises and altering the rest periods.

However when making the programme more difficult, it is important that you don’t compromise the principle of specificity. For example, bodyboarding involves relatively quick movements, and by lifting weights that are too heavy, you will not be performing the movements in a fast enough manner.

The exercises that are performed by an individual starting a programme should be less complicated than one who has been training for a longer period of time. A beginner should be expected to master certain fundamental skills in a training programme, and once those skills are mastered, they should be applied to more complicated exercises.

What to Train Fitness is made up of a number of components, of which anaerobic and aerobic endurance, flexibility, muscle endurance and strength are of the most important for bodyboarders.

Flexibility It refers to the range of motion in a joint. It is determined by the shapes and positions of the bones that make up your joints and by the arrangements of your muscles and tendons around the joint.

Each joint has its optimal range of motion, and it is important for your movement, that your joints can go through these ranges, or else your movement will be restricted. It is through regular stretching that you improve your flexibility, and we

will dedicate an article to flexibility training in one of the later issues.

Muscle Endurance This refers to the ability of your muscle to generate force repeatedly. In bodyboarding this is of particular importance when we think of the involvement of the arms and legs in paddling.

If muscle endurance is not developed properly in the arms, legs and back, fatigue will set in earlier, and this will have a negative influence on your bodyboarding.

Push-ups and pull-ups are examples of exercise you can do to improve your muscle endurance.

Strength It refers to the ability of a muscle to generate maximal force. Strength in the arms, core and legs is important to bodyboarding in particular when preparing for and performing manoeuvres . A base level of strength is important for bodyboarding, and it is particularly important to know that power (the ability to apply strength explosively) is built on the base of strength. Power is needed when performing explosive manoeuvres .

Functional strength training using equipment that provide resistance such as medicine balls, dumbbells and swiss balls will assist in developing this fitness component.

Aerobic Endurance Aerobic endurance is the capacity to perform tasks involving the body for extended periods of time, where the energy is produced aerobically (with oxygen). A well developed aerobic endurance capacity will enable you to withstand fatigue at exercise levels of low intensity. Your aerobic capacity is a measure of your body’s ability to take up and use oxygen to produce

the energy needed to continue exercising. After catching a wave, and paddling back slowly to the line-up, you will mainly be relying on your aerobic capacity to supply the energy needed to perform the action. A long continuous swim in the pool is an example of how you can work on your aerobic endurance.

Anaerobic Endurance Anaerobic endurance is the capacity to perform high intensity exercise, interspersed with rest periods, where the energy is produced anaerobically (without oxygen). A well developed anaerobic capacity will enable you to withstand fatigue at exercise of higher intensity and for shorter duration compared to aerobic endurance. Paddling quickly to get into the best position to catch a wave, followed by paddling to catch the wave, surfing the wave, and then paddling back quickly to catch another wave would rely on your anaerobic capacity to supply the energy needed to perform the actions. Short duration sprint swims with short rest periods is an example of how you can work on your anaerobic endurance. The next time you go for a surf, try set yourself the target to catch 10 waves in 30mins.

So now that you know the importance of training, and have an idea of the training principles involved as well as the important fitness components applicable to bodyboarding, you are ready to get going with your own personal training programme. In the next couple of issues, we will be looking at a number of topics relating to fitness training, and they will help you to take your bodyboarding to the next level.

[www.sixty40.co.za] 11

CREATE words by Ian Kruger :: images by Porcelain Productions ©

"the rhythm of music is easily related to the rhythm of the ocean"

I met Dom through his older brother, Nic, who I grew up with and who was a stalwart of the early 2000’s contest scene, racking up wins in every major provincial and national competition through-out the country. But this is not Nic’s story; this is the story of his little brother who chose to walk a different path.

Dominic chose the dropknee stance as his method of expression and never really got a taste for competition, entering a total of 3 contests in his time. By his own admission it was the contest format that drove him away from competition. Having to pack in as many manoeuvres as possible in a specific time frame didn’t fit his vision of what wave riding was all about. Drawing influence from old school dropknee riders like Fred Booth and Kyle Maligro, as well as the powerful lines of surfing legend Tom Curren, Dom managed to shape his dropknee into one of the most fluent styles in the country. With minimal exposure he was still able to conjure up a reputation through word of mouth, culminating in a section on Southern Most Hope to back up the hype. Then his story takes a different turn, with some family turmoil he is forced to move to London under the premise that that would be his home from then on.

London is nothing new to the South African bodyboarder, but what most first timers to London don’t realise is that heading over there to make a quick buck and travel the world usually results in long, cold winters and a disheartened outlook on the London experience. Dom’s experience in London reached a low point after the deposit for his first flat was stolen, this also happened to total half of his first salary. It was also a far cry from home life, having to share a single room with 2 of his friends, as fun as it sounds, small spaces put serious strain on friendships. This coupled

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with working 8 hours a day in a fashion store as well as a night job at a bar had Dom hitting rock bottom, but as they say, when you hit rock bottom, there’s only one way to go, and that’s up. From this point he took a decision to start looking at the more positive aspects of what London has to offer.

One huge advantage London has over South Africa is the amount of live music on offer all the time, from international bands to talented kids working their way up through the pub gigs. This enabled Dom to reignite a passion that he has drawn from in his early days in bodyboarding and listening to music and how the rhythm of music is easily related to the rhythm of the ocean. By going to gigs every weekend he started to realise that he not only had a passion for listening to and watching music but he also realised that he had a need to make music. London is an extremely fast paced city where 7 million people are trying to realise their dreams at the same time, not making it conducive to getting Dom to where he wanted to go so he started making plans to return to South Africa. A second positive aspect that emerged from being thrust into the dreary grey of London was his love for the environment. Too often we take our surroundings for granted and don’t realise what we have until we’re staring into the murky brown waters of the Thames river. This was the case for Dom and he realised that he wanted to pursue Nature Conservation once he was back home so he could focus on his career.

“One day Dominic and I were sitting on the bus in London and he looked at me and said that he needed to go home to South Africa, because he could hear an entire song in his head but he felt a need to get it out and to make it into a real song.” Kevin Row. Once back in South Africa, Dom immediately

settled into his studies, choosing distance learning through Damelin as opposed to the typical classroom atmosphere, which was a more difficult route to follow but allowed him the free time to pursue his other interests.

Nature Conservation is by no means an easy course to do but with a passion for the environment it is an easy course to immerse yourself in. It takes 3 years to complete the course which is split into 2 years of study and 1 year of practical work. Nature Conservation works to maintain the environment and there are numerous work opportunities in South Africa and abroad. By studying Dominic is allowing himself something to fall back on if his other dreams don’t work out.

His musical pursuit began in London with the purchasing of a Djembi drum (a traditional African hand drum) and when he got back to SA he started out jamming at home by himself.

He had also dabbled in playing the Didgeridoo (a traditional Aboriginal instrument) and through a chance meeting with the Thjisse brothers who both had a musical and ocean riding background they started to write music together, and so the band Nungarin was formed. The band had its first gig after only 6 months of practice and it took off from there. Highlights include a series of festivals throughout South Africa as well as numerous radio and website interviews. You can hear their music and check out their upcoming tour schedule at www.myspace.com/nungarinmusic.

They will be recording their first album during the winter months and will be released in time for summer.

Dominic's story is by no means unique, but it shows that inspiration comes from interesting places and the pursuit of your dreams, no matter how big, are always within reach.

[www.sixty40.co.za] 13

Sacha Specker

Mr. Specker Shannon Granger©

By the end of 2001, I had turned 18, completed matric, got my driver’s licence and spent every cent I had saved for my entire life. However, these were minor benchmarks and events in my life at the time. I was about to embark on the longest and most anticipated pilgrimage of my life. My first trip to the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. I had dreamed of pulling into huge Pipe and Waimea shore break, just like the Cockwell’s, Jason Body, AT and the rest of the SA crew at the time had been doing for seemingly countless Hawaiian winters.

"things are not always as they seem" The saying goes,

, so my first voyage to conquer the most notorious and spoken about waves on the globe was not all fun and games.

During the six weeks I spent on the North Shore, it rained continuously and howled cross-shore for four and a half weeks and when the waves and weather did change, the Pipe contest was in full swing. Although I only got to surf cranking Pipe four times before I was knocked out and my stay on the island was over, I did feel like I had made the right choice and spent my life savings wisely.

On the other hand, the 07/08 Hawaiian season was like no other. As no matter how much money you have, it would be impossible to buy or recreate the mind-blowing waves, experiences, colourful friends and magical moments I have etched in my memory forever.

Capetonian Josh Kleve and myself were sharing a room in a beachfront house between Rocky Point and Sunset, prime location. Although we had to share a bed, our standard of living was ‘top notch’ when compared to that of the other visiting bodyboarders on the island. We ate well; taking full advantage of any specials stumbled across in Foodland, the local grocery store. Both of us had decent, reliable bicycles as mode of transport and to maintain continuous fitness. Rent was reasonable and included a jacuzzi, broadband Internet and cable TV. Most importantly we got to share the good times with a solid crew of friends. The South African contingent was made up of seasoned veterans and fledglings alike. Oros, Sean Tickner, Jared Schafer, Mark McCarthy, Wes Fischer and myself

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J-Hubb, Pipe Funnel Shannon GrangerŠ had returned to Hawaii for another helping of a North Shore winter. Whereas Charles Pass, Adam Morley, Colin van Dongen and Josh Kleve were dumbstruck when their first experience on the island revealed the truths about all the stories they had heard in the past. A tight crew can make you forget about all those things that crush the toughest of us into homesick patriots.

Most evenings consisted of browsing the web and mingling with some of the locals, to find out

some crazy pits and there were "Where were you only like 15 guys yesterday evening out" cuz? Pipe had what the swell and conditions were doing. The last thing you want to hear from a buddy you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seen for a couple days is:

So if a swell was running or predicted to arrive overnight and the wind was not howling

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Sacha Specker©

"Is there a cut on my head? It hurts like hell"

onshore, we were paddling out in the hazy dawn to scoop some nuggets before the masses created discomfort. Crowded Pipe can cause even the most cautious to slip up.

It was the first decent swell in over a month and every man and his dog were out there to get a piece of it. Needless to say, Josh managed to overlook a local stand-up taking off on his inside, dropped in on him and then halfway down the face realised that his life could come to an end if he didn’t magically disappear.

Josh managed to walk away with a full bag of sweets more than once this season. On numerous occasions, he was the only guy to scoop a second reef Pipe bomb early in the morning, before the growing crowd made it impossible to get another.

Or Pipe was so big that only four of us paddled out and he was the only one who managed to take off on a mountain that may well have been 15 feet tall and foamed straight through second reef, lined up perfectly on first reef and offered Josh the barrel of his life. After which he received a standing ovation from onlookers and videographers on the beach as he made his way back to his bicycle.

Tragic story, happy ending Some were not as lucky as others. With every solid swell, it was inevitable that someone would draw the shortest straw and receive more of a beating than anything could prepare them for.

One afternoon in mid January the mood was set by ambulance sirens, the pounding vibrations of a building NW swell hitting the reefs between Pipe and Off the Wall on a spring low tide. Pipe and Backdoor had no less than fifty guys out, all jostling for the flawless 6-8 foot sets that were running off the split peak. Off the Wall on the other hand had about ten guys on it, all trying to dodge the dredging monsters that would instil deep-seated terror into most humans, while trying to pick out the nuggets in between. Lifeguards had packed up, dusk was creeping closer, the waves were getting bigger and doubling up harder with each set.

Sitting out at Off the Wall, Josh and myself had decided to get one more before calling it a day, when one of the biggest sets of the day came

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marching through. Both of us managed to sneak under the first one with most of the pack behind us. Josh, in position for the second one, scooped into the draining left that closed out in ‘no man’s land’ between Backdoor and Off the Wall.

Instinctively I looked over my shoulder to see whether anybody got caught inside and that Josh escaped unscathed. The first thing that caught my eye was a guy throwing his arms around uncontrollably while face down in the impact zone with no board attached. The white-water surrounding him was stained bright red with blood from a gash in his scalp that reached from ear to ear across the top of his head. The first thought racing through my mind was that Josh had caught that last wave and this might be him.

As I raced towards the now seemingly lifeless body, I saw Josh pop up smiling, just a couple metres away. Although feeling immense relief for my friends’ wellbeing, I was freaking out at the thought that someone had just died in front of me and I was the only guy there at the time.

As I reached the guy, his head rose out the water and he looked at me with fear-laden eyes. He kept asking me "Is there a cut on my head? It hurts like hell" As I was looking at the bone of his skull, I said: ”Don’t worry buddy, you will need a couple stitches, but lets just get you to the beach for now”. By then Josh, Charles, Sean Tickner and some other bodyboarders had started to paddle this guy to shore. Amazingly not a single wave came through until we were in knee-deep water, about five metres from the sand. Coincidentally an ambulance was parked at the Pipe parking lot, loading another casualty thanks to the infamous Pipeline.

Two weeks later I got to meet the guy who we now know as Clinton. Standing in the Off the Wall pathway, looking at the waves in an elaborate back and neck brace, he said he broke his neck and lower spine and received over 30 staples to his scalp but the doctors said he will make a full recovery. Saving Clinton’s life gave most of us a new appreciation for the little things we have taken for granted. So from then on, most evenings were spent on Keiki beach, pulling into heaving kegs on dry sand and playing cricket against Ozzie and Hawaiian connections we had made over the past few weeks. ...Sacha Specker

FEATURE HAWAII 07/08

Spex... afternoon flight Tungsten©

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Josh Kleve Airport

I arrived in the middle of the night at Honolulu Airport not knowing what to expect except that hopefully Sean was going to be there to pick me up. The Airport is surprisingly quite big but the people were super friendly and gave me directions to where I needed to be. There were even guys waiting at the exits of the terminals with Leis (flower necklaces) to put around you.

I was so stoked! What better way to start the trip off but with a bit of Hawaiian tradition?

Unfortunately when I bowed my head for the guy to put one around my neck, he told me it was $5.00 (like R35) so I was over it.

I couldn’t have been happier to see two Durbanites standing patiently at the exit waiting for me. Charles Pass had come along for the ride as well so it was awesome to see these two familiar faces after having been in America and

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London for the seven months prior to Hawaii.

We loaded the car and off we went. As it turned out, Sean and Oros were running a taxi service from the airport to the North Shore in order to pay off their car. $30.00 standard and $10.00 for friends, AKA me, who gratefully handed over the minimal taxi fee. Typical South African entrepreneurs, always looking for a quick buck.

What a plan!

Backpackers After Sean and Oros kindly hosted me at their apartment for my first night, they kicked me out and told me to find my own place. I headed down to the backpackers in the hope that they would have a bed for me and there wouldn’t be too many dodgy characters staying there but I really didn’t know what to expect. Thankfully they did have a bed for me. I shared a room with a raucous Englishman that specialised

in poker named Rod, a sly looking Italian that slept for 70% of the day (I never got to know his name because he was either sleeping or lurking randomly outside – pretty weird) and another Aussie bodyboarder/ photographer named Shannon (I thought that was a girl’s name…) The two of us hung out a lot and cruised the North Shore, always on a mission to find a bicycle, possible accommodation for the future, good waves and food. Other than Shannon, it took me a few days to make friends with the other guys at the backpackers and although I was at first a bit bleak about having to share one bathroom between 14 people, I gradually started to like the place. By the time I left, I had made some new friends from all over- Sweden, Australia, California, Japan, Holland you name it.

One heinous memory I have of the backpackers was of the faulty stove. I planned to make myself an omelette one morning so after I had made

FEATURE HAWAII 07/08 we went to Waimea or Keiki, which were pretty close to Foodland, Sacha would stuff a few dollars and his trusty Makai card into the handle of his bicycle and on our way back, we would get ourselves a bagel, a French Vanilla coffee (prime) and a pack of 180’s (Hawaii’s very own high fructose corn syrup nectar at a mere price of $1.80 for six!).

One evening I was doing the rounds, getting Sacha and myself some dinner when I bumped into one of the Aussies I had met at the backpackers. He was munching on a corn dog and when he had finished, he tossed the wrapper behind one of the food shelves. Being in the tired and drowsy state I was, I didn’t even realise what he was up to and I just thought he would pay for it when we got to the counter. Not so. When we got there, big surprise, America has CCTV, and behind the monitors are three large Hawaiian security guards and an angry manager. Needless to say, I was almost guilty by association and when they let us out of there, there were a few local surfers that thrashed us with some obscenities. Stoked (extreme sarcasm). Note to self: Keep your distance from

dodgy backpacker Aussies…

...On that note Split-leg inverts and cross-legged reverse airs almost inevitably topped off with a pair of blue and yellow Churchill fins. They are pretty hard to miss. Whether you are at Foodland enjoying a bagel, cruising along the bike path, hassling at the backline or having sundowners on Keiki beach, you are bound to come across a noisy pack of these blonde haired freaks. Apart from the fact that they tend to follow the cult leaders (Hardy and Toby) in an obsessive manner and strive to live up to their stereotypical style of riding instead of just doing their own thing and enjoying a nice round barrel, they are pretty good guys and are quite a lot like us, the Saffers.

As I mentioned before, the first friend I made on the North Shore was an Aussie - Shannon, who soon after that, became friends with Sacha, Rosy, Colin, Oros, Sean, Charles and the Pig too. There were a few other Aussies from the backpackers that Shannon introduced us to and after both crews had had a few good sessions at Keiki shorey together we all began to bond pretty

Mr Josh Kleve, Above (pipe view) and right Shannon Granger© the mixture, I switched on the stove and waited for the pan to warm up. After 5 minutes, there was no sign of heat so I tried another plate and for some reason, that switch was connected to the original plate. I started tapping each of the coil plates with my bare hand (idiot!) to feel if any had started warming up and again, big surprise, I earned myself a savage burn on the palm that made me nauseous and to my dismay, the joke of the house. “Smooth Josh.”

Foodland When you’re staying on the North Shore, unless you want to miss half a day’s surf and catch a bus to town to get to a supermarket, or you are high rolling it with a car like Sean and Oros were, you go to Foodland. As soon as you arrive on the North Shore, one of your top priorities is to get your hands on a Makai card, which sorts you out with all the sweet half price deals. Whenever

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well as friends. There was nothing like hanging out with these guys at the Wednesday night all-you-can-eat barbeque, chatting about future travel plans or who got the heaviest nugget at Off the Wall that day.

Although we were friends, that didn’t take away our patriotism and the only way to decide who was best was to settle it with a game of beach cricket. Sacha used his game MacGyver skills and penknife to carve us a bat out of a piece of wood he had found and it was on… Whenever the surf was not worth the crowds, we would all head down to Keiki for some shorey fun, skimming action and of course our game of cricket. After a while it kind of became an ‘every man for himself’ deal instead of South Africa vs Australia and as expected, most of the talent was coming from the South African players.

Matthew Bromley and Shaun Joubert (two stand up groms from Cape Town and Mossel Bay) would come and join us for a game every now and then which was really cool. It just showed that when you are in a different country, it doesn’t matter whether you stand up, lie down or whatever, as long as you all have a common love for the ocean and good times with new friends, everyone gets on like peaches and cream. At the end of the game everyone would

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just chill on the beach, watching the sunset and soaking up the good life. Sacha and Colin would naturally be all over the Kodak moment with their cameras, getting us a few good pics for the facebook and peeps at home.

Dollar versus Rand situation With an exchange rate of $7.5 to R1, Hawaii is no cheap trip and takes a lot of saving. However, being bodyboarders, most of us are not fazed about what kind of food we will be eating and whether we will be sleeping under a bridge at night or in a luxury hotel so that saves us quite a lot. There are some things one must know about budgeting when you are going to make the trip. Your only expenses are not just food and accommodation. Other factors one has to take into account are; Transportation: Lifts to and from the airport. (Between $10 and . > $120 both ways) > A bicycle (Approximately $50) > Buses ($2 a trip- really cheap) Communication: > A phone card to call home and your girlfriend

if you don’t have Skype ($50) > Cell Phone with air time ($50) Pictures and video: > (Approximately $20 per picture or video clip, however, if you network well and make friends, prices are sure to decrease) Accommodation: > The price of one night at the backpackers was $25 and to play it safe, I will call that the average for one night of accommodation on the North Shore as well. But again, people are coming and going all the time so cheaper options may become available.

Food: > It’s best to find someone to split costs with and share food. Sacha and I would spend about $30 each for a big shop that would last us a week. Eating things like bananas, oats, eggs, beans and noodles save lots of money and if you have skills behind the stove, you can actually turn those dull ingredients into a fine display of glorious and splendorous food.

Friend or Foe: > Everyone knows of the stories about non locals / (houles) accidentally dropping in on the

FEATURE HAWAII 07/08

Josh sneaks a bomb at the infamous Banzai Pipeline Cestari/Covered Images©

wrong people and then getting beaten to a pulp without been given even a chance to explain themselves. These stories may often come across as exaggerated and completely blown out of proportion but unfortunately, as much as I would like to say they are, they aren’t. As a first year there, with no alliances of high power that would be able to separate my status in the water from the rest of the low-lifes that spend their time grovelling for a wave in amongst the circus of people, I had to be very aware of who my friends and foes were. In the water, I knew who my friends were, that’s the easy part. The hard part is knowing who to watch out for. So me being the wussy I am, came up with a strategy whereby I pretend that every single person out there was from the Wolf Pack and deserved ultimate respect. That way I would never get into trouble. I tested this strategy on my first proper surf at Pipe, which just so happened to be 10ft and the best day of the year so far. I soon found out that this strategy was not very effective in getting me waves so I gradually began following Sacha and Oros onto the inside, having a quick chat with everyone we knew on the way so not too look like we were blatantly snaking. They seemed to be able to get a few nuggets but I was still acting like a complete amateur and paddling in circles.

Finally, an average one snuck through untouched (or so I thought) and I swung myself around and paddled like crazy. Woohoo, I felt the wave take me and I began my steady decline toward a gaping barrel with my eyes as focused as they could be on the right line to take. Suddenly my focus was broken by a sharp whistle coming from behind me… No… No… There was a large, dark skinned surfer flying towards me. Not being able to pull out or pull straight and mess up his line, I just bailed my board and rolled down the face like an absolute kook. I bounced off the reef and came up spluttering and with a huge pair of what my bro and I like to call saucer eyes. Where was he? Am I going to get taken to the beach and beaten? Why me? At this point I was wondering if my year’s savings were worth coming all the way here, sitting at the back line for 2 hours without a wave and then possibly receiving the most savage beat down of my life. I saw him in the foam and began praying while I paddled up to him with the fearful and apologetic face of an abused dog. I said I was sorry and that I didn’t have a clue he was behind me. He started paddling towards me swearing like a sailor and pointing at my face. After a good minute of being subjected to some of the most shocking language I have ever heard, he let me be and

paddled back out. I remember thanking God that I was ok and slowly made my way to the channel. It struck me that the nightmare might not be over and there might be angry people on the beach waiting to thrash me for burning the surfer. This is where I began to execute a most cunning and convenient plan. I was wearing a short suit and a red Custom X rash vest over it that day which, from the beach, made me stand out in the crowd. I took off my rash vest, opened up my suit, stuffed the rashy inside it and closed my suit again. Suddenly the guy in the red rashy who was going to get canned had disappeared.

An innocent looking Josh caught a foamy, rode it to the beach, jumped on his bicycle and rode home untouched.

When Sacha got home he said he had thought it was tickets for me and admitted that my effective plan was pretty ingenious.

That incident made me completely aware of the reality of the aggression in the water and I played my cards wisely, making sure I knew a wave was mine before I began paddling from there onwards. ...Josh Kleve

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Sean Tickner [Accomodation 6/10] The “Studio” had 1 room, a bedroom/lounge/kitchen combo and a bathroom. Crammed with 6 people at one stage but pretty central, opposite Keiki.

[Waves 1/10 all the way to 10/10] Easily the worst early season in history, weeks of 2-3ft North Shore only to turn into 8-10ft Pipe and called the best Pipe in 3 or 4 winters. Plus we scored fun uncrowded waves in Kauai with just Oros, myself and 4 other guys out.

[Hook up potential 10/10] Having my Girlfriend Zandi there meant guaranteed hook-up, haha.

[Food prices/ staple diet 5/10] If you can get a lift to a place called Tamuras and buy bulk then it’s ok. 2min Noodles were always present, nice gap-filler but you need to supplement it with something solid.

[Haagen Daz 10/10] This was my Second season so I’d already got my Barrel first time around.

[Crowds 10/10] Crowded as usual but on the plus side, the Pipe Masters finished pretty early and most of the pro surfers went home. We still had Kala and Tamayo Perry regulating the Pipe line-up though.

[Weather 5/10] First three weeks it rained at least once a day - Kak when you cruised on the bike path and came home with a nice brown streak up your back thanks to the back-spray from the bike!

[Buzz on 10/10] Always good when there’s Mickey’s 40oz, which is equal to 1,2L of Malt goodness.

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Specker, in flight, again Tungsten©

< Charles Pass

FEATURE HAWAII 07/08

[Accomodation 5/10] Stayed with some Brazilian, camped with Wez or just in Oros’s car.

[Waves 9/10] Power and hollow waves like nowhere else.

[Hook up potential 7/10] Plenty stunning girls but minimal chance of getting a hook up!

[Food prices/ staple diet 3/10] Dollars suck! Foodland is a rip off and if you don’t like 2min noodles you’re screwed.

[Haagen Daz use (The myth is that you may only have Haagen Daz ice cream after you get your first 6 foot barrel at pipe and for anyone who doesn’t know, Haagen Daz is the best tasting ice cream in the world) 10/10] Best reward for a solid tube at pipe or Backdoor.

[Crowds 9/10] Everyone wanting to be next world champ makes hustling insane when 100+ people sit on 1 reef. Locals HATE foreigners, ask Boetie.

[Weather 5/10] Half the time it rains, half it’s bright sunshine and it changes between the two every 5 minutes.

[Buzz on 10/10] Good times with Adam at the backpackers for Mickey’s challenge and a couple of other out of hand nights.

Oros [Accommodation 3/10] Stayed in the maggot ridden backpackers for 5 nights but eventually found a place opposite Keiki.

[Waves 6/10] Had one or two fun days at Pipe before December. January was sick, locals called the Backdoor Shootout the best Pipe in three years, plus we got Waimea shorey smoking twice.

[Hook up potential 10/10] My girlfriend came with this season…

[Food prices/ staple diet 6/10] The prices aren’t so bad anymore, food is so expensive back home, I got back and converted prices of our stuff and realised that I wouldn’t have bought it if it was in dollars…

Tungsten© [Haagen Daz 10/10] Haagen Daz is the business, ask Josh Kleve after he tried to double the quota with an 8 to 10ft barrel at Pipe, Kiano might’ve claimed the wave but Josh just ran up the beach with a nervous grin on his face and cycled to get his ice cream.

[Crowds 4/10] Always bad, but with the contest being so late in February we were hoping it would be better until then, I think everyone was onto the same idea.

Mark McCarthy and Dre trade-off at Backdoor.

Tungsten©

[Weather 3/10] Rained for a solid month.

[Buzz on 8/10] It’s all about the Mickey’s!

One will get your ears nice and warm. Two misleads you into believing the third will be good for the party. Three ends your party or at least your memory of it…

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Mark McCarthy [Accommodation 8/10] For the first month of my stay, I lived at the Science Team House, it was just four houses down from the pipe car park. My last month was spent in the Rocky Point camp site, in a tent.

[Waves 10/10] Hawaii, with out a doubt has the best waves in the world, with amazing reefs and beach breaks. I can recall one afternoon that Wez and I scored some of our best waves at pipe ever.

[Hook up potential 8/10] Well I think this question should be for Adam Morley and Charlie Pass.

[Food prices/ staple diet 8/10] Food was epic at the Science House, Mike did all the shopping and we were on an Organic diet…

[Haagen Daz 8/10] It took awhile before I could satisfy my craving but when the swell finally came it was so good.

[Crowds 10/10] Wow, crowds are never thin at pipe, it’s always a mad house. I was really unlucky the one mid morning when I dropped in on a local on a Backdoor cracker…I looked behind me twice before taking off but it wasn’t good enough… it was a really good wave but it had the Volcom house whistling, I ended up losing my board and having to shave my hair.

[Weather 9/10] You just can’t beat the Hawaiian climate, I am happy to say that we had about 2 weeks of rain! This is not that much considering the usual amount of rainfall over the winter.

[Buzz on 8/10] No crazy stories myself but some funny nights were had at the backpackers…

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Looks close to the beach, cause it is.

Mark at Pipe Lee Kelly©

FEATURE HAWAII 07/08

Unknown at pipe Shannon Granger© Leif Emberg, Waimea Beast!!!

Shannon Granger©

Wez Fischer [Accomodation 7/10] Stayed in a tent for 2 months and then upgraded to my friends guesthouse the last 3 weeks... epic!

[Waves 10/10] Best late season ever, don’t believe everything you read or see...

[Hook up potential 0/10] Not engaged but almost married, my girl is waiting for me at home.

Tungsten©

[Food prices/ staple diet 7/10] Ramen is forever, my closest friend; for dinner, lunch and breakfast, anytime of the day…

[Haagen Daz 7/10] Ate it once, tight tight budget for some of us, thus the campsite experience...

[Crowds 9/10] Hawaii, what do you expect?!!

[Weather 10/10] The campsite was epic, even when it rained...

Colin van Dongen, very late drop at Waimea Shannon Granger©

[Buzz on 0/10] I don’t drink, use to, but no more...

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PHOTO ESSAY

crew: mossel bay Adam Morley might be the best known ripper from Mosselbay but there is a pretty solid boogie crew in the deep south...

all images: Joe Robinson and Dylan Watson

the Deep South

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01 Bjorn Coetzee, flip, Outerpool 02 Adam Morley, flip, Banzai 03 Joe Robinson, Dk pop, Outerpool 04 Klein Brak, beach break beauty

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05 Wesley Holm, Outerpool 06 Dylan Watson, Dk smash, Outerpool 07 The Crew, SCS maxing out

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08 Joe Robinson, little Dk pit, Outerpool 09 SCS, showing teeth 10 Stephan Maree, Invert, Outerpool

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Caleb BjergfeltŠ

COM PETE

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Visit www.sixty40.co.za for a complete overview of these events...

words by Gareth White and Martin Otto

Spex claims double whammy at first two SABA events...

MAN ON FIRE Sacha Specker, commonly known as Spex, truly is in top form having recently claimed wins in the Pro Division at both the Sport Unlimited Cape Classic and Wimpy-Rossi Pro-Am. Sixty40 catches up with the man behind the machine to find out what went down at the events and where he sees himself in the near future. to the semi finals. Conditions deteriorated throughout the day and organisers chose to bring the day to a premature end.

Let’s start with the Sport Unlimited Cape Classic, 21 – 23 March, which was held at the Hoek, on day one and at Caves in Koëlbaai for days two and three. According to Spex the contest, which was organised by the Western Province Bodyboarding Association, was well organised and was held in some of the best conditions he has ever seen at any SABA event.

Day one saw some of the best conditions of the event, with cranking 4 to 6 foot waves blessing the bay throughout the day - leaving many of the seeded riders, like Spex, aching to take part in the action. André Blignault, who competes in the Boys Division, busted one of the most perfect rolls on day one and with it was awarded for the Manoeuvre of the Contest.

Day two and with the qualifying rounds over it was down to business as the knock-out stage had begun. It wouldn’t have been a Cape Classic if the South Easter hadn’t shown up at some stage and this day it decided that it would pump.

Day two saw the inclusion of the seeded riders who beefed up the competition and busted solid moves in the testing surf. Spex went head to head with Alistair Taylor during the quarter finals and both traded move for move in a spectacular heat that saw the two advancing

“During both events the pressure was on in every heat. Every guy can do the moves, its just about putting it together in a heat. I like to watch heats and see how they are won and use some of those aspects to my own advantage. I try work out the best heat plans for the conditions and competitors I am up against and work through them in my mind. Proper preparation prevents poor performance and panic”, said Spex of his thoughts on competition.

Day three and the event boiled down to the best against the best in the finals. Each competitor had a full bag of tricks up their sleeve and Spex had to be at his best if he stood any chance of walking away as the winner. The Pro Final saw Spex facing off against Alistair Taylor, Mark Watts and Derek Footit - all experienced competitors who can never be counted out in any conditions.

Spex opened his account early on in the final with an impressive Air Roll Spin to Roll and Reverse Spin combo, and despite being hard pressed by his fellow finalists Spex drew first blood and claimed victory. Taylor, Footit and Watts finished in second, third and fourth respectively.

[01] Mens' Division Finalists (left to right; Wesley Potts Ian Thurtell Darryn Campbell Michael Meyer DCmike© [02] UFO stylishly slips into an aqua pit at the Hoek on the first day of the Cape Classic Damon Crawford© [03] The Judging tower and contestants DCmike©

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COM PETE

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Visit www.sixty40.co.za for a complete overview of these events...

As if the cake wasn’t already sweet enough, Spex added the proverbial cherry to the top of the Sport Unlimited Cape Classic when he clocked up a superb second victory in the Drop Knee Division.

“Winning is always an epic feeling, especially when the waves are decent. Nailing a double at the Cape Classic is a memorable accomplishment for me, seeing that it was in my backyard. I was surprised that there was no money in the DK division, so it would be nice if the sponsors would consider funding it next year. Other than that the Sport Unlimited Cape Classic was an absolute pleasure to compete in”, said Spex of his wins and his impression of the contest.

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Sponsors

Associate Sponsors

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Next stop Margate and the Wimpy-Rossi Pro-AM, 2 - 4 May. Held over the super long weekend at the beginning of May, the contest celebrated a remarkable milestone this year in that anchor sponsors Wimpy Margate and Rossi Board Co joined forces for the 9th consecutive year to once again produce a memorable contest for competitors and spectators alike.

[top] Darryn Campbell DK smash DCmike© [bottom] Josh Kleve Simon Heale©

“The Wimpy-Rossi Pro-Am has always been a memorable event, with past conditions varying from one foot onshore, to solid 6-8 foot dredging pits. SKZN showed their dedication and efficiency with a well run and superbly organized event. This Year Mother Nature generously provided us with consistent 3-5 foot barrels and ramps, making for an exciting showdown of SA talent”, commented Spex on the contest.

From day one Spex was on form and impressed many with his performances in the early

[01] Lizaard one of the key sponsors Wayne Beekman© [02] UFO tweaks an flat-top invert JFK© [03] ED's flip JFK© [03] Factory7 skimming contest JFK©

stages. Another rider to impress on day one was Andrew Raath who turned on the class and convincingly won his Pro heat. Raath is somewhat of a dark horse in the Pro Division having only made the transition from the Boys to Juniors earlier this year. Another Junior rider who made everyone take notice of him was Chris “Crizzle” Elliott, who cruised through his Junior and Pro heats and found himself in both finals.

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COM PETE

Visit www.sixty40.co.za for a complete overview of these events...

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Two angles...

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[01 + 02] Spex flipping in the pro final [01] Fay Klusener© [02] Peter Lambert© [03 + 04] Spex clean off the lip during a dropknee heat.

[01] JFK© [02] Peter Lambert©

01 “Watching Crizzles early heats forced me to lift my game. The younger guys like Jared Houston, Crizzle, Aden Kleve and Ian Campbell are hungrier than most of the older guys, they can all pull something big when you least expect it. They really push me to be more critical and clinical”, said Spex of his younger opponents.

Day 2 and conditions deteriorated slightly from those of the opening day, but the level of riding remained high despite the testing surf. Alistair Taylor was one of biggest standouts of the day after landing a near perfect ARS on his second wave of a heat. A wave which he caught only moments before the buzzer sounded - trust Al to pull one out of the bag!

“Alistair is someone you can never count out of any race, no matter what the conditions are. He is a very experienced competitor and knows what needs to be done”, added Spex.

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03 Besides the epic action taking place in the water on day two, the grunt of 650 Harley Davidson Motorcycles rattled the parking lot and got the packed beach buzzing with a raw energy that left everyone excited for the following day.

The final day started on somewhat of a disappointing note as the expected swell had yet to arrived, and a gusty onshore was brewing.

The suddenly, as if someone had waved a magic wand, the conditions changed almost instantly to a light offshore wind with 3 - 4ft plate glass perfect peaks rolling in. With only a few semi final heats left to be run together with the finals the stage was set for a cracking conclusion to an epic contest.

Since the introduction of entrants being allowed to ride 2 or 3 divisions, the Juniors could finally prove their true potential by taking on their idols in the Pro division. This turned out to be the case in this years' Pro Final as Chris

Elliot, who was also in action in the Junior final, came up against Alistair Taylor, Spex and Jared Houston. Spex, hungry for a second tour win and his share of the R12 000 prize money, made it clear that he was going to be hard to stop when he started busting out solid move after solid move. With ARS’s flying left right and centre Spex and Alistair went all out in a race to the finishing line - each showing true class.

Jared and Chris tried their best to play catch up to the two, but it was in vain. Spex was in a league of his own and took the win with Alistair in second, Jared in third and Chris in fourth.

Not only did Spex make the Pro final at the Wimpy-Rossi, but once again he also featured strongly in the Drop Knee final, which was sponsored by Factory 7. In a close final, won

by Durbanite Sean Tickner, bringing to an end Specker’s hopes claiming another double.

“I am pretty bummed that it was so close

between second and first for DK at the Margate event. If I had surfed better, then I would have won, but that is just the way the cookie crumbles. This year has been pretty good so far, so I have no reason to be disappointed for not reaching my goal”, added Spex After these remarkable victories Spex has taken a firm grip at the top of the SABA rankings in both the Pro and DK divisions, with only The Wedge Classic remaining on the SABA calendar he has a good chance of taking the overall title.

He went on to say that he would love to see more South Africans competing on the tour, but that it was financial backing that a lot of our countries best were lacking. He concluded by saying that at the moment bodyboarding in South Africa was more of a hobby than a career.

A pity considering the number of talented riders our country has to offer.

Sponsors

Not only is Spex a dominant force at home in South Africa, but he has also shown the world exactly what he is capable of when he won the Imperial Beach Pro, in California, and finished 4th in the Ledges Pro in Hawaii late last year.

When asked to compare USBA events to SABA events, he said that SABA wins hands down - as he feels that SABA events are better organised and are run far more efficiently.

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Anyone who has seen Spex compete will know that when he is on form, he is in a different class, so we just had to ask when we could expect to see his name on the IBA world tour.

“Without a financial sponsor I just can’t afford to be flying around the world following the tour. Even if I were to make it into a few finals or ideally win an event, I still wouldn't be able to fund my dream. At the moment the IBA tour is far away for me” commented Spex of his current situation.

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[01] Terence Pieters sky high skimming flip JFK© [02] Johnny Maritz rare invert on a right hander JFK© [03] Spectators Wayne Beekman© [04] Alistair Taylor, setting it up JFK©

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All Good Things...

FEATURE all good things

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Words by James Moolenschot // images by DCmike

Mark Clark deep in the throat of a hungry monster

[1] I'm bleak.

Not long ago I stood in the road outside my house, trying to suppress my remorse as I watched some random guy drive off with our pride and joy. In August ‘06, Peter Lambert and I bought a small 4 metre rubber duck with some vague and ambitious ideas of using it to push our limits in the waves. We were not only intending to pull each other into the biggest, heaviest waves we could find, but also use it to gain access to hard to reach spots for water support and photos, and of course for some fun on flat days. We had all these grand intentions of using our little grey machine for mad adventures and looking back I am still in awe of the experiences we did have and even how much the boat ‘era’ influenced our everyday riding as well.

In spite of the lingering sense of loss, I realise that we’ve ended up with great new friends and timeless memories. Memories of glorious triumphs and rock solid beatings; some highlighted here and the rest reserved for road trips and rum infused campfire stories…

[2] THE LEARNING CURVE

Knowing sweet nothing about motor mechanics when buying your first outboard engine makes things a little nerve wracking, especially when you’re a control freak like me. We had to take a leap of faith and trust the overweight petrolhead who was trying to pawn the thing onto us. We even took the boat for a test ride before paying the guy, which somehow convinced us it would do the job. It’s ironic then that all of 5 minutes into our inaugural boat launch at Yzerfontein, after proudly launching with our girlfriends onboard, the motor cuts out just outside the harbour entrance. It took a ridiculous 45 minutes of drifting around - drenched in petrol and sweat from trying to start the motor in the baking sun, and fending off the worried remarks from the girls in the boat - before we figured out the problem was a loose fuel filter. A quick tighten of the filter and we were back in action and buzzing around, deeply thankful that it hadn’t resulted in us being rescued or something equally embarrassing… In hindsight I realise that for the first few months we had some pretty major motor problems. Somehow through our ignorance and Peter’s gung-ho insistence, we still got out there and jammed around at various beaches. As we figured out all the dynamics and techniques of towing riders and how to handle the boat in waves, we had numerous hairy moments which often involved the motor cutting out in the shore break with the towrope wrapped around the prop or massive uncontrolled airs in the boat while trying to escape looming sets.

[3] THE PENNY DROPS

The beach breaks were fun but we were thirsty for something bigger, and we ventured out in the last of the autumn swells. On our first big day scouting mission out at Sunset Reef, Gordon Cockwell had joined us as our crew and passed on some valuable experience. In all honesty I was really freaked out this day: it was huge, windy and crowded and the feeling of being pushed around by the huge ocean swells was really unnerving. So we just sat in the channel, watched the experienced tow teams at work, and told ourselves that some day we would be back to get some bombs of our own.

Peter would go!

We had barely had the boat for 3 months when we got our chance: we hardly knew what we were doing as it was and then Peter had recruited Mike Dei-Cont, a total newcomer, as our third man. It was a hell of a day to be a rookie. After a quick instruction on our boat rules and towing methods, we were buzzing through the kelp channel and out to Sunset reef. We were new to the tow scene and wanted to show our respect, so we showed our faces, watched the tow surf crews share the peak, and eventually decided to check out the Outer Dunes bank where PWC's are not allowed to ride.

Peter being the resident guinea pig got to sample the waves first and we pulled him into a few lumpy bombs that weren’t that good.

Even so, we were amazed at the speed of the waves and how early he could get riding on an unbroken swell. A few tries later we gave up on the bank and hopped on back to Sunsets to find that only 1 tow crew were still riding. Quick as a flash we had Peter in the water bouncing along behind the boat wildly in front of a mid-sized set of around 15 foot with our dodgy motor spluttering and cavitating in stubborn defiance of my intent to get the hell out of there. The next moment Mike and I were gunning down the face of this beast hooting like a pair of >

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FEATURE all good things

adolescent chicks as we watched Peter take the biggest drop of his life. The afternoon sun cast a green backlight on the epic scene, as the images were vividly ingrained in our minds. As we careened off the shoulder to relative safety, we lost sight of Peter and waited tentatively to see if he made it out past the end section unscathed.

Interestingly enough, the post wave rider pickup is probably the scariest aspect of towing in any size waves. We had a choice to either pull the rider out of the zone using the tow rope or pull them right into the boat; both are time consuming options when you have the next wave bearing down on you like mother elephant protecting its child. Sometimes the rider would be left to duckdive a few bombs before having the luxury of being thrashed around on the tow back out.

Towing behind a boat on a bodyboard is an unglamorous and painful experience, especially when done at speed. I found this out a short while later when, after Peter had got a few monsters, it was my turn on the end of the rope. Just mentally pushing yourself to ride the biggest wave of your life isn’t enough, your resilience to being repeatedly smashed into a block of foam is tested at the same time. One of the main differences between towing and paddling is that towing is a team effort. As the rider, you put a lot of trust in your driver to pull you nicely into a wave that won’t kill you, and then also to pull you to safety when it very nearly does. And contrary to paddle surfing, it

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is the driver that chooses the wave and not the rider, hence the nervous knot of tension in my stomach when I watched Peter ‘Madman’ Lambert put his hand on the throttle and flash a wide grin at me. I was committed, so I gripped the towrope handle firmly and focused on steadying the nerves in my stomach. This proved to be pointless because before I knew it I was thundering along behind the boat being slapped against my board like a ragdoll, one arm stretched out ahead clutching onto the handle and the other desperately trying to maintain a grip on the nose of my board. With all the water splashing in my eyes and the pain in my stomach, I barely registered Peter cranking a turn onto a swell and start to gun for the shore.

I was being thrashed around even harder than before. After a few moments of being bounced so hard that my eyelids felt like they were slapping against my cheeks and my brain was numb from being rattled in my skull, I let go out of sheer exhaustion… only to find myself screaming along the top of a lump of water the size of a nice suburban house. At that point my first reaction was to think “Hell no. I’m getting off this mad thing!”, but the fear of being caught inside by the next wave forced me to keeping pumping my board over the chop to keep up my speed on the swell whilst thinking to myself: “Holy crap this wave is moving fast!”

It was moving so fast that even though I was pelting along at full pace - legs lifted out the water for minimal drag and leaning right forward on my board - I still couldn’t get down the wave face. Eventually I felt the swell start

slowing down over the reef and watched in amazement as the chop ironed out to form the biggest bowl of green glass I had ever witnessed. As I skimmed down into the shadow of the lip lurching above me, I focused on setting my grip and body position to engage the rail. Any mistakes at this point would have been punished, brutally. A survival reflex kicked into gear and I set my sight on the channel, the only problem was that it was taking me longer to ride down the face of the wave than I had anticipated due to the incredible speed that the waves were breaking over the reef. I realised that I would need all the speed possible to get out of there safely and cranked a long, drawn out bottom turn that projected me down the line towards deep water. A soundtrack of adrenalinefuelled blood pumping in my ears was playing in my head harmoniously blended to the sound of the lip thundering away at the rock shelf below, and I didn’t need to look behind me to know that I was riding a thin line between good times and bad. We were all hooting like crazy when the boys came to tow me out to the channel and when they asked if I wanted another one the answer was simple… Hell yeah!

By the time we were weaving back through the kelp channel to the boat launch, the sun was sinking behind the feathering sets on the outer reefs. We were all buzzing manically from the experience and exhausted from adrenaline overload; this was the reason we had bought the boat.

[4] THE SECOND SEASON

The summer months forced us to give up the big swell chase and focus on honing our skills in the beach breaks and sorting out the boat problems one by one. Motor servicing, trailer servicing, transom rebuilding, a new prop, deck foot straps, waterproof storage bags and more motor servicing left us as broke as it gets, but humming along sweetly with our little machine.

By the time autumn was on our doorstep, we had found ourselves a solid 3rd man in Mark Clark, who could bunk work as consistently as us to chase the waves. Mark got pretty much straight into the thick of things and learned quickly; by this I mean he only chopped up the tow rope in the shore break once before settling into the routine of towing, skippering, crewing and getting pushed out of the boat by Peter as soon as he had his fins on. Of course there is no amount of 6ft beach break days that will fully prepare you for your first big Sunset bomb, and Mark had his day coming sure enough.

There was never any doubt that Mark could handle himself in big waves, he had joined us on

a few paddle sessions at Sunset and had proved that his bag of marbles was as full as anyone else on the playground. But as he sat in the water next to the boat wide-eyed and watched a set thunder across the reef, he asked us to start him off on a mid-sized one first… yeah right!

In my estimation, the biggest day we ever rode weighed in at a solid 20ft with wave faces of over 40ft. Of course in the moment we really weren’t too concerned about the trivialities of size, and were focused more closely on keeping the tow operation running smoothly. That day also sticks in my mind as being the best day we ever got out there, with everything coming together to hand us perfect, uncrowded bombs of icy blue water. Mark and Peter were charging so hard it was stupid. Peter, unsatisfied with simply riding the biggest waves we had scored to date, decided to tackle the end section of a set that had walled up solidly. Mark and I followed closely behind the wave expecting him to pull out of the section and snatch the rope for a quick rescue. Instead we saw Peter’s board rise up out the foam and stay held up vertically in the air from the tension on his leash.

The board tombstoned there for so long, with Peter getting mashed underneath, that we were forced to circle back around the next wave and try again. After the second wave, Peter came up without a board and his hand straight up in the air to call us for a pick up. We screamed through the foamy water towards him, as Mark leaned over the side, ready to grab and pull him into the boat. Within a few seconds, we were gunning back out of the impact zone with Peter coughing and spluttering on the floorboards. As I looked at him I did a double take, not only had his leash snapped, but his fin had been ripped off and on that same leg his wetsuit had been stretched halfway off his leg! This was a clear indicator of the thrashing he must have been subjected to.

Not to be outdone, Mark got a wave that bowled so closely behind him that we thought he was going to be snatched up and spewed out into the inside kelp beds. His next wave was even bigger and yet he faded even deeper before cranking his bottom turn. It’s hard to tell exactly how close he was to being barrelled when I was simultaneously making sure I didn’t drive the boat over the falls and hooting until I was red in the face. It was so sick to watch I can barely begin to explain.

When pulling a rider onto a wave, there is a choice to either gun out into the channel in front of the wave or to pull off the shoulder early and follow from behind. Running out in >

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FEATURE all good things front of a monster wave in a small watercraft comes a close second to riding the beast yourself. On one hand, the consequences are higher because you are risking all the equipment, and on the other hand you have the power to get out of trouble when things get a little too close for comfort. Throttling a boat down a wave face more than a few boat lengths in height is enough to get the most hardcore junkie buzzing, but being in the perfect position to watch your buddy rocketing through a huge, maxed out bowl section cranks the stoke up yet another few notches.

[5] THE WEST COAST

Not all of our petroleum-fuelled accomplishments were about whipping boogers into mad waves. There were also some

memorable days of scouting hard to reach spots and using the boat to shoot photos of paddle sessions. Some of these notable days were scored at an infamously secret west coast slab.

One weekend, Peter and I threw Rylin Richardson in the back of my bakkie and hit the long drive up the coast. We arrived at the spot in question to see the Road Warriors crew sharing some solid bombs with Mark Clark shooting images from the shore. I enticed Mark to help me launch the boat and shoot some shots from the channel while Peter and Rylin paddled out to join the boys on the reef. The only launch nearby was from a beach in a protected cove that had huge rocks on either side forming a narrow, 50m long channel. In flat conditions it would be no problem, but we were watching

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swells pour in and break on either side of the channel turning it into 50m of foamy, kelpy, rocky nastiness that I call The Gauntlet. Timing the sets was crucial to avoid disaster and with no space to turn the boat around for a chicken run to safety, it was an all-or-nothing manoeuvre.

The ruggedness of that area is always thoroughly daunting, and we sat well clear of the reef at first feeling jittery. That is until we saw the first set come through… seeing this wave break from the channel is quite simply amazing, even without a mad booger airdropping deep inside the barrel. Before I had even finished hooting, Mark had his camera out of its storm case and ready to catch the next set. Firing off shots all afternoon until sunset, Mark caught some of the sickest photos I’ve

ever seen from the shores of South Africa. As the evening approached, a thick wall of mist moved in that we ignored until on our way back to the launch, Mark and I realised that we couldn’t see the channel from the water. All we could see through the thick mist was huge plumes of whitewater from the swells smashing into the rocks. With the light fading fast, we had to make a quick call, and I cruised cautiously towards a gap in the whitewater that we figured was the channel, nervously checking behind us for any sets. The decision was good and we slotted through the Gauntlet a little rattled, but unscathed.

The next day Peter, Rylin and I saw the spot was way too big and out of control, but another slab around the corner was breaking, and we were

trying to decide if it was rideable or not. After one particularly good looking set, we chose to launch the boat and scout it from the water.

The conditions were as sketchy as it gets, and with the Gauntlet behind us, we cautiously approached the reef trying to find a safe place to watch the wave. We found out that there was no such place, and the combination of solid swells, a strong rip and cluster of pinnacle rocks sticking up in the channel kept us on our toes. Peter and Rylin paddled over to try and tame the beast while I kept the boat running in the channel constantly fighting the rip and shooting off a few shots on Peter’s camera. The swell had obviously picked up quickly and the boys struggled to get waves with all the water moving around over the slab. The waves would jack from nothing to grunting demons in the flash of an eye, and a few times Pete was left to

duckdive through the face of pure triple-sucking nastiness. They rode a few waves without drama, but needless to say it didn’t last long, and eventually the inevitable happened. Peter pulled into a wave and got washed over the slab just before the biggest set of the day. Rylin had just joined me in the boat when I saw the set and thought to myself: If someone got caught inside by that wave they would probably die… and as I had said it out loud, I saw Peter paddling frantically in the middle of the impact zone. The set steamrolled him across the entire reef and past the inside pinnacle rocks which left him totally out of reach of a boat rescue. I was just about to panic when I spotted Peter paddling weakly towards us through a gap in the rocks.

I have never seen anyone so genuinely dazed and confused, he actually needed help to get back in the boat. A wave like that with such vivid

consequence needed a name to encapsulate the inherent danger: Tombstones.

Later in the year, Peter, Mark, Mike DC and I ventured back up to the secret spot. The swell was big and the weather was morbid with gloomy skies and gusty winds. Peter and I were nominated as the first to tackle the mental conditions, with MC piloting the boat while DC shot off some images. Yet again the session ended dramatically when Peter chose to paddle into the biggest wave we had seen that day. I have no idea what was going through his mind at the time, but it was clearly not something any ordinary rider would think. I watched him scratch into the monster from the take off zone, shaking my head at his madness, and felt a shudder go through my body when I watched the wave from behind detonate on the reef in

the most menacing way possible. I saw him come up for air at some point and then he was gone, washed down the rocky point in the aftermath of foamy whitewater. I saw him get picked up by the boat and then not long after I pulled off a wave to face another massive set bearing down on me. The whitewater smashed into me like a truck and snapped my leash as if it was dental floss, taking half my finger with it.

After the guys collected me and my board, we sat in the channel in a mild state of shock, with both Peter and I bleeding all over the boat. Yet again, we motored gently back to the cove with our tails between our legs.

[6] THE FINAL DAY

It was inevitable that one day we would be faced with the task of trying to fit into a full lineup of tow surfers at Sunset Reef, and we weren’t sure how the guys would like us crashing their party. By the time this came to play, we had owned the boat for a year and a half and had managed to form a basic level of respect from the guys who just let us get on with the task at hand. With Mark in the UK, we had Eugene van der Elst as our 3rd man and we sat in the channel watching a few die hard surfers trying to paddle into big, lumpy swells.

We gave it a go too, but paddling this day just wasn’t worth it, so eventually the paddle guys would leave the water. Even if it wasn’t against the law in Cape Town to tow surf at a spot where surfers are paddling, it is a sign of respect for the guys doing it the old school way, and so we waited.

Within an hour the waves had cleaned up and there were 6 other tow teams in the water. The system works like a normal lineup, except that everyone waits in the channel and not the peak for their turn to whip a rider onto a wave. With power-assisted surfing, barely any waves get wasted and this forms a constantly rotating lineup where every wave of every set has a rider on it. We were feeling pressured to make our waves, and work really quick rescues when necessary, in order to avoid interfering with the other riders and ski’s.

Peter hit it first and represented on the boogie while I chose to ride standup to show the old boys I could do it. Eugene handled like a champ, getting into some solid waves and looking pretty stoked with his rides. And then things got a little crazy… >

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FEATURE all good things capsize the boat or how we were going to fix it. Even though I had imagined the scenario before and theoretically knew what to do, I was completely unprepared for the reality of it all. I snapped out of it when Dave Smith, one of the tow guys, dived into the water to help us flip the boat back over. My mind snapped back into gear and we rigged the tow rope to pull the boat over while standing on the hull.

The problem was that every time we got close, we would all slip off the hull and fall back to where we started. It would have been comical if it wasn’t so serious. At first we were drifting over swells just clear of the zone but moments later a large set swung wide and smashed into us, ripping all the bags and boards out of their straps. The next wave hit us too, washing over us and further distributed the debris of boards and

There is also a particularly nasty end section at Sunset that sometimes has a wedging wave after a set that can easily catch you off guard.

Our rule of thumb was: He who rides all the way to the end bowl, deserves to paddle into the clear before getting picked up. This time it was Eugene who was sitting there duckdiving the end section and, with all the other riders in the water, we needed to get him out of there pronto.

Our first pickup attempt was not quick enough and we got out of the zone again, leaving Eugene to duck under another wave. I spotted a lull in the sets, rode in right behind the next wave and swung around Eugene to give him a chance to grab the rope when I notice that something was wrong. A small side wedge of about 8ft was heading right for us and rearing up on the end section. Not good at all. I had to get out of there, but not so fast that I took Eugene’s head off with the tow rope. I felt my stomach drop as I watched the evil wedge start to foam at the top of the wave. We had handled foamballs this size many times before in the shorebreaks and I was confident we would make it. What I had failed to take into account in the heat of the moment was firstly that the drop off behind this wave was twice that of a normal foamball this size and secondly that the wind had picked up solidly. As I play this scenario through my head in slow motion, I can feel how the boat climbed the face of the wave slowly,

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heading toward the crumbling lip, and with a small burst of throttle to get the nose of the boat over the foamball we hit the whitewater and found ourselves airborn. With all the weight in the back of the boat, we plummeted, nose up, for what felt like forever before the motor hit the water. For a fraction of a second I thought it was all okay, that the nose was going to drop forward like every time before and that we would carry on as usual. But at this point the wind managed to catch under the hull, twisted the boat around on the back of the pontoons and pitched it over. I remember bailing off the side as the boat came crashing upside down into the water next to me. I was in total shock.

I couldn’t figure out how I had managed to

floating bags one of which had Peter’s camera inside it. Within a few minutes, almost all the tow crews were there surrounding us, helping to recover our stuff and get the boat right side up. Eventually we got the boat back over with the help of a PWC, but this was by no means the end of it all. Our engine was flooded with sea water and needed serious attention before we could attempt to start it again. Thankfully one tow crew offered to tow me back across the bay in the boat while another two ski’s each carried Peter and Eugene. These guys even risked their own gear to pull us right through the kelp channel during a lull and got us safely back to the boat launch. Respect. As soon as I could, I rushed off to get the motor serviced by a mechanic to prevent any serious water damage.

Later that day I dropped off a case of beers with the tow crews as a token of gratitude for all their help. The guys were all super encouraging about our dramatic event, telling me stories of how they had all crashed and burned in the past and knew how quickly things could go wrong in such heavy conditions. The guys even had a few chirps about how we handled well out there. My guess is that heavy waves will always create a bond of respect between riders that transcends the usual politics of the lineup, and I strongly believe that because we treated the tow scene and established surfers with respect, we got our respect in return.

Sadly, that was the last day we ever took the boat out for a session. I think that it was partly because the decent swells of the season were running out, and partly because we had switched our focus to money issues and travel plans. Things just kind of fell apart and the

London Underground - Image Jo Moolenschot©

boat went up for sale. By now you might have asked yourself; why, for the love of Neptune’s sack, did we sell the boat? I have asked myself that plenty of times already. The best response I have is that I took the money and bought a ticket to the Canary Islands for 2 weeks of pure bodyboarding indulgence. Massive, thundering blue barrels of warm water over crazy volcanic reefs - and the adventure continues…

Even though some crusty old dude took our beloved machine from us, the legacy of the boat lives on in our minds. At the very least it’s cool to think that he was towing his kids around the Breede River all summer, getting them buzzing in the water and stoked on life.

These days when I ride the London Underground trains to work, packed with gloomy people who will never know the stoke that we know, I relive my daydream of buying a better vehicle for bigger days and madder adventures back in South Africa.

FEATURE surf in Wales!

Words by Bernadine Rodgers

It was raining again.

Who was I kidding; it was always raining in this part of the country, especially when the surf is up.

But that didn’t stop them. For the longest time, I had been threatening to join them in that endless bay to catch a few waves, just… not today. So I sat in the car as the two boys hurtled at full speed up and over the barrier of stones and into the freezing cold sea.

It was March. The weather was only just starting to admit that there was something other than rain it could sling at us, and the sun had begun to venture out of its hiding place. But that didn’t make the sea any warmer or any more tempting for me. The wind would suddenly gust over the top of the barrier and my small 1.2 Nissan Micra would sway ominously. An hour later, the boys would come back over the top, soaking and shivering, but with tremendous grins on their faces. It was up to me to supply cookies and heating, listening to them talk about “awesome left handers”. Three months later, the back seats had started to grow mushrooms due to their wet bums on my fabric, but that was a small price to pay to see their happy faces.

The west coast of Wales is a stunning place. The valleys and the hills are remarkably picturesque, and even on windswept days the countryside has a warmth to it. Cardigan Bay is renowned not only for its dolphin colony, but also for the dangerous riptides that carry drunken students, looking for a midnight dip, from North Beach in Aberystwyth, right the way around the bay to Aberdyfi and the Ynyslas Estuary. Everything ends up there. From bodies to car tyres. Many an inflatable dingy has been found with two scared and cold tourists on the Ynyslas sands, where three hours before they were paddling safely around Aberystwyth beach. This makes the surfing all the more interesting in the surrounding town of Borth, which I and my two charges frequented.

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The road leading into Borth is a steep and treacherous one. A long flat stretch lulls you into a sense of safety, and you increase your speed.

However, the “30 Miles an Hour” signs are not for show. At a blind rise, the road drops steeply away to the right, presenting you with a view of the North Coast of Wales. Borth sits in between the blustery Cardigan Bay and a peat bog. It is desolate and forgotten, and all but shuts down in the winter months. From this viewpoint high above the town one has a glimpse of the tides and the swell, therefore on the days I bring the boys to surf I am forced to risk life, limb and stray sheep.

The boys were my fiancé, Emlyn, and our friend Rich. Emlyn is an avid bodyboarder and sometime-surfer, his enthusiasm had rubbed off on the punk that is Rich.

My experience of wave-catching was limited to my experience about two years ago in the Indian Ocean, having had a holiday in Margate.

Emlyn had taken one look at the water and nearly dove in fully clothed. I was nervous, my last memory was from when I was 5, nearly drowning in the very same sea. So getting into the ocean took a lot of persuading. After finally catching my first wave (and nearly succeeding in running over a young child), I had the time of my life. I even received my first board-induced scar from a hidden patch of rock. Through the pain, I was secretly ecstatic, counting myself fortunate to have a permanent reminder of the three day holiday.

Back in Wales, the feeling of wanting to get in the water quickly vanished. Emlyn and Rich were bounding into the sea pretty much every day, but the farthest I had got was sticking my feet in. I’d run to the safety of my car, as my toes

had turned blue. The temperature, Emlyn had informed me, was creeping up to 8 degrees Celsius. Do you know what 8 degrees Celsius water feels like? Emlyn used to say that it was the best cure for a hangover, because the pain of the water flowing over your head would overtake the pain of the hangover.

Yet they were smiling. And I had no idea why. How could you be so cold and yet be so content? It made no sense to me... until Emlyn practically bullied me into the water, I thought they were all mad.

Emlyn led me into the surf shop one day. He showed me a pretty wetsuit with pink flowers on the chest, and black inlay. I thought - well, that seems ok, it won’t make me look like a seal - and I agreed to try it on. Emlyn bought it for me the next day, and then made me promise

Wales in brief...

POPULATION: 5,500,000 AREA: 20,000 km² CAPITAL: Cardiff TIME: GMT LANGUAGE: English, Welsh AVERAGE WATER TEMPS: 7°C - 17°C AVERAGE AIR TEMPS: 2°C - 21°C CURRENCY: Pound Sterling ---------------------------------------------------------------www.beachwizard.com

Interesting trivial fact: The Welsh Anthem is "Ba Ba Black Sheep"

“The mushrooms continued to grow in the car.” to get in the sea with him. Seeing the blackmail technique, but still feeling like I should use the darned thing, I agreed to don the wetsuit and jump in the bay with him.

When the boys asked me if I wanted to join them the next week, I hesitated. It was going to be cold and probably raining, very different to the 23 degrees Celsius of Margate. Did I really want to go through this? By the time we got to the beach, it was too late; the boys were already pushing me up the embankment that led to the sea. The sight below us made these two boys sway with enthusiasm. The sun had come out and it was basking the long expanse of beach in a golden light. At the time, I was too nervous to think about the beauty, I just kind of wanted to get it over with.

Yet after catching the first wave I was hooked. I am a speed freak and the feeling of the wind in my hair and the salt that crusts up the side of your nose created a feeling that will stay with me till the day I die. I used to race around the back lanes of Wales, sometimes tipping the car

onto two wheels, but after the feeling of riding down a wall of water and having it lift you up, hurtling you towards the stones and sand of the beach is something I found much more exhilarating.

Eventually the sun was beginning to drop below the horizon out to sea, and the temperature was falling rapidly, overtaking my enthusiasm was the realization that I could no longer move my toes. It was only until July that the water warmed up a bit.

Eventually there was an entire beach in the boot and a constant puddle of salt water near the accelerator peddle. But I loved it, even if my car didn’t.

Now, a year on from that fateful summer, my fiancé and I are stuck inland, in Johannesburg.

We intend to move to Cape Town soon, I’m sick of the dust, the smog, the dryness and the feeling that to catch a decent wave you’ll have to sit in Ellis Park stadium when the Chiefs play Mamelodi Sundowns…

I constantly remember the feeling of the wind in my hair as the swell carries me off faster than I would like towards a barrel of stones and rocks and general pain. Not that that would happen in Cape Town. On a recent trip to Camps Bay I got my feet wet in the Benguela current, and nearly died from cold. But the feeling of sand, not sharp rocks of death, beneath my feet was worth it. To know that what awaits you is a mouthful of sand, not a brain-full of rocks is terribly alluring to me. It would be a far cry from the gentle two foot swell that greets wannabe surfers and spongers in Borth. I would actually have to work for my pudding, not just stand there and flop down on whatever passes for a wave in West Wales.

But that is in the future. I envy those of you that live by the sea, as I once did in the UK. I hope that you never take it for granted, the knowledge that somewhere in this world where we have to pay for everything - even the right to live - there is a place on this earth where you can sit, sleep, swim or surf, safe in the knowledge that what you are doing is entirely free.

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