Edition 1
XTREME
Check out the 2-page photo story of longboarding on pages 3 & 4!
27th May 2016
Ever wondered about boxing injuries? Check page 6!
Check out our cool profiles on sportswoman on Page 3!
N O P U D S E E U D L O C H Y R L T E K A M O S E O T R L R T A EX ME SPO E K A E T . R E ! T R Y O T EX I M S R R E O V F I UN INSIDE
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PEARLSOF WISDOM...
An Alternate Look at Extreme Sports
W
THE EDITORSamkele Myeni
Boxing. There’s nothing more fierce than being able to throw a good punch. Within reason of course.
We asked our Xtreme Staffers... If you could learn one Extreme Sport, what would it be and why?
Rachel Layzell
“Underwater Hockey. It would be fun to try a sport that is a combination of two things I
Tumi Dumisa
“Skateboarding. Because it was something my brother and I used to bond over as
Yanga Macingwane
“Surfing. I love the Ocean”
Nontokozo Mchunu
“Surfing. The thought of being within a wave and seeing it up close, would kill any current fear I have of the water.”
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hen five inexperienced journalists were faced with the challenge of writing about extreme sports in Grahamstown, one would not have anticipated that the result would be a refreshingly human inspection of the world of extreme sports. The focus of our publication has been the exploration of extreme sports in the small town of Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape which is better known for its rich history and the brilliant Rhodes University located there. We zoom in on sports such as long boarding and other sports. Anna Talbot, a canoer, believes any sport can be extreme, depending on the determination of the sportsperson doing it. This has shaped our outlook on extreme sports. Our flirtation with extreme sports has enabled us to give our readers a light reading experience through the relatable eyes of writers who are just as lost when it comes to hiking as our readers. The word sports alone can be intimidating without adding extreme to repel the average couch potato. Our publication’s aim has been to gently introduce the sports we covered in a way that our readers will find informative, as well as inspiring. We want our readers to turn the last page feeling like they could surf up a storm if they put their minds to it. Articles such as “The long and short of longboarding” teach the readers some basic tricks and techniques of longboarding, and the inforgraphic on page 6 shows the injuries one can expect if they decide to pick up boxing.
Our articles are more about the passion these athletes have for their sports than it is about their achievements.”
MICHELLE KOETZE
ANNA TALBOT
T
Picture of Michelle Koetze taken by Rachael Layzell
he Namibian-born rower is in her second year at Rhodes studying a Bachelor of Arts degree. Her passion is propelled into rowing - a sport she discovered last year and has fallen in love with ever since. ”I’ve always liked intense sport, and my friend told me about rowing and it looked very hectic. I thought I should just try it out,” she says. The team trains twice a day, from Monday through to Saturday. “In the morning we do dam sessions at Thomas Baine, and during the day we build our fitness during gym sessions and 10K runs. It’s terrible but we need to stay fit.”
In this love game, it is not just the popular jocks that win. We gave a chance to the underdogs of the serious extreme sports world, such as skateboarding, a chance to impress. Extreme sports is not inherently masculine and this is exemplified by the profiles on a few of the many talented sportswomen found in Grahamstown. These profiles also serve to humanize something as technical as extreme sports. Our articles are more about the passion these athletes have for their sports than it is about their achievements. For us, sports is as much about community and personal growth as it is about catching the biggest waves or having an award winning karate chop.
Picking up an Extreme sport may seem like a daunting task, but fear not. XTREME has you covered with some tidbits of wisdom from two of the best sportswomen Rhodes University has to offer.
Rowing training might be terrible, but this has done nothing to deter Michelle’s dedication to the sport. “It gets personal after a
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myself too hard.” Michelle acquired an injury and could not particpate in boat races as a result, which was a huge disappointment for her. Not one to dwell on the negative, she picked herself up, allowed herself enough time to recover, and has now made it from the ‘B’ team onto the ‘A’ team. “Rowing is a great start to the day,” she says smiling. Rowing has not only improved her attitude towards her academics, but also her diet. A lot of calories are burned during training sessions, and to sustain their body’s energy means consuming a large amount of carbs. “It’s a big adjustment because you don’t think your body can take that much,” Michelle explains. “It’s also a weird thing to do, especially as a woman. You have the attitude that ‘Carbs are bad’, but you have to
You’re abusing your body in a sense but it gets addictive, because you want to prove to yourself that you can push your body past your limits. It feels good.
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while,” Michelle explains. “You’re abusing your body in a sense but it gets addictive, because you want to prove to yourself that you can push your body past your limits. It feels good”. Overcoming her physical and mental battles proves challenging at times. “The hardest part is trying to talk yourself into doing these things,” she says. Despite Michelle’s relentless commitment, she does agrees that one has to find a balance between pushing past your limits and not killing yourself. In the past she has struggled with finding this balance. “I was training really hard to make A team for boat race, and I took a lot of strain. I pushed
carbo load”. Michelle does not want to leave her passion for rowing at Rhodes. “I want to continue rowing and see how far I can go. I have contemplated trying to row for Namibia, but that would be in the very distant future.” Michelle’s dedication and commitment to rowing is an inspiration. Her passion for it drives her to be one of the most hardworking rowers on the team, and her team mates recognize this. With her resilient spirit, things should go just swimmingly for her. By Rachael Layzell
Picture of Anna Talbot taken by Samkele Myeni Anna’s biggest piece of advice would be that people should always pack the right essentials when setting off on adventure.
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ne can usually spot Anna Talbot in her natural habitat, the great outdoors, doing what she does best – hiking. This seasoned mountaineer comes from a family with a great love for nature that goes as far back as her grandfather. Anna expressed an interest in mountain climbing and hiking at a young age. She was part of a Scouts programme, which is one of the biggest youth movements in the world, originating from the United Kingdom. Under the training of non-other than her very own Scout leader mother, Janet Prest-Talbot, she developed her talents in these sports. Making her mountain climbing fanatic mother proud, Anna first earned her stripes as a girl scout in Durban. The third year Bachelor of Fine Arts and Music student’s love for outdoors sports has only grown with age. The colourful Dora the Explorer pictures lining the walls towards her bedroom are a reminder of this history. Anna’s room is littered with keepsakes from her adventures. The sight of the richly coloured scarves, rocks, maps and handmade jewellery is impressive. Anna earned the highest award attainable by a Scout in South Africa, which is the Springbok award. She had to complete all the requirements for the Springbok award before her 18th birthday. She was also the first girl Troop Leader of the KwaZulu-Natal Patrol Leader Training Course.
Anna’s sister, Janet who is a grade eleven student, is following in the footsteps of her mother and sister. She has recently attained her Springbok Scouts award. Her love for hiking will probably extend beyond high school just as Anna’s has resulted in her joining the Rhodes University Mountain Club. She believes that her most challenging adventure with the Rhodes University Mountain Club has been the Kowie Canoe Trail in Port Alfred. The twenty kilometres left Anna with aching shoulders and major canoeing bragging rights. For any beginner wanting to dip their feet in the mountain hiking pool, Anna has a few sharp tips to get you to the top of that Mountain. Her first recommendation is that you, “start small”. A short walk around the Botanical gardens can have you feeling closer to nature and ready to start hiking. Additionally, Anna states that whether it’s a day hike with sundowners at the top, or a gruelling ten day 200 kilometre trip. Her packing essentials stay the same. A decent pair of running By Samkele Myeni
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Mueller attempting the “heel slide”.
“It’s called a heel slide because your heels hang off the board” - Sven Mueller
S H O R T
& LONGBOARDING
THE L O N G
OF
Picture of Gareth Snyman taken by Rachael Layzell
L
ongboarding is confusingly similar to skateboarding and to most amateurs, the two sports are synonymous. The difference does exist nonetheless. Differences like the wooden frame that stretches longer than a skateboard’s and the large wheel attached for traction and stability. The
board is a strange elongated shape like a mini surfboard.
Picture of Gareth Snyman taken by Rachael Layzell
1. Gather speed 2. Stay low, crunching your body into a V-shape 3. Lean on the road for support
By Rachael Layzell
Picture of Sven Mueller taken by RacRachael Layzell
“You have to go all in,” Mueller says. “If you’re afraid and don’t put your full effort in, then that’s when accidents start happening.” Campbell attempting the “toeside”. 1. Lower yourself to the side collect speed 2. Curve into the corner and push the board back with your toe 3. Rotate your torso to turn the board back around Picture of Guy Campbell taken by Rachael Layzell
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IT’S A KNOCK OUT!
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The psychology behind
Karate By Rachael Layzell
M BURKINKA’S BONIFACE CAUGHT COLD By Samkele Myeni Professional boxer, Boniface Kabore, from Burkina Faso was knocked after just two rounds by South African champ Thabiso The Rock - Mchunu. This match was especially up in the air as both players came into the ring as the underdog. Kabore who fights under the alias, le Python, was fighting outside his home country for the very first time. Despite having achieved a Boxrec record of 18 wins to four losses in his decade long professional career, the 33 year old is still an inconspicuous face in the world of international boxing. Mchunu on the other hand has been a professional boxer for two years less than his opponent who is also five years his senior. With 17 wins under his belt he suffered his second loss as a professional during his last fight to Ilunga Makabu two weeks ago. The resilient fighter used the defeat as motivation as he trained at Sean Smith’s gym in Johannesburg. Kabora barely had time to soak up the Durban atmosphere at the Olive Convention Centre before the 28 year old Mchunu knocked him out of the match in the middle of the second round. Mchunu’s southpaw dominated from the ring of the opening bell. It might be more than a strong left hand that won the Mchunu his quick victory. The cruiser weight boxer was up against a light heavyweight in this mismatched pairing. The weight division difference which was in favour of Mchunu did not seem to bother the fighters or the supporters as no cries of foul have sounded since the match. It was inevitable in natural order of this rock-ring-python game that The Rock would serve le Python a world class knockout. Mchunu plans to make Pietermaritzburg even more proud by challenging for world honours. Winning the friday match against a 2009 WBA Pan-African light heavyweight title is an indication that he is well on his way to reaching his goal.
THE ROCK
any people think of Karate as merely an aggressive sport, where angry people go to throw around kicks and punches. This is a misrepresentation of the sport and the effect it has on people. It is peaceful and therapeutic and teaches one many skills that can be carried from the Dojo into life. Members from the Rhodes University Shotokan Karate Club (RUSKC), can attest to the profound mental impact karate has had in their lives. Across all Karate practices, there are 5 common maxims that guide the karatekas in their sport, and for many their outside lives too. These maxims are referred to as the Dojo Kun and are: Character, Sincerity, Effort, Self-control and Etiquette. The members of the RUSKC recite the Dojo Kun at the end of every training session. Maureen de Jager, the second Dan instructor for the RUSKC, reiterates that “None of these maxims relate to or encourage violence.” A good example of this is the etiquette aspect in Karate, which is taken very seriously. “ We bow at the beginning and end of class in recognition of each other, and before engaging in any other form of partner work,” says de Jager. “This means acknowledging and affirming your partner and indirectly stating that you mean them no harm.” Amongst this etiquette, there exists a hierarchy system where one respects their ‘elders’. These ‘elders’ are identified using the colour of their belt, which the karatekas will adorn during training or a competition. These belts indicate their level of skill. “You respect the people above you because you understand the struggle it took
According to de Jager, when one engages in the art of Karate, their mind is focused on the present moment and everything else fades away. “It’s a space of reprieve from the anxieties and troubles from the outside world. You leave those behind when you come into the Dojo.” Although focus is essential in Karate, a different type of focus exists in the sport, one that allows the person to have an almost out of body experience. This happens during fights, when one’s body does the work, and their mind shuts off. “Having trained for 10 years now, my body knows what to do instinctively through body memory, so my mind just stops, and I don’t think about anything,” de Jager says. Many have similar experiences, and Chidrawi describes herself as going to a completely different place. “I don’t remember a single fight that I’ve ever done. I go into a completely different zone, where it’s me on the floor with this person,” she says. Contrary to many people’s belief that karate is a violent sport, it is in fact very peaceful and calming to one’s mind. “It’s always seen as quite a vicious sport,” Chidrawi says, “because it’s over portrayed in movies.” However karate only promotes self-defence, and this in itself is not of a violent nature. “It’s thematised over again in karate, to not provoke violent behaviour, but rather defend oneself,”
Picture of members of the RUSKC taken by Rachael Layzell
says de Jager.
Sidu the Karate Kid By Nontokozo Mchunu
Picture of Thabiso Mchunu sourced from http://images.supersport.com/2012/ThabisoMchunu121110CelebratesG300.jpg
for them to get there,” says Tayla Chidrawi, a member of the RUSKC, who has also been practising Karate for 14 years. de Jager describes Karate in a spiritual sense, not in terms of a religious spirituality, rather saying that, “It gives you a kind of inner calm and mindfulness. An awareness of the present and being in your own body.” Much like any physical sport, Karate enhances one’s endorphins. Karaketas walk out of a training session feeling re-energised. However, Karate is unique in that it allows one to abolish any aggressive feelings they have, but more importantly in a controlled environment. An important element of controlled aggression is discipline. “Karate teaches you how to deal with conflict and to process your emotions in a much more measured and careful manner,” de Jager says. “It’s not just reacting to your emotional state, but learning to control your emotions and to process how you’re feeling about things.” Thus, Karate can be seen as therapeutic, as it allows one this outlet of aggression. As de Jager says , “This aggression is not harmful to oneself or to others, and in turn it develops mental acuity.” Discipline cannot be separated from focus, a very important skill which one learns in Karate. One learns to focus on what the instructor is saying. “I’ve done training sessions where I’ve had to focus for an entire hour on someone speaking and take in what they say and repeat it,” Chidrawi says. “I’ve also learnt how to grasp concepts quickly and how to understand the deeper meanings behind what we do in karate.”
Picture of Priscilla, chairperson of RUSKC, taken by Rachael Layzell
B
orn and raised in rural KwaZuluNatal, Langelihle Sidu discovered his passion and skill for karate after some unpleasant encounters with bullies at his primary school as a child. He was 16 years old when he decided to take a stand against the abuse. Sidu says the experience gave him the idea that he had to find a weapon he could master, and at the same time meditate on. “This weapon had to give me a way out of the oppressed life I found myself in. Ultimately, I found it. In karate I saw a weapon and a sport that is soul healing,” he says. Now that Sidu has grown up to become a fearless and protective young man, the boldness of his decision to take on Karate is starting to pay off. He does not forget the day when he saved his mother’s car from being stoned by a gang of rowdy boys his age. He says that the only way that he could teach them a lesson was to give them a few kicks and punches. Sidu says, however, that when he is not in the ring, he keeps disciplined because the sport itself is a disciplined
sport. “Using karate to promote rage and fighting with the idea to hurt and squander souls is not what the sport is about. It would be disrespectful to the discipline for me to fight outside the ring for pleasure instead of protection. I use those skills only when necessary,” he says. At the age of 17, after some remarkable fitness and skills improvements, Sidu’s sensei decided to put him in the ring. This was only a year since he had began practicing Karate. This was when the young KZN native carved made a name for himself in the world of Karate. His most memorable match was in the Eastern Cape in 2012, when he fought against one of the most feared fighters in his division. He says that it was a match against all odds but the most exciting of his years in the world of combat. He is grateful for having made this achievement in a dome filled with some of the region’s most critically acclaimed fighters. “The support and training from my brothers and my sensei gave me the upper hand I needed to defeat my opponent with a hiza gezi knock-out strike on
the chin after a rattling fight against him,” he adds. Despite the focus on discipline inherent in his approach to Karate, Sidu still finds pleasure in the sport. “Fighting is an exciting moment that draws skill and spirit from within which excites a fighter,” he explains. It also means a life lesson to him and a temple to acquire the strength of character necessary for getting through some tough challenges. Sidu’s advice for a beginner or anyone who is considering taking karate is that they should make sure that they do not join the sport for the wrong reasons otherwise they will find themselves on the wrong side of the morality ring. He also advises fighters to remember that karate is not about being a bully, but it’s about the passion, and of course protection.
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ON BOARD WITH SKATING
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By Yanga Macingwane
urfers interested in surfing on a concrete surface was how the action sport of skateboarding came to be. The sport began in the 1950’s in California. Most sports have their highs and lows and skateboarding is no exception.
Although the sport is a very low paying sport, however, the evolution of skateboarding has seen a rise in people of colour taking up the sport, such as hip hop artist Lil Wayne. At Rhodes University a student by the name of Chitja Mafatle from Lesotho, started skating in 2014.
approaching ahead or behind on the road.” His thrill is also his fear as cars at intersections can be dangerous. So far though, he has not had any major accidents.
Skateboarding is a sport that is usually not recognized as much as other sports. Some of the challenges that come with being a skateboarder are financial struggles. Tony Hawk, who is the highest paid skateboarder who became famous for the sport in the early nineties, earned around $100 000 US annually. Because of a fall in interest in the sport, Hawk suffered from a lot of debt
Out of boredom, he picked up a friend’s skateboard and taught himself how to ride. “It’s about letting go, letting go of your fears,” he says. He also claims to have found the sport as a beginner “extremely easy”. Chitja’s highs include as he says: “Having the wind in your face when riding man, and the thrill of not knowing what is
The sport of skateboarding has come a long way since the days of Tony Hawk as it has become more recognised. There are dangers and thrills involved, but it is important for those who practice it to do so safely by applying safety measures such as, wearing knee and elbow pads and helmets.
Skating For The Beginner
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=SKATINGBOARDIN G+101&&view=detail&mid=207B088742DC8CF65327207 B088742DC8CF65327&rvsmid=207B088742DC8CF653272 07B088742DC8CF65327&fsscr=0&FORM=VDFSRV
Picture of Chitja Mafatle taken by Yanga Macingwane