Sixty40 - Issue 02 - Blue Yonder by Sixty40 Bodyboarding

+ Wanderlust, sacrifices we make + Shane Reilly gives us the lowdown on the East-London scene + Kirsty Lee! + Chris (bubs) Farber and his skateboard + Mexico, the south coast crew hit famed Puerto + Subscribe and win stuff

The “Blue Yonder” Issue

August / September / October 2007 :: R20 incl vat (south africa only)

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Sixty40 Bodyboarding Magazine www.sixty40.co.za

02 bodyboarding // travel // photography // lifestyle

On the cover Mark McCarthy after the Shark Island Event free surfing with just him and Mike Stewart and photographer Phil Gallagher out... somewhere in West Oz Photo Phil Gallagher t

Mark Clark taking a break from shooting // Diaz Shorey Photo Ivan Friedman t

CONTENTS Start

Ian (ed) has his say

sacrifices we make national contests

(6) + Miscellaneous

(14 -19) + Gallery

various bits

a round-up of the best

(8-12) + Wanderlust

(20 - 29) + Compete 3 x

(30 - 35) + Cold Water Commitment the Cape waters; a girl’s point of view

(36 - 37) + Word the guy (or girl) on the street tells us what is up (38 - 39) + iBoogie Shane Reilly gives us the lowdown on the East-London scene who is on top?

(40 - 43) + Pure Kirsty Lee! (44) + Readers Poll

(45) + Crossover Chris (bubs) Farber and his skateboard (46 - 47) + Mexican

Dreaming the south coast crew hit famed Puerto (48 - 52) + Subscribe

Marc Jucker back from the Euro Games (he placed a very respectable 3rd) // Garden Route “not so secret spot” Natures Valley Photo Mark Clark t

and win stuff

(54)

This way out... Mark Mcarthy; Shark Island training somewhere in The Cape of Good Hope Photo Mark Clark t

START

The Blue Yonder Issue Issue 2 is dedicated to the travellers - people who make real and significant sacrifices in order to reach their destinations. We’re talking months of poverty in dreary old London, sharing a hovel with people you don’t even like. Being forced to do crazy things like drug trials (having blood taken up to 40 times per day); or working on a construction site (digging holes so deep you need a rope to climb out of). All of this in pursuit of the bodyboarding ideal - tropical surf destinations with their amazing waves... endless and perfect conditions. And so we offer up this issue to those who’ve travelled and the traveller in you – guys and girls who aspire to find their piece of paradise. Ian Kruger (Managing Editor) Please visit www.sixty40.co.za for more information on how to submit images, Advertisers Rate Cards, Readers Poll, Up-to-date News and if you wanting to voice your opinion on our forum. Thanks to all the companies supporting us thus far!

We have a simple philosophy at the magazine – the best shots get published. We have found that the bulk of photos submitted are from the Western Cape and so we would like to encourage the guys from the rest of the country to get moving. We want to make this magazine as country-wide representative as possible.

Managing Editor & Publisher Ian Kruger ian@sixty40.co.za Associate Editor Mike Dei-Cont dcmike@sixty40.co.za Art Director Samuel Sampi Kamffer sampi@sixty40.co.za Online Editor and Web Support Kelly Footit kelly@sixty40.co.za Proof Reader Larah Hau larah@fishbone.co.za Contributors Kade, Marcus, Phitides, Martin Otto, Dcmike, Alistair Taylor, Gareth White, Leanne Farish, one2love, Shane Reilly, Kelly Footit, Chris Farber, Ian Kruger, Marc Jucker Photographers Phil Gallagher, Ivan Friedman, Mark Clark, Mike Van Heerden, Darryl Mezies, Daniel De Ciosa, Phitides, Edwin Morales, Nick Owen, Rich Images, Dcmike, Todd Glaser, Jeff Winter, Beppu, Fay Klusener, Justin Klusener, one2love, Beekman, Jon Reid, Fanie, Miguel Howell, Colin Van Dongen, Rubin Pina Sales Ian Kruger ian@sixty40.co.za Mike Dei-Cont dcmike@sixty40.co.za Advertising Ian Kruger ian@sixty40.co.za Mariana Murchio Kamffer mariana@sixty40.co.za Lea Swanepoel lea.swanepoel@gmail.com Distribution Countrywide Stockists All good surf stores, Cna Sixty40 Magazine Contact Tel +27 (0) 82 594 3082 Fax +27 (0) 21 939 2246 Po Box 15107, Panorama, 7506 Cape Town, South Africa Printed by Intabatu Printing & VRP Print, Cape Town

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

MISCELLANEOUS Hope Ivan Friedman, 26 years old, has recently been diagnosed with cancer and we as his friends and family desperately need your help. Ivan is the true epitome of a bodyboarder, circumnavigating the globe many times in search of perfect waves and he recently moved backed to South Africa to pursue his career in production. Unable to sleep one evening, his girlfriend drove him to the hospital, where a growth on his

kidney when tested, proved to be cancerous. The kidney has since been removed, but additional tests have revealed that the cancer has spread to his lungs. Ivan is not on medical aid and is currently in and out of public hospitals where the standard of care is not very high. We implore you to donate money to the Ivan Friedman fund as he is going to need all the support he can get in the coming months. FNB Ivan Friedman Branch: 255855 Acc No: 62125965634

HB I)

HOT BUTTERED (“HB”) BODYBOARDS and WEZ FISCHER have put their heads together to create the much anticipated WEZ model signature boards for summer. The Wez range includes 3 different board models designed to Wez Fischer’s specs and should be launched in October. The boards are probably the best value-for-money performance boards on the market with a PE core board incl. a stringer selling for under R800. Moving up the ranks, a PP core comp board retails for around R900 with a top-end “ICON series” model PP core plus stringer & contoured deck for top riders selling at about R1400.

Wes Fischer // North Beach // Mike van Heerden t

As Russ Shaw of HB Bodyboards SA puts it: “ We’re really stoked to be able to develop this signature series for Wez , allowing a South African rider to push SA bodyboarding to new limits while sharing in the income . These boards will be exclusively available at top surf shops selling HB- I really think South African Bodyboarding is at a good place right now.” Images & specs of the new boards will be on the website www.hbbodyboards.com.au from August 2007.

II)

HB have also drastically improved their OCTOBLADE fin – They’ve kept the same supacomfortable foot pouch in soft rubber and have changed the blade compound to gain 50% more stiffness for far better propulsion. Look out for them from August 2007.

MISCELLANEOUS

Cphynz It has been another successful year for Cphynz surf fins on the South African competition circuit, with three Cphynz riders occupying the top four positions in the Wimpy Rossi 2007 contest. This means that in the overall SABA ratings for 2007, Cphynz riders currently hold three of the top five poll positions i.e. Alistair Taylor (No 1), Ian Kruger (No 4) and Vaughn Harris (No 5 and DK No 2). Ian who has been using Cphynz for several years attributes some of his recent good fortunes to the power and manoeuvrability of these lightweight fins, while Vaughn, the 2004 and 2005 DK and Pro SABA champ is still in contention for top DK honours this year. Alistair, a relative Cphynz newcomer, currently holds top spot in the Pro league. For more information about Cphynz surf fins visit www.Cphynz.com or contact info@Cphynz.com

The Eastern Province Bodyboarding Association (EPBA) in conjunction with the South African Bodyboarding Association (SABA) is proud to host of the 21st 5A rated South African Bodyboarding Champs which will be held at Wedge in Plettenberg Bay. Run over 5 days and with over 180 entries the event should be a showstopper. Many of last year’s champions will be returning to defend their titles against some eager competitors so we are in for an exciting affair. This year’s prize money totals R23 000, the richest to date, and for the first time ever the Ladies and DropKnee divisions will also be awarded cash prizes. The Debis Fleet Management Development Clinic will be run during the event to attract the newcomers as well as uncover and develop fresh talent from less advantaged areas. The event is co-sponsored by SCIENCE, REEF, Pennypinchers, www.FACTORY7.co.za, Debis Fleet Management and Sotheby’s. 23 - 28 September 2007 (September school holidays) Calendar of Events: 23 September : Contest Briefing 24 - 28 September: 5 days of Competition 28 September : Prize giving Dinner

MISCELLANEOUS

“It’s a project developed to promote women Bodyboarding to the bb community as well as the mainstream worldwide.”

Woman Emotion

Freshly arrived from Puerto Escondido, Rita Pires and Kira Llewellyn share insight into the project they are involved in which aims to promote the image of women in Bodyboarding. For any further information please contact: Kira Llewellyn kirallewellyn@ hotmail.com Rita Pires pires_rita@ hotmail.com

Rita going right, Kira going left

ira is the Australian representative for the “The Women Emotion” project, while Rita represents Portugal. They shared their individual testimonials with us.

What is Woman Emotion?

It’s a project developed to promote women Bodyboarding to the bb community as well as the mainstream public worldwide. This project’s aim is to unite all women bodyboarders, involved in both free surf and competition. We want to draw an associate between the increasing interest of the feminine image and a healthy and radical sport like bb. It’s not only to promote the already well known athletes but also to expose new talent, making it easy for them to take up the sport.

We’d like to take bb to places that have no sporting traditions as well as to countries whose cultures view women differently

Where did the name come from? The name is taken from the thrill derived through the sport, as experienced by women. It basically came from the intention to value the female image in unconventional conditions; girls having a lot of fun and experiencing a range of emotions.

The ideas for woman emotion in the future?

This project is world-wide oriented, with women being the primary target - those that bb and those that admire it. On an international level all of the basic events will cover free surf trips, championships and promotions reaching countries where bb is well-known and countries unfamiliar with the sport. On a national level the project will require an ambassador. This ambassador, competitor or not, will have to promote and expose the sport in her own country, creating local events, helping out

on world events and working as a spokesperson for the project.

Effects on women bb?

This project will have 3 immediate effects on the bb community. 1. It will help to expose athletes that have been standing out over the years, both in free surf and competition, through their countries’ various media resources 2. It will work as inspiration for aspiring bodyboarders. 3. It will also promote the unity of all female bodyboarders across the world.

Why was Mexico chosen as the initial start for Woman Emotion?

A. There are 5 reasons why we chose Mexico: 1. The excellent waves that allow for the most radical manoeuvres to be captured on film. 2. The symbolism and the tradition of the place itself. 3. The welcoming attitude of the locals. 4. The fact that there are not many women surfing in Puerto. 5. The search for a Mexican Ambassador.

PHOTO: Jeremy Cresswell

Coming soon to a store near you ...

PHOTO: Rod Owens TEAM RIDER: Chris James

MISCELLANEOUS

A new sunglass company is set to hit the streets of South Africa and we at the mag think they could take over the market. With an array of sunnies in some of the most eclectic styles around, Sabre Vision are very much an ‘against the grain’ company and are taking a very different approach to sunglasses design. Check them out at www.sabrevision.net They will be available at selected retail outlets from September 2007.

Science Over the past 3 months the Science riders have performed well in various events around the country, particularly the Margate Wimpy/Rossi Pro-Am and the Wedge Classic. Congratulations to Mark McCarthy, who came second in the Shark Island event. ‘The REEF/SCIENCE Biggest Wave’ event, in association with VUKA Stellenbosch, is underway with great prizes up for grabs. Check out the brand new Thomas Robinson, MS TR Ltd. model to be released in November. Science Bodyboards will be one of the product sponsors at The SA Bodyboarding Champs 2007 to be held at The Wedge, Plettenberg Bay in September.

Rossi Board Co. Rossi Board Company is running a custom board special between 01/09/2007 and the 1st of December 2007. The special includes a custom board up to 45” in length. Polypro core with stringer, bat, hubb or crescent tail, with or without channels, tail and nose armour and double rails. Optional extras if you would like, such as raised deck contours, hip-loc system, slick bulbs, and deck bulbs. The special includes postage any where in South Africa all for R1350. There are five slick colours and seven deck and rail colours to chose from. E-mail rossimarc@webmail.co.za or call 083 678 4444 to get a custom order form or any questions you may have.

www.factory7.co.za Factory 7 welcomes World Tour campaigner Mark McCarthy to the team! Mark McCarthy // Shark Island // Darryl Menzies t

Sabre

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available from RSA’s biggest national HB stockists Surf Africa 62 Long Street Surf Africa cnr. Da Gama/Ooster Land Str Surf Africa Main Road Surf Africa Salt Rock Centre Larmont Surf 98 West Street

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above: Off the beaten track // Daniel De Ciosa photo inset: Seth Phitides // Padang Padang // Phitides photo

It’

s 6PM on a miserably wet and windy Friday afternoon as a rather pale, lethargic twenty something male walks in through the doors of the Nag’s Head in Wimbledon, London. It’s been another long, hard day of work at a dull construction site and his mind is in a far away place as he dejectedly seats himself at the head of the smoky bar. At this time back home he’d be sitting in the cool, crisp waters of the Cape while a southeaster gently fans the line-up. But no, his new local spot now consists of shaky bar stools and a sticky, ale-covered counter. Instead of salivating over wedging peaks and the prospect of getting a few nuggety barrels before sunset, he now has to make do with greasy, artery-clogging pub grub and a lukewarm pint of draught. All of a sudden he hears two scrawny looking individuals squabbling between themselves in piercing Australian accents. The scruffier looking one is highlighting the merits of fine wine, French women and the La Graviere shorebreak. But individual number two fights back rambling on about Canarian reefs and that glorious little Spanish invention known as the siesta. They eventually come to a conclusion and settle for chilly Mundaka and sassy senoritas for their next surf trip. It’s at this moment that our bleak-looking character slouched over the bar adds a wry smile to his face while shoving a little more cottage pie into his mouth. He’s reminded of why he’s here in the first place, to earn the money to reach that little light at the end of the tunnel- a childhood dream to surf a far away reef pass with only the fish nibbling at his fins to keep him company. Welcome to the modern-day life of a travelling South African bodyboarder. South Africa has a long tradition of bodyboarders packing their board bags and venturing into the far flung corners of the globe. It all started with the original Morey Pipeline Competition when this prestigious event formed the one and only deciding factor as to who would be world champ for the following year. It was a make or break event where names were made and measly sponsorship deals secured. It’s this single event and the chance to ride some of the biggest and best barrels of your life, along surfing’s most famed stretch of real estate, which started to lure South Africans to the North Shore. The South African contingent quickly earned a reputation in Hawaii for charging with reckless abandon at huge Pipe and the demented shorebreaks of Waimea and Keiki, all while living like paupers once they returned to land. Stories started to circulate within the international bodyboarding community about the lengths to which these

words marcus phitides

relatively unknown chargers were going to in order to make their annual Hawaiian pilgrimage a reality. It was during the 1996/7 North Shore season that Alistair Taylor so famously lived out of a wind battered tent while subsisting off a sack of potatoes. His fellow compatriots generously donated AT a power bar before his monumental semi-final heat against Kainoa Mcgee in monstrous 12-15 foot surf. International Bodyboarding magazines soon began to feature articles about South African boogers and their UK medical trial habits, which earned them extra cash for their travel fund. Personally I’ve known several friends who have endured these trials, including one (Baker) who was tested for the effects of Viagra while having monitors precariously strapped to his nether regions. Then you have a group of guys who leave South African soils for years at a time and dedicate their working lives to putting in extended visits to places like Hawaii, Mexico and other exotic locales. Guys like Darrel Nelson, Mettie and Jason Boddy, whose resumé of countries visited looks like the United Nations list of officially recognised countries. Each has occupied a less than desirable position at some stage of their

lives with jobs like Hawaiian gardener, medical guinea pig and ice cream salesman being but a few to name. The new generation of travellers, including the likes of Sacha Specker, Mark McCarthy and Henkus Loubser, are firmly entrenching South Africa’s name into the international scene. As I write, McCarthy has made it into the second round of the Shark Island contest, while Spex has just returned from a competitively successful stint in Oz where he took down several big names. But what many people do not know is that Spex and his girlfriend, Rosanne Hodge (world surfing tour competitor), lived out of the back of an old station wagon for several months at various contest sites in order to afford their stay. Finally you have the undisputed champion of scrapping and budget travel, Brandon Foster. Here you have a guy who’s moulded his career out of bodyboarding in completely off-beat destinations such as Iceland, Yemen and El Salvador. His reputation for making the most out of nothing has grown to legendary proportions amid his peers. Several of the Llandudno crew were slightly shocked a few years back to see Brandon patiently waiting for them to finish eating their

Spur meals only for him to attack their remaining salad garnish and odd burger chunk, pile it onto a plate and dig in. Lunch sorted! His budgeting is obviously paying off because not many people can claim to have surfed surrounded by puffins and icebergs. So just why is it so damn difficult for South African bodyboarders to venture beyond their borders. First and foremost the Rand doesn’t have a great deal of buying power on the world stage when compared to the US dollar or the Pound. There are very few destinations in the world where the Rand can make a real impact. How about Tahiti you say? Who you kidding when a can of coke costs more than R20? Or what about Hawaii? Do you really think that the Saffa’s residing on the North Shore scoff down excessive amounts of Top Ramen Noodles for its culinary delights? Plain and simple we live in an expensive

“South Africa finds itself located at the arse end of the African continent, a geographical position that doesn’t do you any favours if you have a severe case of wanderlust.”

world where the Rand doesn’t take you very far. Secondly, South Africa finds itself located at the arse end of the African continent, a geographical position that doesn’t do you any favours if you have a severe case of wanderlust. Even Indonesia, a long-time favoured winter destination for South African Bodyboarders, is a Deep Vein Thrombosis inducing 20 hours flying time away, including a Singapore stopover. Thirdly, Africa is a continent notorious for political instability, dodgy diseases and questionable security. It’s these very reasons that a major dampener has been put on African surf exploration. This is in contrast to other major surfing nations who make the most out of a multitude of relatively stable surf-riddled neighbours. The Ozzies have the heaving reefs of the South Pacific and the ruler-edged

perfection of sometimes stable Indo (at least you don’t have to dodge landmines on your walk to the beach) whenever they get the urge to jump the border. American surfers have long been making forays down into Mexico’s thumping beach breaks and Costa Rica’s jungle-lined pointbreaks. Only 20 years ago a surf trip into war ravaged Mozambique was almost unheard of and an Angolan surf mission is simply out of the question even to this day, bar a few intrepid souls seeking some solitude. So what are the options for some low-life booger wanting to traipse around the world and realise his or her travel dream? The obvious answer involves putting in some long, hard hours of graft and this is where working overseas has its benefits. The United Kingdom has always formed the financial backbone to a multitude of

surf adventures and many a bodyboarder has flocked to that big, grey dump known as London to earn the numero uno of foreign currencies, the Pound. UK work visas are relatively easy to organise and by racking up some hard-earned pounds you’re giving yourself a far greater opportunity of turning that two week Costa Rican surf trip into a two month Central American odyssey. The added bonus is that London is an international springboard to just about any destination in the world. But here’s the catch. The UK’s weather makes a Cape Town winters day seem like a mild hiccup in wind speed and the rain frequently pelts your pasty face from a horizontal angle. Add to this a major lack of surf, depressingly low levels of daylight in winter and a breakneck pace of life and it’s no wonder that so many people delve into excessive amounts of booze and illegal substances. Job wise things also don’t

top: Seth cruising through a Cloud 9 sequence // Phitides photo middle: Seemingly empty line-up // Daniel De Ciosa photo

always go your way. A lot of the time you’ll end up like the author of this article washing dishes covered in half-eaten lasagne or carting rickety food trays around an old age home.

lot of yacht deliveries leaving from South Africa take you directly into wave-filled zones. Just remember to bring your sanity and sea legs for those extended periods at sea.

There are also various work opportunities in countries like the US and Canada where work programmes are on offer for those still studying or about to finish. Why not try working a ski season in Colorado before heading down to Puerto Escondido? Ireland also has working visas available to South African nationals to help you earn some Euros, while in your spare time you can seek out cold water slabs along its rugged coastline.

Your second major option is to pick and choose. By saying this I mean do your research thoroughly in South Africa and find a destination where our currency goes a long way, flights are inexpensive and the waves suit your agenda. Remember a lot of the time the surf season in a particular place doesn’t coincide with its tourist season, so airfares and living costs are drastically slashed. Nasi Goreng still fills you up to the brim in Indo for a mere R10 and chasing a swell across the border to tropical Ponto‘d Ouro is a matter of getting some mates and petrol money together.

Why not try teaching English somewhere in Asia? Two years ago I met three Ozzie bodyboarders in the Philippines who spent six months teaching in Hanoi, Vietnam and used their money to hit up nearby Cloud 9 and Indo. Or how about getting your skippers course and sailing the world while seeking out new waves ala Gordon Cockwell style. A

Flipping through the latest copies of Riptide I’m always blown away by the amount of new waves being discovered by some Ozzy named Wingo or Tinnie in their own backyard. It just shows you don’t have

to travel to the ends of the earth to find your own slice of perfection. Our vast and beautiful coastline is aching for some new discovery, so use this as another option. On the other hand, South Africans will continue to set out every year on a surf mission of a lifetime when the travel bug kicks in. Since the beginning of South Africa’s bodyboarding scene, budget-conscious Saffa’s have been making their way to Hawaii with their boards and a few bucks and in the process garnering a whole lot of respect for their ballsout charging and mellow attitudes. South African bodyboarders have intrinsically inherited a burning desire to roam the globe looking for quality surf from our early North Shore counterparts. Just don’t be surprised when you find yourself out in some translucent lineup at a Micronesian reef pass and a fellow surfer greets you with a drawn out “howzit” followed by a , “Ya, I did the whole London thing for a while…..”

top: puerto // Edwin Morales photo middle: Marcus Phitides // cloud 9 // Phitides photo

Budget-friendly Destinations for South African Bodyboarders

Indonesia x

Most likely more bang-for-your-buck destination than any other surf trip. By sticking to the local food (think rice, rice and some more rice) and avoiding Kuta’s hedonistic cauldron, you can watch your daily budget plummet faster than your boardies dropping to the floor when you have a case of Bali belly.

Our Neighbours y

Philippines >

A little more hardcore and off the beaten track than Indo, but nobody ever said that finding cooking waves would be a walk in the park. With local Tanduay rum going for around a dollar a bottle and rustic beach side accommodation costing around the same as a Big Mac meal, who could resist this Pacific gem? Just keep an eye out for the safety situation and remember to bring a little street-wiseness. Oh, and I forgot to mention that Cloud 9 is quite possibly the best bodyboarding wave on this planet.

Madagascar C

Numerous sources suggest that the world’s fourth largest island holds more than obscure wildlife, baobab trees and rather large sharks. Think spitting beach breaks and lonely outer reefs. Check out the South East coast. photos: indonesia // nick owen our neighbours + SA // mark clark philippines // phitides

Why do we always have to look so far for that travel dream when we have uncrowded perfection on our own doorstep? From endless, frosty pointbreaks hugging the honey coloured desert to jade ledges detonating on some rugged patch of Mozambican reef, we have it all right under our sunburnt noses.

Good Old SA y

Sitting on the last day of my Philippine trip, I overheard two South African surfers moaning to an English surfer that they had to return the following day to South Africa and couldn’t stand the idea of surfing their local break after sampling Cloud 9’s delights. The English surfer quickly replied, “Why don’t you two just shut the fuck up. You’re already living in a surf trip back home.” It’s true. We really do live in one of the best surfing destinations in the world so get out there and explore.

gallery 20

01, 02, 03 Location: Padang Padang Rider: Unknown tnick owen photo

04 04, 05, 06 Location: Cave Rock Rider: Wes Fischer trichimages photo

gallery 22

07 Location: Sunsets Rider: Peter Lambert tdcmike photo

“This was Tuesday 19th of June 2007 - Another school day and we were bunking - again - The conditions on Monday had been big, wild and woolly and we pulled up at the slipway in Kommetjie at dawn the following day - I still had to call Peter to find out where he was as he’s usually first at the slipway with James. Peter was still in bed after a big night out at Mercury. We went and had a look at the spot from Washing Machines and decided it was on. James Moolenschot, Peter Lambert, Mark Clark and myself in the rubber duck and we were off. James and Peter were first to paddle in while Mark piloted the boat and I took photos. We were initially trying to get the rights but the sun behind the peak was proving too hard to shoot and we motored around behind the peak and set up on the left. Jake and his buddy, Pierre, had lost their tow-board and were cruising up and down the impact zone searching while we had free reign over the peak. The boys were getting into it and had scored some good waves when Pierre came past towing Jake back out. Peter was paddling into this bomb and at the time it felt like their ski came to an almost complete standstill as they watched with envy, and what looked like some incredulity, as Peter lucked into this slab.”

Dcmike

gallery 24

08 Location: Puerto Rider: Spencer Skipper ttodd glaser photo

08 09

Location: Yellow Bird Island Rider: NA tjeff winter photo

Location: Keiki Shorebreak Rider: Oros tbeppu photo

gallery 26

11 -

17- 21

Location: The Wedge, Plettenberg Bay Rider: Chris Bushy Bosman tdcmike photo

Location: South Coast Rider: Jared Houston tmark clark photo

Location: South Coast Rider: Derek Footit tmark clark photo

gallery 28

Location: Krans Rider: Josh Kleve tmark clark photo

Location: North Beach Rider: Unknown tfay klusener photo

28 27

Location: North Beach Rider: Jake Rosenburg tfay klusener photo

Location: Zicatela Rider: Kira Llewellyn tedwin morales photo

Wimpy / Rossi Pro-Am

The 2007 Wimpy/Rossi contest was held at Margate Main Beach from 27 – 29 April. This was the 2nd SABA contest for those who follow the SABA circuit. Hosting province SN was proud to get the contest up to an impressive 4A rating, bearing in mind that the rating system took a huge revamp this year. Under normal circumstances the event would have been 5A rated. Wimpy Margate and Rossi Board Co. once again stood together as the main sponsors for the event, but this year Factory 7 ended up joining them by also putting up prize money for the DK division to the value of R2 400.00. This pushed the prize money total to a whopping R14 400.00, much to the delight of the 128 entrants. Rossi Board Co. made sure that all the winners of all the divisions that weren’t getting cash, ended up walking away with a brand new Rossi bodyboard as well as some awesome product prizes. Other product prizes were generously sponsored by O’Neill, Surf M’Ocean, Realty1, Criss Cross Security, SABA, Coca Cola, Sixty 40, Island Style, No Friends USA and Ocean Eyewear.

The contest was run over 2 days plus a 1 day window period. Due to its enormous success, entrants were allowed to surf their usual division plus Pro and Dropknee if they wished to do so. This gave especially the Boys and Junior riders the chance to go up against their idols and prove themselves. On the 1st day competitors were greeted with a clean southwesterly wind which made a good 3 – 4ft mid outside wave. Pro rider Daniel Worseley (WP) showed that the wave was definitely good enough by launching a huge invert in the early rounds, racking up maximum points. Little did he know that it would secure him the R500.00 cash prize for ‘move of the contest’ put up by Surf M’Ocean Surf Shop. Local Factory 7 man and reigning SA Dropknee Champ, Derek Footit, also made his presence felt by advancing convincingly. Joining him in the Pros was 2006 SA Champ Alistair Taylor (CN), Jonathan ‘Oros’ Oliff (CN), Mark Watts (CN), Ian Kruger (WP) and Vaughn Harris (SC). Junior riders Terence Pieters (SN) and Ian Campbell (CN) who also entered Pros managed to make it through as well. As can be expected for a huge contest with such a high standard of riding, there were many early upsets. 2005 Wimpy/Rossi Champ Phillip Rodriguez (CN) bowed out of the contest early and joining him were Mark McCarthy (NN) and Rob Gray (CN). By lunchtime the tide had made the wave disappear and a gale force southwesterly didn’t make matters better. The decision was made to call it a day and to meet the following morning. Day 2 saw the swell picking up in the 6 – 7ft range with some sections, but a difficult paddle as some of the competitors in the early rounds discovered. Riders were forced to make a scary jump at the Margate pier in order to make it out. This was where local knowledge favoured the SN competitors. All competitors tried their best to impress the judges and advance through to the next and final day. The swell was still picking up slightly as was the wind and the decision was made once again to call it off until the following and final day. There were only 19 heats left to run and the event organizers were confident that it would be easy to fit it all in.

COMPETE words by Martin Otto all images Justin Klusener

The swell was a lot cleaner on the morning of the final day as the Semi Finalists in all divisions hit the water. The paddle was still hard though and an unfortunate Jocelyn Norton (SN), who paddled out for her semi final ladies heat, mistimed her jump and got dragged across some sharp rocks. Attempts to help her by Martin Otto failed and luckily in the end she got washed back into the channel where she rather bravely continued paddling out for her heat. She only discovered that she was bleeding badly once she was on the outside during the heat and had to come in. She miraculously still made it through to the finals but couldn’t compete as she got 8 stitches in her head from a nasty gash, a broken ring finger and a bruised coccyx. Two times World Champion Karla Costa-Taylor found herself in yet another final where she was up against the 2 locals Tamra Aaron and Liezl van Vollenhoven. Karla is no stranger to big surf and ended up walking away with the title quite convincingly with Tamra in 2nd and Liezl in 3rd. Masters rider Kevin Williams (SN) also managed to hurt an already injured arm, but he was fit enough to take the Masters title. The ever popular and dedicated competitor, Mike van Huysteen (CN), had to settle for a well deserved 3rd place right behind Justin Klusener (SN). In the Boys division it was Andrew Raath (WP) who from the word go was the clear standout, but newcomer to the sport, Conrad ‘Koos’ Bernhardt (SN) was turning heads with his solid

Wimpy / Rossi Pro-Am

riding and huge rolls. Bare in mind that Conrad has only been bodyboarding for 6 months prior to the event. Local Grant van der Wagen looked set to easily make the final, but it was fellow Southern Natalian, John Williams and Sebastian Koopmans (WP) who finished off on the podium. The mens divisions had a total of 16 competitors, which were the most entrants for this division in quite some time. Donovan Basset (WP) who had already been on the podium at The Cape Classic, was looking very focused and as an MC he wasn’t bad either. Karl Liebenberg (CN) was looking for another win for 2007, with Wayne Beekman (SN) and Martin Otto (SN) also in contention. In the end Martin and Karl were outdone by Jake Rosenberg (CN) and David Hartmann (SN) to make up the final with Wayne and Donovan. The final saw Donovan dominating and picking up the set waves. He was followed by the dark horse of the men’s division David Hartman with Wayne Beekman in 3rd and Jake Rosenberg in 4th. The Dropknee division was made interesting by the big swell, which made pulling off floaters very tricky and competitors had to try turns and snaps in some dodgy places. Derek Footit (SN) showed why he was the SA DK Champ with some huge turns and some crazy floaters. David Lee (SN) looked dangerous right through until his semi final heat where he unfortunately bowed out as did Michael ‘Rat’ Ostler and Jonathan ‘Oros’ Oliff. Sean Tickner (CN) and Vaughn Harris (SC) found

themselves in yet another major final by just sticking to what they knew best and are always crowd pleasers. Nobody seemed to notice Wayne du Preez (CN) cruising threw all his heats until it was too late and he made up the 4th man for the final. The juniors just seem to be getting better and better with every contest. Some of them also ride Pros and they definitely made an impact. If anyone had asked me who of the 8 semi-finalists; Michael Ansermino (SN), Jaryd Enslin (SN), Jared Houston (WP), Jonathan Mellish (WP), Justin ‘JC’ Zietsman (SN), Michael ‘Ratt’ Ostler (CN), Emile van Vollenhoven (SN) and Ian Campbell (CN), would advance, I wouldn’t have had an answer. All were riding super good and it was open to anyone. It nearly ended up being an all out SN affair as only Jared Houston from WP advanced with SN riders Emile, JC and Jaryd. The final was just crazy with every rider getting a wave and bettering the others’ ride. Jaryd Enslin walked away the victor this time around with Jared Houston in 2nd place. Emile placed 3rd and Jc 4th.

Eyewear, O’Neill, Realty 1, Criss Cross security, SABA, Coca Cola, Island Style, No Friends USA and Sixty40 for their generous sponsorship. Thanks also go to all the judges, SN members and committee, parents and spectators who made the event an awesome success. See you all again next year.

The Pro final was a bit of a surprise to most as once again it was hard to tell who would’ve advanced by watching the semi-final. Alistair Taylor (CN) needed to pick up a 2nd scoring wave to advance and his chances looked rather bleak due to a very hard paddle back out. But in the last minute of the heat he swung around on a good looking left and banged a huge ARS into the flats, winning the heat. Now if you know Alistair well, you can pretty much bargain on the fight of your life in the final after such a spectacular show in the semis. Junior riders Michael ‘Ratt’ Ostler (CN) and Dane Beales (CN) really made a name for themselves by making it to the semis. Dane ended up advancing and placing 3rd in the final with Michael not looking too fazed by not advancing, as he was happy to end up in the money. Vaughn Harris (SC) and Ian Kruger (WP) were flying through all their heats and made up the final. Vaughn got a well deserved 2nd place and Ian was in 4th. Alistair Taylor walked away with yet another SABA title as this year’s Wimpy/Rossi Champ. Southern Kwazulu Natal would like to thank Wimpy Margate, Rossi Board Co, Factory 7, Surf M’Ocean, Ocean

Durban Beach Pro-Am

up in the heat, ahead of Liezl von Vollenhoven and Sam Smith. In the Boys division, Storm Prestwich managed to sneak ahead of Andrew Raath for the win, who has been performing really well this year.

One of the aims of the annual Durban Beach Festival is to showcase Durban’s almost summery winter weather and consistent surf – another is to turn this festival into one of the biggest beach festivals in the world. The Durban Beach Festival did not disappoint in either. Over the 3 days of the contest, we had great weather and very contestable surf. Being added to the SABA circuit at a relatively last minute stage of the year, the event was fortunate enough to have attracted over 100 entries, and among them the usual stalwarts of the SABA circuit. The event carried a 5A rating, so was critical for the riders hoping to win the tour for the year. On the final day of the contest, a fresh new groundswell began to wrap around Durban’s Bluff, and by final time, there was some pretty rippable surf on hand. In the ladies division, which incidentally featured a R5000 cash purse, (a first for womens bodyboarding in SA) Karla Taylor used her trademark blitzkrieg surfing to thoroughly stamp her name on the first place cheque. Inge Pieters from Margate was showing moments of solid riding, and was the clear runner

The Juniors came out with guns blazing, and it was a super exciting final to watch. It was a total see-saw affair, with the lead changing hands repeatedly in the heat – every time it appeared that one of the guys had done enough to secure first, another guy would up the ante with something bigger and better. Jared Enslin from Margate boosted a fat ARS about mid heat, and combined with his other solid waves, looked like he was going to take it – but then just about the next wave, Dane Beales went and boosted a huge ARS of his own, while local boy Michael Ostler was ripping the daylights out of anything he could catch....and Jared Houston was surfing his usual butter-smooth self, but not really finding the key waves with enough scoring potential. He did go for one huge flip attempt though that, had he landed, would possibly have seen him in 1st instead of 4th. Jared Enlsin took a well deserved 3rd, and in what must have been a nanometer of a lead, Michael took out Dane for 1st. The Factory7 DK final was a goodie too, and Wes Fischer walked off with the win after some very clean surfing. Derek Footit, who has been just about dominating the DK division this year, pulled in with a close 2nd, pulling some of the biggest spray chucking

COMPETE words by Alistair Taylor all images Mark Clark and Fay Klusener

gouges of the comp. Fellow south-coast guy David Lee raised some eyebrows with a good 3rd, and perennial DK shredder Vaughn Harris failed to find the bombs and open faces to release his full potential, settling for 4th. The Pro final, whilst less of a nail biter, was also a rock solid heat. Wes Fischer pretty much made it known that he was going to win when he nailed a huge ARS on his first wave and backed it up with a couple more moves on the same wave. Mark Watts, Phil Rodrigues and Emile von Vollenhoven, who finished in that order, were also surfing great, but Wes pretty much cemented his first place spot with another big flip on his last wave. Emile had done really well, in that as a junior, he’d made a Pro final and mixed it up with the best. Watts came pretty close after getting one of the heat’s best waves, but needed one more. Phil the contest machine was as usual firing off manoeuvres like a machine gun, but didn’t find the bowls that would have afforded him the bigger and more high risk moves to challenge Wes. The contest, which was co-sponsored by Debis Fleet Management and Executive Surveillance CCTV, also featured a Debis development clinic, in which over 20 stoked out kids from a nearby township were guided into their first waves, and hopefully hooked on bodyboarding for life. Overall the contest was a great success, and we hope to be back next year with a 6A at least, or possibly even a world tour event. Big dankies to the sponsors that made it all happen: Durban Beach Festival, SABC, Debis Fleet Management, HB Bodyboards, Bad Boy, Executive Surveillance, the Comfort Group, factory7.co.za, sixty40 bodyboarding magazine, ATD bodyboards and Wimpy.

visit www.sixty40.co.za

Durban Beach Pro-Am

Wedge Classic

COMPETE words by Gareth White all images Dcmike

and Wesley Fischer‘s early exit from the Drop-Knee Division.

4 A rated The 4A rated Wedge Classic Bodyboarding Contest was held recently in the holiday hot-spot of Plettenberg Bay between the 10th-13th of July. The event was the fourth stop on this year’s South African Bodyboarding Association national circuit, (SABA) and is the longest running event on the SABA calendar, having first started some 13 years ago. Conditions for the contest have been regarded as the best seen in many years and for the duration of the event swell ranged from moderate 2 foot peaks to solid 4 foot hollow wedges. Contestants certainly couldn’t argue that conditions weren’t contestable as wave after wave pounded the shallow shores. On day one, riders welcomed by near perfect 3 foot hollow peaks and big moves were the order of the day. So too were big upsets, as day one saw the elimination of 2005 Wedge Classic Pro champion and local expert, Marc Jucker from the Pro-Division. Day two of the event brought more great waves, aweinspiring riding and beautiful weather, which along with the Red-Bull party mobile “Stretch,” kept the packed beach entertained. The day also featured a free development clinic presented by Debis Fleet Management and Wavecrest Distributors. During the clinic 22 disadvantaged children from a nearby township were treated to experiencing wave riding for the first time under the tuition of volunteer Pro Bodyboarders. Upsets on the day included the elimination of Adam Morley from the Juniors Division

Big swell had been predicted for day three of the event, but Neptune failed to deliver on his promise. This left contestants battling it out in inconsistent 2 to 3 foot surf. One of the biggest upsets for the local supporters was to see Samuel Kamffer eliminated from the Pro division. Another upset came in the Drop-Knee division, which saw crowd favourite, Derek Footit also being eliminated. Day Four dawned and organisers opted to complete the running of the event, due to smaller waves being predicted for the following day. First up were the Expression Session heats, in which a select group of South Africa’s top bodyboarders were chosen to compete against one another for the coveted Wedge Classic, Expression Session Title for 2007. In a closely contested final, Vaughn Harris walked away with the title after impressing judges with his performance. The Pro Division final saw three of Natal’s big-guns in the form of Mark Watts, Alistair Taylor and Wesley Fischer pitted against Eastern Province ripper, Justin Lindsay. Wesley Fischer was crowned as the winner and rightfully took the “King of the Wedge” for 2007. The Juniors Division finalists impressed onlookers and competition was fierce as riders pushed the limits with their go-large-or-go-home attitude. Michael “The Rat” Ostler took home the title in a very close heat. The Drop-Knee final took place in what can only be described as some of the most testing conditions encountered during the various finals. The waves seemed to disappear during the heat and riders were forced to patiently wait out the lulls in between sets in hope of catching the winning ride. Sacha Specker took home the title after impressing judges with his riding ability. The ladies came out in full force to compete in the Ladies Division finals and spectators were amazed by their whole hearted riding abilities, showing us all a thing or two about bodyboarding. The overall winner was Pamela Bowren.

The Road Warriors Crew were on a mission at the Classic. The mission was to raise funds to help a friend in need, Ivan Friedman. The Warriors, together with Wave-Crest Distribution put together a raffle, grand prize being a Vortex body board to the value of R2000. Support for the raffle was fantastic and to top it all off the winner of the board, Dave Worsley (Danâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dad) then auctioned off the board at the prize-giving to raise more money. All together apparently about R14 000 was raised through the raffle! With the event now fading into the fond memories of all involved, eyes are now focusing on the South African Bodyboarding Championships also due to take place in Plettenberg Bay later this year. For a full list of results please visit www.sixty40.co.za

’m well aware that I live in paradise. I’m rather smug about it too. My home is a stone’s throw from the beach on a peninsula perfectly shaped to guarantee a wave breaking somewhere 365 days a year. Our winter is short and the summer days are long and beautiful. But as a Capetonian bodyboarder I’m not a soft, hippie, boardshort bum for whom bodyboarding is as easy as slipping on a bikini and hopping into the sea for a quick wave before resuming my tanning programme. The sun may be blazing, but that glittering blue ocean definitely isn’t. Nothing can prepare you for your first gasping duckdive into the frigid Atlantic water (or for the numerous brain-squeezing ones that follow).

At the back of your mind is the ever-present threat of the lurking grey predators that inhabit our oceans. Great White sharks. Arguably the most frightening creatures in existence. If the johnny’s don’t get you the killer gale known as the South Easter will. A stroll along the seaside in 40 km/h winds amounts to a free exfoliation session as stinging grains of sand are launched, needle-like, at your arms, face and legs. It affects the surf too. Many a solid ground swell has been flattened to a sad shadow of its former self by an over enthusiastic and relentless offshore. But you have to deal with it. So when the swell is strong enough to hold its own against the onslaught of wind, you get out there. Might as well. Windy, blinding, body-numbing surf is still better than sitting at home watching Channel E! and gorging on mounds of junk food.

words by Leanne Fa rish

Bodyboarding in Cape Town requires dedication and a good few mils of neoprene. You know it’s worth the mission.

This is the solid logic that sees me pulling on the rubber and paddling out, fast, praying that I won’t have to sub just yet. I get out there with minimal hassle and, thanking God for neoprene and the ingenuity of the guy who invented wetsuits, I pull my hoodie down a little more and peer at the shivering guys around me. Despite my rubber armour, it isn’t long before my body is transfused with a weird tingly feeling as the spindly fingers of the icy Atlantic start to creep unbidden and unwelcome through the seams of my suit. My friend Josh nods cheerfully

Dcmike t

at me and assures me there are a couple of gems to be had amidst the shuddering three-foot waves. He’s a year or two younger than me and a million years ahead of me when it comes to slipping through the backdoor of a wedging peak or dislodging a chunk of unsuspecting water whilst in the DK pilot position. I sit up next to him and tuck my hands beneath my armpits in a feeble bid to stop the stinging sensations assaulting my epidermis. It doesn’t really help. A small contingent of surfers and bodyboarders sit huddled on their boards. They’re not really talking so much as shouting above the wind. Snatches of conversation include heartbreaking notions like cups of steaming tea and warm chocolate brownies. Somebody mentions a hot shower. He’s on dangerous ground. A bit of crazy talk like that is all it takes to make you paddle in and leave this glacial hell behind. I try to keep focused. I need a wave. Lines of dark green rise up from the buffeted ocean and start growing into straight-backed, white-laced walls. Stroking for the first wave of the set I’m stoked to be in prime position. I put my head down and paddle. Hard. For a moment I think I’ve got it. I pause. Lift my face. Shift my hands and get ready to adjust my body weight. Instead I see nothing but flying bullets of water. I twist my head away and lose momentum. The wave surges on without me. For a few seconds afterwards I shut my eyes to the driving rain that showers down behind the wave. I feel the first grating hints of irritation nibbling on my nerves as I paddle over the rest of the set and watch others compensate for the forbidding offshore with some freakish superman paddling and scrunched-face commitment. Sighing, I wonder if it’s going to turn out to be one of those surfs. The kind where no matter how hard you paddle, you just don’t get the waves you need. Or when you do manage to scrape into one, you do something mindless on your first

move like dig your rail and end up bodysurfing for a few metres before getting sucked over the falls. The kind of surf where you are likely to lose a fin, tweak your neck and get dropped in on by everyone at least once. The thought is bleak and I look to the shore, idly pondering what’s on TV and how a melted cheese and tomato toastie would taste. Then I see Josh paddling back from a wave that took him all the way to the sand. I lose him for a second as he subs a feathering wave. The wind gusts and sends ripples across the water. He appears again, emerging through the rainbow in the spray off the back of the wave. He’s smiling as he paddles up to me. ‘I know it’s windy,’ he says. ‘But I still love it when it’s like this. Not too many people out, the waves are hollow and the shore break is fun. It’s good like this.’

I regard his contented face as his words slowly start to bear meaning in my rubbershrouded head.

He’s right. The water has succeeded in placing me on the cusp of hypothermia and my wind-abused eyes feel like they’ve been repeatedly scraped over with sandpaper. But, all things considered, life is still pretty damn good right now. There are waves and I have the day off work. I have never seen a shark in the flesh without a pane of glass separating me from its jagged grin. While the rest of town is hiding from the wind, I’m doing my favourite thing in the world. Like a biochemical oddity in a documentary of ‘People Having Fun In A Place That You Normally Wouldn’t Be In If I Paid You.’ I’m in on one of life’s best kept secrets. I smile and start paddling as Josh points and shouts ‘Here’s your wave!’ This time I’m ready and I go hard until I’m sure I’m on it. As I glide down the face my smile broadens and I realise with a sudden certainty and a warm, soul-defrosting feeling that the fun has really only just begun.

end

D R WO

Chris / 26 What do you do for a living? Builder / Contractor Have you ever ridden a bodyboard and what do you think of it? Yes... I thought it was a moving experience... hang on... it was swell!!!

Jord a What n / 11 Have do you d thin you eve o for a r k Clas of it? ridden living? sic as w Yes I h a bodyb Pupil oa ave, ell. its rd and wh fun, I di at do y o d th 38 e We u dge

Everybody has a boogieboard in their cupboard... we approached random peeps in the street and got their opinion

Lucian / 15 What do you do for a living? Pupil / Student Have you ever ridden a bodyboard and wha t do you think of it? Yeah, its alright, its ext reme, both my bodyboard and surfbo ard are broken

Rehabeam / 24 What do you do for a li ving? Crew Have you ev on a ship er ridden a bodyboard an think of it d what do yo ? Nope. (We u show him th very much in e mag) I am to that kind not cool. of stuff... but it look s

Steff / 33 a living? Loiterer What do you do for t do you a bodyboard and wha Have you ever ridden ng. rfi ysu bod fer but I pre think of it? Yeah,

Dae l Wha / 39 t Acc do y o o Hav untin u do e g for you you a l e ivi me. think ver r ng? .. i of dde Boo it? n kee Noo a bod pin o, ybo g, Who ard â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a n get d tin what g w et? do Not

Q: What do you do when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flat? A: Mostly work, ride stand-up, play with my dog Noah or hang out with Lindsay (my wife). 0

profile / q&a

siBOOGIE

Shane Reilly

‘Empty Vessel Clothing’ frontman on uncrowded waves, R7 movies and many other reasons why East-London is a great place to live.

Age: 28 Home Town: East London Years bodyboarding: 14 Sponsors: None Really… Career Highlight: I’d have to say winning my heat against Billy Theil and Karl Liebenburg at the Cave Rock Challenge when I was 17. That feeling was quickly dismissed in my next heat against Andrè Botha and Dean Seppings though! Top riders: I dunno really? There are so many ridiculously good riders! Lately, Brenden Newton has been hectic! Best video: The Road is sick! The tension ones are good. No Friends 1-4 and from the good old days I love the Underground Tapes series! Biggest move: I did this air reverse once that was ridiculous! It was so big that I don’t even feel lame claiming it! It was at a spot called Sarcasms and it was just my friend Jon Reid and I out and he was like, “Jeez bru, that should be on No Friends!” or something like that… Best session: Too many to remember, but some of the most memorable would have to be Easterns, about 10 at Sarcasms, Kennaways, Gashes and then all the secret reefs around here… Worst wipe-out: Would have to be a six foot plus day at Gashes when I hit the dry rock in front and got 6 stitches in my head and my ear

was so messed… The worst of it all is that the waves were mental and it happened on my first wave! Music: UnderOath, Rise Against, Blindside, Five Iron Frenzy, John Mayer, Stevie Ray Vaughn, The Almost, Haste the Day, Hendrix, Dead Poetic… too many more… Food: Pizza (usually Debonairs), Mom’s Sunday roasts, my wife’s pasta! Wheels: I drive a wrecked old Bantam, so I use my wife’s car whenever I can! Q: I’ve only been to East London for a week – What’s it like living there? A: I love it man!! People are always trashing this place, but it’s an awesome place to live! Movies for R7 (no joke), good friends, uncrowded surf and we’re on the doorstep of the most promising and unexplored section of coast in SA – the Wild Coast! What more could a guy like me want? Q: Looking at the coastline it looks like there are loads of good spots to ride, all within an easy drive. Do you guys mission for waves or is it quite a local scene? From what I can tell, Eastern Beach is quite a favourite but that must get crowded? A: Eastern’s gets really good at certain times of the year, but it’s right in town so it definitely does get crowded, but still not in Durban or CT terms! This place is littered with sick spots and if you

have a little bit of petrol cash, some mates to split costs with and some local knowledge you can get insane waves within a half hour drive east or west… My Friends and I generally rather mission for waves because then we know it’ll just be us out and you can’t beat that! Q: I see you haven’t posted results in the competition scene since 2003. Does that mean you’re just more into freesurfs or is that the Empty Vessel Creations eating into your spare time? A: I’d have to say a bit of both. I definitely work a lot more now and also, I’m married so I have to be responsible and make sure there’s cash coming in… I never really ripped in contests anyway so I don’t really mind and I’ve always loved to freesurf and find and ride heavy waves… I will be surfing SA’s this year though since one of the guys here is reviving the Border side and they need some ballies. Q: Your clothing range is definitely for the alternative crowd. How’s the response been? A: Jeez man, it’s a tough industry! There have been loads of times I just wanted to pack it up, but there are some faithful’s who keep on coming back for more and they are really the one’s who encourage the continuation of the EVC brand! It’s hard getting stuff out there without spans of capital and a work force, but it’s been a good time so far and I’ve learned heaps! I have another design/ video production business now

too, but it’s still a dream of mine to get EVC cranking! Q: If you had to be a super hero who would you be? A: I’d have to say Wolverine or that invisible chick from The Fantastic Four, but the guy version if possible. Q: Prone or DK? A: I’d have to say prone. I do ride DK and I love it, but I suck at it! Q: Favourite break? A: I have a lot! Before I could drive it was Kennaways and Gashes (they are right next to each other), but now I know so many more, Sarcasms is mental! It only works when it’s big and visually it’s comparable to Shark Island, but it doesn’t work often. When it does it’s my best I reckon! Q: Guys you cruise with? A: Loads of guys because it’s usually different guys who can go at any given time. I do have to mention some names though: The originals being Luke Hayward and Dom Roadknight and more recently Jon Reid, Brad Donald, JJ Willis, Bruce H, Warwick Nel, David H and Pierre De Villiers. Q: What’s the craziest stunt you pulled, in or out the water? A: In the water: I surfed 12-15ft at this place called O’Hagans with this stand-up dude called Bugs and we got separated pretty quickly so it felt like I was alone. That was heavy! Out the water: I did a lot of

“It only works when it’s big and visually it’s comparable to Shark Island”

iBOOGIE

strange stuff. I played in a band and we needed cash for equipment so I stood at the robots with a cardboard sign that said, ‘my band needs equipment, please help’. I made R450 in half an hour, got a lot of people laughing and got a pic of it in the paper. I also once tackled a random guy in the queue at McDonalds and then introduced myself… Q: What do you do when it’s flat? A: Mostly work, ride stand-up, play with my dog Noah or hang out with Lindsay (my wife). Q: Been travelling anywhere? A: I hitch-hiked to and around Zimbabwe, but otherwise not out of SA. I LOVE the Wild Coast though and I’m looking into getting a 4x4 so I can explore there more!! I just recently did a shoot there for a tourism drive and I saw some mental spots that I’m definitely going back to with my board and some friends!! Q: The best party you’ve been to? A: My Wedding! It rocked!!

Q: Any other sports? A: Stand-up when it sucks to lie down. I played club soccer a bit, but I got over that. Squash. My cousin has this dirt board thing so I got my dog a harness and he pulls me around. He’s a husky so he’s like a full on sled dog now… Q: What motivates you? A: I’m a Christian so I’m full on motivated by Jesus and just stuff that I know He wants me to do and how He wants me to be! Q: Favourite move? A: Air Reverse, no doubt!

who’s just gotten insane over the last year or two is Ryan ‘Cabbage’ Botha. It remains to be seen how well he can do on lefts, but look out for him at SA’s this year. Last words: Shot for the interview! I was lank stoked to get asked! And I just wanna say that I’m so stoked with the mag! You guys are doing an awesome job!! To anyone reading, if this is your mates copy that you’re reading and you haven’t bought your own then freakin go and buy one and support the mag that supports your sport!! Later…

Q: What’s your favourite word? A: Probably one of the following: kif, bru, kished, amped, sick or terminologicalinexactatudinarian. Q: Dawnies or whenever you wake up? A: Dawnies for sure in EL, but now that I’m married it’s hard to leave a warm bed! Q: Who rips in your area? A: There are a lot of guys I could mention, but one guy in particular

all q’s dcmike all photos Jon Reid

Q: What do you want to achieve in bodyboarding? A: I guess I want to get lighties amped. Especially around here because it’s died a bit over the last few years and guys mostly leave here after school. I’d love to get bodyboarders supporting brands that love the sport and I definitely wanna explore the Wild Coast, find new, heavy reef breaks there.

all photos - Shane Reilly... Wild Coast Ledge

Kirsty-Lee at Boss Models Photographer Fanie

tPURE 44

2007 so far...

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readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; poll 2007

Top Male Riders 1st Mark McCarthy 2nd Ian Thurtell 3rd Sacha Specker 4th Wesley Fischer 5th Daniel Worsley

180 pts 114 pts 102 pts 99 pts 90 pts

Top Female Riders 1st Lyndall Pells 2nd Lize-Mari Ras 3rd Robyn Sorensen 4th Leanne Farish 5th Kamala Botha

57 pts 51 pts 45 pts 39 pts 27 pts

Top DK Riders 1st Brandon Foster 2nd Sacha Specker 3rd Vaughn Harris 4th Derek Footit 5th Joshua Kleve

253 pts 116 pts 89 pts 83 pts 72 pts

Top Big Wave Riders 1st Peter Lambert 2nd Alistair Taylor 3rd Andre Botha 4th Brandon Foster 5th Rory Lancellas

179 pts 92 pts 81 pts 77 pts 45 pts

Old School Legends 1st Kelly Footit 2nd Gordon Cockwell 3rd Peter Brandt 4th Pierre Marqua 5th M van Huyssteen

67 pts 54 pts 50 pts 39 pts 34 pts

Most Underrated Rider 1st Sampi Kamffer 2nd Byron Loubser 3rd Henk Esterhuysen 4th Robert Gray 5th Ryno Turketti

98 pts 69 pts 67 pts 40 pts 40 pts

Top Grommet 1st Aden Kleve 2nd Christopher Elliott 3rd Jared Houston 4th Nathan Wood 5th Adam Morley

86 pts 73 pts 67 pts 49 pts 37 pts

t mark clark, dcmike, beekman, one2love

outside of the box

CROSSOVER

the Chris b Farber Interview q’s by Ian Kruger all images miguel howell

Name, age and where you from? Chris bubs Farber. 26. Cape Town. Give us some background on yourself and your achievements in skating? I started skating when I was maybe 6 or so. Built some ramps with my brother and learned the hard way from there. I have a lot of scar tissue in my elbows. Natural arm pads actually. Did a couple of contests. Made some videos. I own a skate shop called Mischif in Canal Walk and a distribution company. I also own a separate board company with Christi Wiehahn called Mischif Skateboards. Learnt the hard way there too. Have a lot of stress tissue. Are you happy with the current state of skating and the direction it’s being pushed into? This question is too serious for the number of people with their own money invested in the sport. Only like 3/7 of us skate. So only two people would find this interesting. We turned Christi and Alan pro last year which is rad for kids to get amped on doing themselves. We need more skateparks. Surfing is free. And stores could try stocking more products they love rather than the easiest thing to sell.

“Learnt the hard way there too. Have a lot of stress tissue.” Without pro’s and progression you get no marketing budget to do rad stuff. That makes us bored and our lives less exciting.

What currently takes up most of your time during the day? Wake up, chow, go skate, paint, play guitar, watch media, set up a new board, drink a beer – yeah right. Work with a little bit of the above where possible.

That’s round about when I started surfing once every seven years. I did surf there a little while ago and got a tube. Was rad. No sharks thank hell. Most recent highlight was getting this big bright Mischif sticker above our shop door.

Name some of the high and lowlights in your skating career? Well I’m grateful to have never been eaten by a shark while skating. I used to surf a little bit. I saw some sharks. I actually saw one with Sampi at wedge and freaked out. He carried on surfing.

What do you consider to be good skating and who are some of your favourite skaters at the moment? Its always nice to foresee whatever is coming next. Unfortunately I don’t know what that is right now. The new Plan B video might tell us.

Danny Ways backflip rocket airs are on the up and up, PJ Ladds switch everything down triple sets. Who knows? Not handrails. That’s over. Its all about backflips. The Mischif team locally of course. I’m happy with Inus’ Smith grinds and Danny Ways backflips.

awesome staff.

Any international travelling? What has been your craziest travelling experience? Yeah a little bit with Christi but mainly in SA. We don’t have any goals internationally till 2014 so we try to stick to kicking it here. Probably the first Mischif tour that was mad. We flew around on a week trip around SA leaving a complete mess behind us. The team did like 15 demos, strip clubs, drinking, driving, planes, parks, street everything - it was rad.

What similarities are there between skating and bodyboarding? And what can bodyboarders draw from your sport? I would recommend downhilling to anyone, no sharks. Slow carves, big wheels, loose trucks type stuff. Surfing on hills. You can crouch down a lot and carve into turns. Rad for drop knee and getting used to carving quickly and keeping your hands above the water. Other than that most people slam and draw a lot of blood skating. It’s actually not really the best idea at all. I can’t believe I haven’t been hit by a bus - it’s amazing! I think I have an angel watching over me. Hi angel somewhere. Show yourself woman.

Any serious injuries? There are no sharks on land. Oddly enough no. Mentally yes. I own a store. Business is war, retail is nuclear war. Thankfully I have

What are your thoughts on bodyboarding? I’ve still got mine. But I like to stand up surf in small waves and do airs and slide out and 180 and stuff.

I like to bodyboard because you can see things more clearly. The face of the wave. And you can surf bigger waves more safely. I was speaking to Chris Bertish the other day about how I’m scared of anything above 5ft. He said he can’t help me and I should come back when I’m scared of more like 10ft waves but in the meantime I should go jump out of a plane. Who jumps out of a plane?

“I can’t believe I haven’t been hit by a bus - it’s amazing! I think I have an angel watching over me. Hi angel somewhere. Show yourself woman.” Any random last thoughts on the world at large? 70% of the Earths surface is water. Maybe you should be in the water 70% of the time.

go see http://www.spfmedia.co.za/ http://www.mischif.co.za/

words by Kelly Footit

Mexican Dreaming If I like to believe that there is at least one moment in each person’s life which inspires a dream, does that make me a dreamer? Once upon a Wednesday, back in the early nineties, I got my moment as I paged through a copy of Bodyboarding magazine - the bodyboarder’s bible of the times (imported from the States). As I flipped through I came across an article on Tube Riding which would remain with me forever. Mike Stewart, my boyhood hero whose tube riding skills are often described as ‘genius’, had authored the article with such insight that I became convinced that he had a greater understanding of the subject than the rest of us. I may have become a little obsessed with the article but I’m a reader who flips through first, and admittedly the shots that accompanied the article were what provided the initial spark – a beach break so perfect that only the legends sharing the ink could do it justice but the article was my jet fuel and Puerto Escondido was officially on the short list! If you do your math, it’s been more than fifteen years since, and after already having to cut Mexico from a round-the-world trip for financial reasons once, it wasn’t going to take much to convince me to join a few buddies on one of their round-the-world stop overs. A last-minute decision, but, my flight was booked which was all that mattered – I was on my way to the state of Oaxaca in Mexico to finally get a taste of Puerto’s Playa Zicatela, famously known as one of the World’s heaviest, hollowest beach breaks. That’s quite a big label they’ve pinned to the spot, and having grown up on a healthy dose of respectable beach breaks I was keen to get out there and score a few of those famous barrels to test the odd beat

clockwise from the top > Puerto Zicatela // Edwin Morales t > Mexico Street // Colin Van Dongen t > Trippy camera shake // Colin Van Dongen t

down. I’m actually laughing as I say that now, since I thought I’d have to wait for a solid swell before getting worked over, but Zicatela can deliver a decent beating even on an average day. Most stand-ups ride without leashes and, even on her small days, the break chews up and spits out boards. She tries to break you, your board and your pride but she’ll keep you coming back for more. This spot is a bodyboarder’s heaven, a beach break with barrels as round and perfect as you could dream up but with some pretty sweet launch ramps thrown into the mix, this place becomes more than just about tube riding. Puerto Escondido is a well known and regular favourite with many travelling, professional bodyboarders, and while there may not be heaps of us South Africans hitting town, there are three regular names which will pop-up if ever you mention you’re a South African. Ian Metcalf, Shaggy and Brandon Foster have definitely made some good friends in the town and it’s this atmosphere that

makes for one of the reasons I’m sitting here right now wanting to jump back on a plane. In my personal experience, even when it’s crowded, the vibe in the water is as chilled as it is on land making it so refreshing to ride one of the top spots in the world without attitude in the water. The town of Puerto Escondido, which means “hidden harbour”, was established in 1928 as a port for shipping coffee, however, in the 1960’s Highway 200 connected it to other coastal towns and its importance diminished as coffee began to ship by truck instead of boat. To this day, the port continues to support commercial fishing activity and the road into the town also opened the town to discovery by tourists. In 1969 electricity arrived and it was shortly after that the first surfers arrived. In 1978 it appeared on the cover of Surfer magazine as a travel feature, advertising Puerto to the world of wave riders and starting a trend which now sees Puerto

Matt Lackey / / Puerto // Todd Glaser t

Spencer Skipper / / Puerto // Todd Glaser t

listed in the Top Ten Surfing Destinations. Occasionally this popularity has a negative effect through over-development, but down in Puerto the palm trees are still taller than the buildings; siesta is routinely observed by local businesses; the pace is considerably slower than any urban lifestyle and as the days progress you become more and more fond of the place and realise why it has become a favourite hang-out for the young traveller or backpacker and not just us surf enthusiasts. My trip brought together a group of Kwa-Zulu Natal South Coast bodyboarders who are scattered around the globe and catch up for a bodyboard or snowboard 0

trip every year or so. Earlier in the year, we saw off George Beecher on a round-theworld trip with our token surfer Matt, which would take them through California and down to Chile where they would meet up with Wayne Beekman. From there it was on to Peru, Panama and Mexico where they would meet up with videographer Colin van Dongen, and round-the-world trippers Wave Visser, Robert Tredger and myself. Mexico was our two or three weeks to catch up before we went our separate ways. Wayne, Colin, Token & myself would head back home, Rob would head out to Oz and Indo; and George and Wade would continue on, one of those trips where you wish you were tagging along (Cook Islands, Fiji, Tahiti (Teahupoo), Sumatra, Bali, Australia and New Zealand). The fortnight before the seven of us would split up, Mexico would be our playground. After a few days,

top to bottom < Oaxaca Street Art // Colin Van Dongen t < The boys relaxing in the mineral springs // Colin Van Dongen t

the crew was completed by the arrival of stragglers Matt and Colin. Our token surfer was denied a visa in Panama and had to fly to the US to arrange one, while Colin who flew via the US got denied because of a non-machine readable passport. After a costly exercise, the boys would finally arrive and join the rest of us who had started to familiarise themselves with the local break, notching up a bit of barrel time and winding down to a holiday pace. Our trip would centre around Puerto and for the first week we hired a house along Zicatela beach - a good option if there are a few of you. Ours came with breakfast and dinner and we lived like kings on the local dishes which would await us on our return from morning and afternoon sessions. The first solid swell of the trip hit a few days after arriving and it

top to bottom > Wayne Beekman // Zicatela // Ruben Pina t > Puerto Zicatela // Edwin Morales t

brought some of the riders out of the woodwork. The town saw riders from Spain, Canary Islands, Portugal and Argentina arriving, along with WWT campaigners Rita Pires and Kira Llewellyn (Kira seemed to blow minds whenever she was in the water), who were in Mexico to launch and film The Woman Emotion, a project aimed at promoting Women’s bodyboarding. Puerto’s exposure to some of the world’s best has turned it into a hotbed for talent in the water, with renowned riders such as Jose Rutherford, Jesus Silva, Edwin Morales, Jose Ramirez, dropkneer Humberto “Beto” Olivera and super grom Cesar Petroni who is sure to follow suit. Beto runs Colorada Bodyboarding Shop on the main beach road and is allegedly the

man who knows the Oaxaca coast better than anyone. Although we never got to test his knowledge first hand, he did offer us newcomers a bit of info on Punta Colorada (a well known shorebreak in the area which rivals its famous neighbour when it performs). I can’t claim that I got it as good as it gets, but I did have one of the most fun sessions and met a great crew of local guys while in the water.

was super crowded, half the size of what we’d left back in Puerto and inconsistent, so we left Colin to mix it up with the locals while we headed off on a mini off-road adventure to search for waves on a coastline which is, for the most part inaccessible. The next few days were spent doing the tourist thing from our base in Huatulco - the main tourist

For our second week, we hired a large Ford van for our trip down the coast and aptly nicknamed it The Beast which was all the more apt once we experienced its shocking road handling. With a flat swell forecast and with only one day of swell left, we were going to do a runner down to try score a recently hyped spot. Unfortunately the spot

Nicolas Chiara (Argentina) // Zicatela // Wayne Beekman t

// Quick Facts

Mexico for more info on Mexico - take a look at: http://www.wannasurf.com/spot/Central_America/Mexico/ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mx.html

clockwise from the top Mineral Springs // Colin Van Dongen t Jose Ramirez // Zicatela // Edwin Morales t Kelly Footit // Zicatela // Ruben Pina t

destination on this coast centring the 9 bays with more than 30 beaches. The coastline is stunning and we spent an afternoon snorkelling around one of the headlands into the next deserted bays. It’s usually the small surprises that become highlights of a trip, and the unexpected abundance of sea life was exactly that, together with my hike into the jungle to the waterfalls. After four days, I was hanging for some waves so I decided to head back to Puerto while the others ventured inland to the capital city Oaxaca on a sight seeing trip. They got to see some pretty cool sights and would probably highly recommend the experience, but I needed the ocean. I’ve done a bit of travelling on my own and after a few days in Puerto you start to realise that it’s a destination most could travel to alone. I recommend it to anyone having trouble hooking up friends for a trip. My trip ended on a new swell, and not knowing when or where my next surf would be I was damn sure going to make the most of it by putting in some serious water time in the picture perfect

Puerto. Matt Lackey had just arrived and was scoring a few on the knee (which is always appreciated), Skipp would apparently be arriving the next day with Todd Glaser. With some of the guys around for another week and knowing that they would be scoring, it wasn’t easy to leave. I was however content with a few good waves under my belt, and of course the special spots like Puerto which offer you something extraordinary – like the ones where you could quite happily paddle in and get straight onto the plane home completely satisfied! That is Zicatela’s draw card, she’ll offer up the bombs but it is up to you to nail them …

end

Location: Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the US and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the US. Coastline: 9,330 km Climate: Varies from tropical to desert Terrain: High, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert Natural hazards: Tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the centre and south, and hurricanes on the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean coasts Languages: Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages Capital: Mexico (Distrito Federal) Currency: Mexican peso (MXN) Surf Conditions: Mexico has a population of around 100 million people. Some areas may be dangerous for travellers especially around Puerto Escondido. Don’t travel alone. Mexican surf potential is enormous possible all year with the best season from June to September. Plus: World class beach breaks and spots, consistency, water temperature, low budget. Minus: lots of crowded line ups, unsafe area for tourists and travellers, possible sickness.

Dele cab ro venga a n, Mexico.

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