Zigzag

I realised the other day that I have an ‘elite’ level of enthusiasm for surfing. Nothing else about my surfing is elite; but my zeal is pedigree. Looking back, surfing has been a key factor in some of my most important life decisions. This is especially true of the places I’ve chosen to live. My dirty secret is that I grew up in Johannesburg. I never locked in those formative years at the beach, where the surfing infuses your DNA and manifests in a casual knock-kneed style. I didn’t do Nippers; I did a weekend lifesaving course in the school pool. But ever since surfing got me, my major life decisions have revolved around one non-negotiable, dealbreaker consideration: I want to surf. So I must live near the ocean. A surfing ocean,…

Home Sunset, Cape Town. I came back from living in Europe for a year thinking I’d completely missed out on big-wave season. Then I woke up two days later to the sound of the ocean roaring. Straight off the pillow, I knew it was going to be a good day. We reached Dungeons just after first light, and I saw Matt Bromley catch a bomb from right out the back, which got us all really psyched. We surfed Dungeons all morning, and then called it quits when our ski started throwing warning signals. It must have been destiny; because just as we came over Chapman’s Peak the fog bank lifted, and we got the most dreamy view of perfect 15ft-plus waves rolling through at Sunset. We drank some coffee, smoked a spliff, and…

Away Snapper Rocks, Australia. I got this shot while competing in the first Challenger Series event of 2022 over in Australia, at Snapper Rocks. A free surf, in perfect, clean conditions; I managed to get a couple of runners among the crowd down by Green Mount, which is about halfway down the point. The waves ran perfectly: not too fast, not too slow. There was never a time you couldn’t get barrelled, if you just simply stalled. The crowds are the only negative thing about surfing Snapper. You could have a good surf and catch a lot of waves, or just sit the whole surf. There are plenty of waves that come through – but plenty of people, too. You can’t be nice in the water, if you want to get waves. I snaked…

I realised the other day that I have an ‘elite’ level of enthusiasm for surfing. Nothing else about my surfing is elite; but my zeal is pedigree. Looking back, surfing has been a key factor in some of my most important life decisions. This is especially true of the places I’ve chosen to live. My dirty secret is that I grew up in Johannesburg. I never locked in those formative years at the beach, where the surfing infuses your DNA and manifests in a casual knock-kneed style. I didn’t do Nippers; I did a weekend lifesaving course in the school pool. But ever since surfing got me, my major life decisions have revolved around one non-negotiable, dealbreaker consideration: I want to surf. So I must live near the ocean. A…

For years, I've watched so many South African competitive surfers do well in their junior careers, and then take the next step to go and compete abroad. If they do well internationally they earn dollars, pick up an international sponsor, and in most instances settle abroad. That’s the pattern. Even in my own family, my eldest son Josh has followed the same path – moving to Germany to further his career in marketing, simply because the earning potential is so much greater there than in South Africa. When you add some of our social and political problems into the mix, the choice to leave can feel justified; but when you look closer, it’s not as perfect as it seems. I've often considered what it would be like to live in another…

Every young South African surfer who is considering their future in the world of surfing is faced with the same dilemma: should I stay or should I go? We are blessed with a coastline more than 2 We have dozens of known surf spots, and dozens more still to discover. We live in, or at least close to, the most spectacular natural environments, the food is good, and the lifestyle is unparalleled – and most importantly, affordable. Best yet, there are relatively few surfers in the country; and that means uncrowded line-ups, even at the most popular spots. So why would any surfer consider leaving South Africa? The short answer is: money. But it’s a bit more complicated than that. For the young competitive surfer, there are several routes to becoming champion of…