Zigzag March 2020

It was 1994. The year was a day old. I had made a resolution to surf everyday. It made perfect sense. Stay fit, improve my technique, possibly attract a new sponsor. Instead, after three consecutive days of surfing The Berg in onshore wind speeds that could strip paint off buildings, all I had to show for my resolve was blue bottle welts, swollen glands, one broken board and a world of regret. This wasn’t a resolution. This was war at sea. There had been no improvement to my surfing nor any lucrative sponsorship offers, there was only the irrefutable fact that I had, once again, made a resolution I would not keep. To hell with you 1994, I thought. I’m going back to what works best. Crowded waves on the…

UP AND RIDING Since I can remember, I’ve wanted to learn to surf. I’ve tried about three times, just lending a board and trying to figure it out on my own, which always leads to injuries. First it was a torn nerve in my shoulder, which meant two months in a sling, then onto my fourth concussion, and after that, a few stitches. I’m 16 now and this morning I finally went for my first real lesson. It was amazing. From the energy and support from the rest of the group and the coaches, to the indescribable feeling of standing up for the first time, and even though you’re still wobbling all over the place trying to find your feet, there’s nothing else like it. I’ve always been interested in surfing, watching competitions…

Brendon Gibbons is a frequent flyer. He’s been breaking lip lines and defying gravity for decades, getting airborne across the globe. It’s unlikely he needs to declare anything at customs before boosting and he certainly doesn’t need to request a window seat. You can’t beat a view like this. Flight Gibbons somewhere between a rainbow and designated landing spot in Portugal, stow away table in the upright position and electronic devices set to flight mode. Flip the page for a different perspective. Meanwhile, Adin Masencamp settles into some onboard entertainment between pockets of turbulence at Caves. You don’t need to get airborne to appreciate the many views surfing throws your way, however you take it in and whatever mode gets you there, riding waves is undoubtedly one of the best ways…

Unpacking with Matthew McGillivray Matthew McGillivray, or rather Matty McG, is an extremely laid back and unassuming cat. Below that granny wig is the brain of a mad man, fuelled by all things crazy. From falling out the sky to charging eight foot faces, here are but a few of this adrenaline junky’s everyday tools: 1. 8.5m Flexi foil kite J-Bay’s not always stacked with reeling right-handers, so you gotta have something to do when it’s blown out. 2. Kite surfing handlebar and lines Nothing fancy going on here, just an important piece of equipment that makes sure my kite doesn’t drift off into space. 3. Airush kiteboard My feet have to be planted on something otherwise I’d almost be reverse sky diving. 4. Heat Seeker 4/3 Ripcurl wetsuit Perfect for J-Bay when that howling southwest pulls through -…

Right now, Australia is ‘ground zero’ for the global climate crisis. The Great Barrier Reef is dying, its world-heritage rain forests are ablaze, the giant kelp forests have all but vanished, multiple towns have run out of water, or are about to, and now over a third of the entire continent is burning. And what’s worse is all of this was foreseen. In fact, over a decade ago a report commissioned by the Australian government predicted that climate change would cause the country’s fire seasons to start earlier, end later, and be more intense — starting around 2020. Nearing the end of 2019, a combination of record-breaking heat, drought, lightning strikes, high wind conditions, and arson ignited unprecedented raging fires across southeast Australia. Since then the mega wildfires have yet to…

This trip came together quite unexpectedly. I was doing a talk at a school in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands when I got a call from the top dogs at Billabong. They wanted me as their man on the ground to help organise a mental trip for Taj Burrow and the Billabong Adventure Division team in Cape Town. I couldn’t believe it, to organise a trip with Taj in my backyard, it was insanely cool. THE DEEP SOUTH I used to watch all of Taj’s films, Sabotaj, Montaj and Fair bits. He was literally my favourite surfer growing up. I met him a few times chasing swells around the world, but to actually have him surfing my homebreaks and scoring amazing waves, was a dream come true. The one session, we were out at…