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| The Cultural Exchange Program |
| 10 March 2010, 16:28 |
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The Cultural Exchange Program
I'm not sure where the idea was born, but somewhere along the line on one of our CT trips we came up with the idea of a cultural exchange program between Cape and KZN surfers. The Cape and KZN are both so far apart they may as well be different countries. The surf cultures in the two cities is also remarkably different. Both unique in their way and definitely worth exploring and experiencing. So on Monday a crew of keen CT adventurers made up of the intrepid photographer Ant Fox, Matt B, Sammy, Lauren and Rich flew in to DBN and we quickly husseled them away from the crowd of the city to the quiet country areas of the North Coast of KZN deep in the heart of Zululand.
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Watching the Capies tackle 27 degree water was funny. The "Are you sure we don't need wetsuits?" question finally laid to rest. It's cool watching grown men behaving like kids. The surf we've had has been super fun and here's hoping tomorrow brings more.
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| Bittersweet |
| 5 March 2010, 07:57 |
Taj beat Jordy on wave selection. Shew. Bittersweet to say the least for Jordy fans. Jordy surfed better, Taj got the better waves. I do feel that Jordy was underscored on both his rides and I feel that Taj was overscored on both of his rides. The fact remains Jordy is looking phenomenal at the moment. He is not forcing anything yet his surfing is both polished and radical at the same time. Taj was trying so hard at times he looked like he was forcing it. Conversely Jordy looked as relaxed as he would at The New Pier in a free surf.You can see he is reigning himself in. Like a thouroghbred trotting around the race course his competitors are sprinting just to keep up. If Jordy can keep it together and play the same game at Bells I reckon he'll wear his competitors down and unnerve them, because they KNOW he's surfing better at the moment.
The Dane Jordy showdown in the semi didn't fulfill it's potential. It seemed Dane had the jitters. Dunno why, maybe he's starting to want it and realises he has something to lose. I think he'll get over it though and bounce back for Bells.
One thing is for sure to have Jordy start the year 2nd on the rankings is hell of a exciting for Saffa surf fans and it sets Jordy up for a good crack at the next event.
Now we can all finally get some sleep ... until Bells that is.
John

All imagery courtesy ASP/Cestari. |
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| Jordy beats Slater. Bede |
| 4 March 2010, 09:04 |
Geez, it's all going down at the Quikie Pro in Aus. Jordy beat Slater in his Round 4 heat - the very first heat they've surfed against each other in a World Tour event (see the video here), then Jordy went on to defeat Bede Durbidge to advance to the Semis. It's gonna be Jordy vs Dane. What a match up. In the other semi it's Taj vs Bobby Martinez. Jordy's 2 heats away from his first ever WCT victory, now wouldn't that be something!
What do you folks reckon? Who's gonna take it...Jordy? Or Taj, Dane or Bobby? Post below.
Iain
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Jordy ripping on his way to defeating Slater. Photo courtesy ASP.
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| Old board, new tricks |
| 1 March 2010, 22:37 |
I recently decided to try and surf a board that I haven't ridden in a few years. I used to love surfing this board, it was always super fast and turned well. I didn't consciously stop surfing it for any other reason than it was just getting old and as I got a couple more boards over the years it stayed in the boardbag at the bottom of the pile in the garage. So on the weekend I hauled it out, took all the wax off it and applied a fresh, new layer of freshly scented wax, screwed these kiff new FCS Good-1 fins in, put on a new leash and took it down to the New Pier.
The board just went like a rocket!
I really, really enjoyed that surf and I know that I havent surfed like that in a while. I could just feel the board so beautifully.
Anyway, the point is that I'm sure at the bottom of some of your quivers there is most likely a similar board, that's been relegated purely because it's a bit yellowish, the deck has sunk a little or it's got a few dings and battle scars and is a little blind to run down the beach with. But maybe, just maybe, there is some untapped magic still in there.
Iain
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| MMA |
| 27 February 2010, 19:12 |
I went to watch my first MMA fight last night. I was pretty nervous about the whole thing, having a definite stereotyped pre-conception of what I'd see. I was thinking, tow truck drivers, mullets, aggro, bare knuckle hatred-cum-street fighting in a steel cage. I was presently surprised at how wrong I was.
Ok, there were a few mullets and some of the largest hulk-men I've ever seen, but these were generally the trainers. The actual fighters were all super fit, ripped, incredibly supple and lightning quick with their hands, feet and reflexes. But the thing that shocked me the most, was how much respect they have for their opponents, the skills and the MMA etiquette. The other thing I was shocked at, was how much I enjoyed it, and how exciting the fights are. The athletes don't actually hate each other. Hello.
What's the link to surfing? Beside the athletic nature of the fighters/surfers and the parallels between the sports, it seems a lot of surfers are into it. I saw Rudy Palmboom Jnr there, I saw a few other surfers I recognized from the line-up in and around Durbs, and I even watched local surf photographer (and clearly part time MMA fighter) Matt Donaldson clean some poor buggers pipes in a brutal encounter.
I've heard Makua Rothman and a host of other surfers are into MMA, even Kelly Slater apparently. Like I said, I don't know much about it, but it's damn exciting, damn inspiring and I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes the next 'cool' sport to influence the mainstream.
I couldn't find too much info about it in SA, but I found this clip on ESPN, to give you and idea - ok this is way more hardcore than the SA fight scene, but it's the same sport. What do you folks think?
Drop a comment below. I'm off to the gym.
Iain
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| Heavy locals in Mauritius giving SA surfers stick |
| 25 February 2010, 11:59 |
North Beach local and Durban shaper Warren Loom writes from Mauritius:
I stumbled across what must surely be the last vestige of old school localism here in Mauritius. I was first in the car park at One eyes this morning (around 6am, which for here is damn early) looking at a nice clean 3 to 4ft left rolling off the reef. Perfect. A quick 2 hours and then I still have time to get to town for work without too much traffic.) Now I am coming here quite regularly so I don’t consider myself “local” but I am not a once off tourist flailing around either. I pulled my board out, put on my board shorts and (note to everyone reading this: here’s where the wheels fell off) went over to another black 4x4 that had just pulled up, and asked the 2 guys if they were going to use the boat or were they just paddling out?
“Where you going?”, asked the guy.
“Thought I would get a few at One Eyes before work” I innocently said.
“We do not share our waves here” he said glumly.
“????” Is this guy for real? Is he serious? There is no one else out there! Have I just shot back to the eighties? Am I wearing lumo sunblock? I thought localism died with the Dodo? (pun intended)
“We do not share our waves here” he said again.
But he was serious. Bruno (I found out his name later) was very serious. He is one of the last “white shorts” still dragging the name of surfing down the preverbial gutter while everyone else is trying so hard to open the sport up and improve its public perception.
So tail between my legs I slinked away, back into my car, wishing I was back home with guys who know the true meaning of surfing. All you boys and my friends in SA. Shame on guys like Bruno. I did leave with the reasurence that Karma will come back and fill his rash vest with a thousand jelly fish one day.
I will try again tomorrow. Wish me luck!
Warren.
What do you BOMBsurfers think? Anyone else had this kind of experience in Mauritius? Is it acceptable? Comment below.
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| Cleansing surf |
| 24 February 2010, 21:33 |
As Iain said in his previous blog making mags doesn't get easier. This one was a whopper! Chris Bertish winning at the last mo. The most amazing selections of images I've ever seen for a mag courtesy of the el nino effect and some hard charging surfing plus the usual last minute ad schenanigans. Shew when we walked out this evening with it all done I couldn't believe it. What did I do? What any self respecting surf mag publisher would. I went for a surf in the howling onshore 1-2' bluebottle riddled dusk. I surfed The New Pier alone. I just needed to get wet. To rinse the accumulated filth of the deadline off my body and mind. I only had one good wave but damn it felt good!
John
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| Deadlines and 1footers |
| 24 February 2010, 08:48 |
If you wondering why the blog's been so quiet, these last few days, it's NOT because the waves have been cranking and we're too busy surfing to post something...for a change. On the contrary, the waves have been pretty terrible here in Durbs the last week or so and it's been hot, hot, hot and the east has been raging as a result....The real reason, dear readers, is that we've been slaving over the lastest issue, which is going into print very very shortly...and looking pretty sick I might add!
As I quickly type this, John is pouring over the first proofs of the layout and furiously marking pages with his favourite lumionous yellow highlighter. We've published quite a few magazines together in the last 4-5 years, and you'd think it gets easier as you go, but nope...not the case I'm afraid.
Is it still fun?
Hell yeah.
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| Surfing with your groms |
| 21 February 2010, 20:12 |
Once a week at least I try and take my groms aged 3 and 6 down for a surf. We ride amongst other things an old longboard which we all share. It is so big I can literally push them onto waves already standing up. They get so stoked but I think I get more stoked just watching them learn. I'm trying hard not to be one of those pushy dads who ends up destroying the experience by pushing too hard. Today was a breakthrough of sorts. After weeks of flailing around in the foamies my son (3) kept urging me to paddle further out. Pretty soon we got out to the back (surf was only 1ft) and both caught a wave in together on the same old longboard. I haven't been that stoked in a long time.
John
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| The will to succeed |
| 19 February 2010, 11:38 |
This morning a group of Durban's hardcore locals pulled into listen to Chris B talk about his Mav's win. I don't this story can be told enough, for a number of reasons.
Firstly, just listening to what Chris had to go through to get there - no money, no clarification that the event was even going to run, no organised travel plans and no belongings to speak of, Chris literally happened to be at the airport - then checked his mail, saw that the comp might run, so he borrowed cash, took his back up board that just happened to be in the car, managed to scramble a ticket and jumped on the next flight to LA. He didn't even take a toothbrush.
Secondly, the sheer physical feat of the achievement. After traveling for over 36 hours, not sleeping, arriving at 1am, then going straight to the contest site, surfing 3 heats in a row on a borrowed board, during which he charged over six 35-40 foot waves, suffered some of the worst hold downs of his entire career, including being dragged 1.2km underwater on one particular wave in his 1st heat when he was caught inside by a freak 60 footer, is insane. He still went on to surf 2 more heats and win.
Finally, the absolute belief and self-determination to succeed. Not to win, just to succeed in his dream to surf the Mavericks comp and representing for himself and his country, against all the odds, is incredible. The fact that he won, is almost unbelievable.
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