theBOMBsurf blog - theBOMBsurf - South African surfing magazine

Trav faces up to the 'CT cut.

31 August 2010, 11:55

So right now, South Africa's only other Professional surfer on Tour stares upwards into the face of the Mid-year cut-off. Travis must be a nervous guy. One heat. One heat at Teahupoo. He has to make this heat, or it's all over. Should Travis come second in his next 30 mins of surfing, he will be officially relegated back to the QS. What does this mean? Well for a start, it means no more guaranteed cash just for showing up at the remaining 5 'CT events of the year. It means another year of slogging it out, countless hours traveling to QS contents, countless heats against rabid young hopefuls all trying to bite, claw and gouge their way into that diminishing slice of the CT pie. On a personal level for Trav, it must be incredibly stressful considering the unsteady supply of cash from the QS prizepool, the leveraging of personal sponsors and the uncertainty of venues, schedules and nature of the QS grind.

30 mins Trav. It's BMT time. We're holding fingers and thumbs.

Image Credits to ASP

1 Comments so far:

Gareth on 1 September 2010

Nice one Travis, well deserved! Go out and celebrate with a maiden CT win!

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Beyond the beach

27 August 2010, 19:06

Beyond the beach...

John and I have spent a lot of time in the Bean Green Coffee Roastery while making this latest magazine. Run by father and daughter team, Pete and Mel Winter, they not only have the best coffee in the world, but have created a n amazing community of patrons in the Durban area.

The coolest thing is that while we're in the Roastery enjoying these gourmet coffees we get to discuss a lot of different things with a lot of very interesting people. Politics, sport, music, personalities and everything else topical is debated and discussed. No surprise that the early media houses and newspapers were founded in the coffee shops of Europe.

This week I was discussing Media with Mel, who happens to have an Honours degree in English and Journalism, as well as being a world class Barista. She dropped me this cool little report on what went down at UKZN last night regarding the Governments proposed clamp down on the media...and since we are the media... it's important to us...and to you too.

Here's Mel's report:

A forum was held at UKZN to discuss the Media Appeals Tribunal (MAT)
and the Protection of Information Bill including speakers from the ANC
and members of the media fraternity. The outcomes were unsurprising
and left the gathered crowd frustrated.
The ANC representative assured the citizens in the packed auditorium
that it is primarily concerned with upholding the Constitution. She
re-iterated that the Media Appeals Tribunal is merely being discussed
and they are willing to listen to the people's concerns. She stated
that the Tribunal is being proposed to find balance between the right
to human dignity and the right to freedom of speech and how owners of
the media have been abusing these rights.
SANEF (South African National Editors Forum) representative took the
route of accepting responsibility for past media sins, while still not
conceding that the Protection of Information Bill was an acceptable
response by government. Citizens were asked by the other speakers,
including journalists, academics and editors, not to be intimidated by
a government with too much to hide and to stand up for their rights to
free speech and access to information. The major point being that the
media play an integral role in protecting democracy by holding elected
officials accountable to the people.
The loudest response came when the ANC was asked why it is focussing
attention on the media rather than the major issues: crime, corruption
and service delivery.
The ANC representative smiled and said she would take these concerns
back to her party.

Melanie Winter.

What do you think BOMBsurf readers?

1 Comments so far:

TrevorG on 30 August 2010

When I was a lightie(17) I was sent to fight a war in another country. I was bombarded by all the Nat propaganda of a total onslaught and all the rest. I thought at the time that this was the"right " thing to do. Of course all I really wanted to do was surf and explore the big world out there. Our wonderful country became pariahs and we were persona non gratia in many countries. A lot of surfers, sons, husbands and fathers died for the" cause". Many more were permanently affected by the brutality of war.
Now 30 years later the same shit is happening! The legislation these muppetts are proposing is identical to the machinery used to con me and a generation all those years ago. I am older and wiser and will not be treated like a mushroom - kept in the dark and fed shit! My taxes are however good enough for these tossers. As a taxpayer I WILL fight for my right to access of information.
Whites are often accused of colluding and perpetuating the reign of the previous regime. This was possible by the very laws that are now proposed. Let us not make the same mistake of being conned again, we should have learned our lesson by now!!

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Getting snaked at your local by your mate

24 August 2010, 10:09

At The New Pier there are several shifts of surfers who surf there in the morning. The first light crew, the second shift from 7-8am and then the mellow third shift crew who rock up anytime after 8am. The gnarliest shift is the second shift as these guys are all frothing for their one hour fix before they have to be at work at 8am. You can set your watch to the downgrading of froth and aggro as the 3rd shift starts. These guys are mellow talk to each other in the lineup, hardly ever paddle around each other and NEVER snake each other, well almost never.

I try as hard as possible to hit the super early dawnie or cruise in late for the 3rd shift, just to avoid the aggro. Today I was in a mid deadline stupor and blissfully slipped into the 3rd shift mellowness. Trading waves, waiting my turn, chatting to the guys until a guy I know well jumped off the pier. I know this guy well enough to go and have beers with him at his house and consider him a mate. Anyway out of nowhere he starts with the full-on second shift moves. He's paddling around everyone, dropping in and carrying on. The mellow boys try to get him to calm down a bit but he's like a ritalin kid without his fix.

I had been waiting for ages for a last set wave. I'd let lots of good waves go looking for that one wave that was the one I wanted to go in on. As the wave popped up he paddled around me and took off. I couldn't believe it, I was actually speechless. I got a wave in shortly afterwards but the ending of the session was bitter-sweet. The wave I'd waited for had been stolen from me in the last minute by my mate who fully snaked me...

In the car park I thought about waxing his windscreen or at least putting sunblock on his car door handle just to let him know that wave wasn't for free. Then I saw a pretty girl roll past on rollerblades, she gave me a huge smile out of nowhere and my thoughts of retribution vanished into the feint wake of perfume she left behind as she cruised on down the boardwalk.

Seriously you have gotta love this new Durban beachfront!

I climbed into my cabbie sense of humor restored and set out to go and get this mag into print.

And Wazzo, I'll get you tmro you skabat!

John

3 Comments so far:

marks on 24 August 2010

That's my chick so while you are on the topic of snaking hope you practiced what you preach !?But certainly looks like I am getting snaked at my local by my chick,gotta be worse off than you and is
probably the cause of your humour rebound.Anyway looks like you owe me a wave!Cheers,Snow.

Sam on 24 August 2010

Plenty more waves out there John, big wheel turns on the hustlers.

I have adopted the attitude of forcing myself to calm down, if I am being hustled, or paddled around, as I understand I am surfing town. Town surfers, have another attitude, FULL ON or a little LESS FULL ON, I get it, embrace it. I am kinda glad too, as its forced me to try all crazy kinda boards (to try and beat the heat of the town crowd) from Long, to short fat bottomed sticks, and its opened a whole new feelings of glide to me.

Stoked.

warren loom on 24 August 2010

I had mate do that to me once. Only once. He now lives in Oz....... Gary J!!!!!!!!!!!

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The Ubuntu Challenge

20 August 2010, 16:17

For a long while now Iain and I have been wanting to make some time to interact with the umthombo surf club. We've surfed with them often, but never really hung out. Today we ran a workshop, tag team event and expression session for them and I have to tell you the whole thing blew my mind.

For starters you have to realise you are not dealing with normal kids. These kids are literally street children who sleep on the streets at night. They somehow gather themselves together in the morning and then by some miracle of miracles go surfing every day. This is made possible by them being a part of the Umthombo rehabilitative program where the Umthombo social workers use surfing as a form of therapeutic intervention.

Red Bull BWA winner and now head of Surfing Heritage SA, John Whittle and Quik Goodwave winner and stylemaster Simon Nicholson teamed up with Anne Wright, Iain and myself to run the workshop. I think we were all moved by the experience but also impressed by the talent that is growing amongst this little club which life so cruelly seems to have stacked the odds against from the start.

The guys really went for it. In the end Simmo's team took out the tag team. Every kid was presented with a special commemorative T of the inaugural Ubuntu Challenge, these were sponsored by SSA and PAL Printers. They immediately put them on and were so proud to wear them that it humbled all of us. The expression session was like a barfight with Sihle, Ketho and Sifiso going toe to toe in an incredible display of competitive will. These guys surfed every wave like it was their last and fought right down to the final blast of the vuvuzela that ended it all. The very promising Sihle ended up winning the expression session and the grand prize which was a custom shaped board from Clayton. You should have seen that grom when he heard he'd won. He looked like he'd just won the World Cup he was so stoked. The other kids picked him up and then mobbed him they were so stoked for him too. Anne Wright and John were embracing, Simmo was wooping up his team, I had to swallow deeply and blink fast. It really was very moving. When all that had died down we settled into a feast of Boerie Rolls courtesy of Durban's finest butchery, Mr Mozzies, and cold Cokes generously supplied by Pilotfish. What a day of surfing! I left the beach exhausted, humbled, inspired and stoked.

John

3 Comments so far:

Mark on 23 August 2010

What a great event, was surfing on the other side of the pier on Friday and could see the sheer determination and competitiveness through the pylons! Just wanted to put it out there to the Durban Surfing community surely everyone of us has some unused bit of surf paraphanelia somewhere in our closets/garages that we could donate to this worthy cause...How do we go about getting this to Umthombo??

mark snowball on 23 August 2010

I got a new board without fins to give them,who will come up with the fins and leash and whatever else you guys got?just say when and where?

Regards
Snow

John Mc on 25 August 2010

Snow, don't worry bru we'll hook up the leash and fins. How can we connect to get the board? maybe give me a shout 0828863424 and I'll come pick it up. Shot John

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The Durban Beach Community

18 August 2010, 09:10

This morning the surf was on its head but I decided to get wet anyway. As I was dragging myself into my wetsuit in the North Beach car park Steve Price ( of Quiksilver design fame) pulled up in his Land Cruiser next to Neville, one of the car guards. Steve got out of his cabbie went to the boot opened it up, took out a case of Black Label and handed it over to Neville. Neville was so stoked he nearly disappeared into his smile. I asked him what was up? He said it was his birthday. It got me thinking what a cool thing the Durban beach community is when a high flying designer for a surf brand cares enough about a car guard to buy him a case of beer for his birthday. Very cool.

Happy Birthday Neville!

John

4 Comments so far:

Mark on 18 August 2010

And Neville is one of the nicest people around, always super chilled and doesn't mind a good chat!

Gareth on 18 August 2010

epic. reckon Nevlille may be a bit late for work tomorrow?!

iain on 19 August 2010

He told me this morning he was dossing by 5pm. And not because he drank all the beers. He just "goes to bed early" ...lol.

Sam on 20 August 2010

Thats the coolest thing I have heard this week, pay it forward Pricey!!!

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That sneaky little deadline surf

17 August 2010, 12:43

Four times a year our otherwise great lifestyle gets cheese grated by the reality of actually putting the magazine together. It's all very well talking about the magazine or even publishing online in bits, but the reality of collecting the editorial and advertising for the magazine is a sobering experience for even the most hardened media hack.

Last night I packed the car with 3 great surfboard options, my wetty and towel, so that this morning when the alarm pushed me off the pillow all I had to do was administer my Bean Green (thanks Mel and Pete) home brew and hit the road.

As I drove along the coastal road catching glimpses of the sea I refined my objective destination, my surfers GPS complimenting the local conditions. To high for xyz, too small for abc, should be fun at xxxxx. Bingo right on the money! I arrive to find only a father and son sharing perfect little 3-4ft waves peeling along the sandbar. The wind was offshore, but I could tell the North Easter was looming so I didn't dawdle. A gentle slopey take off leading into a drainpipe inside section. So much fun. Two other guys joined us and we rotated sharing waves until the onshore came through.

Driving back to town I was mellow and peaceful and so content. It was like the vitamin B injection of stoke that I needed to get this mag to the next level. This is our Spring 2010 issue, the 8th Issue we've done since launching theBOMBsurf and by the way it is going to be beautiful!

So here goes... back into the deadline crunch ha ha.
John

1 Comments so far:

Ben Roberts on 18 August 2010

It is cool to hear stories of stoke of you sharing waves on the coast. Over the weekend we had a few bluff guys come stay at a resort way down the coast for a birthday party. Saturday was flat and only good for diving. Come sunday a buster west came through but a few locals were joined by the bluff boys. What a cool experience, they had perfect manners, were respectful and patient and threw down some hot surfing at our wind blown point break. Thanks guys, i will be on the bluff soon for a visit and will show the same respect and manners as any visitor should.
Respect, peace and love.

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the unexpected session

15 August 2010, 21:07

The unexpected session: Some days you just get lucky. We hit an early surf in town on Saturday, thinking that that it was going to be the only chance we'd get, since we'd organised to meet a few mates down the coast to play golf in the arvo. The dawnie was predictably crowded in town and the high tide, traffic from the boats netting sards in the Bay and the chilly, dirty water made it one to forget. However, a few hours later en-route to make our tee-off time at a little S coast golf course the waves along the way looked really really good. We pulled into our favourite point "just for a look", and there were only 2 guys out and it was turning on! We couldn't believe it. The water was clean, the little 3ft runners were mechanically peeling down the point and there wasn't a breath of wind. Needless to say, we didn't waste any time and managed to surf for an hour and still make our tee-off (only just!) and let's just say that our surfing is waaaaaay better than our golf! Those unexpected, spontaneous sessions are so rare, and maybe it's because there is no expectation, no hype or build up, that when you luck into them and it's cooking, you feel like you're getting someting you probably don't deserve! Guess it makes up for all those missions where you get skunked. Such is the ying and yang of surfing...and of life.

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johno's house

11 August 2010, 09:30

This morning we cruised up the North Coast to surf and hang out with our good mate Johno Hutchison. Johno has the most legendary spot ever - it's like being in a surf paradise, and besides shaping some legendary boards there, and hanging out and doing a photo shoot with us, Johno is always planning the next surf mission! In between shots I snapped these...

theBOMBsurf mobile pulls into Johno's place.

The view from Johno's verandah. Nice.

...keep your eyes on the next issue to see the ad we shot today - very, very cool!

iain

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What's in a number?

10 August 2010, 15:41

What's in a number?

I received a mail from Colin Fitch with a list of the One World Rankings on it today and was stoked to find that I actually feature on the list. I'm 412 on the list only 411 places back from Jordy who has the no 1 spot and I'm ranked ahead of both Occy (524) and Tom Curren (750). Woohoo my brief and obscure moment of very invisible acclaim. I've had worse birthday presants than this.

Anyway it got me thinking what is in a number? Certainly at Jordy's end of the rankings things like World Titles become meaningful, but down at my end that is not nearly so important as making the right call on where I'm going to surf tomorrow.

There are 917 placings listed on the 2010 ASP One World Rankings, while that may sound like a lot consider how few that is in relation to the total number of surfers there are in the world today. Even if you added all the participants in the ISA infrastructure, longboarding and the big wave guys in together you'd probably only come to a couple of thousand at best.

What does this tell us? Well what we already know and that is most surfers do not surf contests.

Is the contest machine actually the tail wagging the dog so to speak? Certainly if numbers are anything to go by you'd have a case. Personally I don't think so, I think contests and world champions are good for all of us because their constant innovation and performance orientation leads the evolution, which eventually trickles down into our own surfing equipment and performance. Wetsuits are a great case in point. Surfing in the frigid waters of the Cape is a completely different experience today compared to what it was 20 years ago. The advance in wetsuits has made that possible and that wouldn't be possible without a competitive industry driving innovation and performance.

Back to numbers for a moment, at 26 years old I know I had a ranking of sorts but can't remember what it was. I was living under a skateboard ramp built by Jay Adams in Hawaii on the North Shore, life was simple.

Me, aged 26, my skateboardamp home, Hawaii.

Today now at 39 (geeze) I find myself locked in to creating our 8th Issue of theBOMBsurf, our Spring 2010 Issue. Life is not quite as simple as it was back then but my priorities haven't changed much, I'm still thinking about where I'm going to surf tomorrow.

If there was a ranking for the most stoked surfer I reckon I'd be higher up than 412, but then again I reckon there'd be a lot more competition for the no 1 slot than on the ASP and ISA rankings. If stoke was the determining factor who would be the world champion?

I know who I'd choose, I'd choose Andy Marr. That guy is amazing I once saw him surf from sunrise to sunset at J-Bay without getting out of the water. That's dedication and stoke if you ask me!

Who do you think the most stoked surfer in the world is, who would be your Stoke World Champion?

John

5 Comments so far:

iain on 10 August 2010

Happy Birthday John!

Simone on 10 August 2010

Happy happy John, you will be receiving your present in the post. With love from the RUSH girls !! xx

Lindy Taverner on 10 August 2010

Happy birthday J!

Not looking too shabby there in those boardies...but we have something much better in mind for your 39th...last chance before the big 4 0...har har...

I'm not far behind you...gulp!

John Bromley on 11 August 2010

Most stoked- John you must make the cut for the top 20 in the world I reckon. Happy Birthday for yesterday. You are an inspiration to those of us who wish we could also have the motto Surf First but have a whole lot of other things that come in between.

Paul van Jaarsveld on 11 August 2010

Happy B-Day. Have to agree with you Andy is the most stoked surfer I have seen. You on the other hand, surf very well for your ¨age¨

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What to do when there's no surf?

6 August 2010, 14:09

So what do you do when you can't surf? This week a good friend of ours lent us a BMW Street Carver to try out. I haven't skated much since my days at blunt and the weird thing is, I skate and wakeboard natural, but surf and flowboard goofy. Watkind ek se? Anyways, I've never tried out a street carver and my mate assured me it was as close to surfing on land as you could get. Here's the result...

2 Comments so far:

Quintin on 10 August 2010

Hey Iain, where did he get it from? I am having a hard time getting my mits on a Carver from the states. No agents in SA and they do not return emails.
Shot
Quintin

Iain on 10 August 2010

Hi Quintin, apparently from a mate in the UK. Drop me a mail iain@thebombsurf.com and I'll put you guys in touch.

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