The week that was…. – Featured Blog

Plenty of swell still around on Monday last week, how better to kick off the week with a public holiday AND surf. The holiday plus surf combo meant that there was a bit of congestion in the line-up’s, but at least quite a few waves to go round. Things quietened down as the week progressed, but a bang down to a whimper beats a whimper to a whimper!

Perfect waves at Pipe for the Billabong SA Grommet Games. Our NMBS lighties did flipping well, hooking second possie overall, and taking home the Surfing Trophy, 3 SA titles (Zia Hendriks, C-Jay Posthumus and Daniel Orpen), as well as a 2nd in tag team event. You can check out the full wrap, results and shots here:
http://www.millerslocal.co.za/comp-news/cape-town-surfriders-win-mandela-bay-trophy-at-the-2016-billabong-sa-grommet-games

Some more waddling tuxedo’s got released from SAMREC on Monday. The organisation does an awesome job of rehabilitating seabirds and other marine wildlife, and is always on the lookout for volunteers. So give em a should on info@samrec.org.za if you keen to help out. Otherwise pop in to see the penguins, as entry fee’s go towards funding the centre.

Been digging around our early surfing history and interviewed a few ballies to get an idea of how surfing started in PE. Pretty interesting darn story they had too. Go give it a read here: http://www.millerslocal.co.za/pe-surf-history.html

​Jogged quite a few memories, with Craig Cuff coming up with some classic old shots of his pop, Peter, on a home-made crocker ski – almost like the first SUP. The first surfboards made in PE were called (confusingly) Seal Point Surfboards, and Craig has one of the originals in his collection.

Lionel Daniel remembers he couldn’t afford one of the Seal Points or Swifts, so his first board was a Sunsurf – which cost R50 bucks. He had to save up and pay R25 towards it, which was tough going when his pocket money was only 25c a week! He made up the difference by catching and selling a lot of snakes to the Snake Park that year!!

Surf Centre held a few grom surf camps over the hol’s, and also hosted some lighties from Missionvale for a 2 day camp – with 6 kids coming each day. Dave Lippie contacted Annie and Willem from NMBS and asked if they’d like to arrange some kids, which they did. The groms had an absolute blast, with great weather and waves both days. Nice one Surf Centre, Dave and surf coach Alan Buchanan.

Josh Enslin’s Guinness World Record is now officially official – he was awarded his certificate by SA Surfing Johnny Bakker at the opening function of the Billabong SA Grom Games last Wednesday night. Josh surfed for 30 hours 11 minutes and rode 466 waves; as well as raising over R30k via the CYOH Charity Drive for disadvantaged communities and animal shelters.

Head’s up if you dig Killer Whales. Everyone’s invited to attend a public talk about these finned friends that hang around Marion Island, by NMMU’s Dr Ryan Reisinger. Venue is Bayworld next week on Tuesday 29th of March at 17:15 for 17:30.

Dr Reisinger is a world-renowned specialist on killer whales and a post-doctorate fellow at the Institute of Coastal and Marine Research, at NMMU. He will be talking about his amazing experience with Killer Whales on Marion Island.

Still another week of school holidays left, so expect a few extra peeps in the line-up all day. Charts looking like the odd wave or too during the week – nothing spectacular, just enough to rinse off in.