The week that was… – Featured Blog

Coupla days of waves here and there to get everyone their salt water dose for  the week. Water lekker warm, weather being all summery. What’s not to like about Decemeber? (other than the lack of consistent surf!?)

Ou’s getting a bit rusty cos of the weekly lulls between half decent sessions. Lee Allers was over-frothing on a lil bump that cropped up at Avo’s during the week, and in his enthusiasm to get out into the line-up rather badly mis-timed his jump off the rock and got dragged back onto the rocks with the set. Much to the delight of all those watching – as it is when something bad happens – always funny when you doing the watching, not so funny when you’re the peep doing what’s making everyone else laugh.

The long flat spell’s are enough to do anyone’s head in, and Surf Centre’s Jacques Jonker finally cracked from the no-wave pressure and decided to see if he went full-on Vaalie mode if it would help cope with the down-time. Apparently some nice gentlemen came to wrap him up in a long white jacket and took him away somewhere safe….

Great week for Saffa’s in surf comps – JBay’s Steven Sawyer got a 2nd spot in the Longboard World Champs in China. Ou’s that watched the final reckoned he shoulda won it – maybe cos the other ou had a beard and Steezy only a moustache? The local logger is super stoked with his win ​“There were a few things I could have done better in that heat to win but I’m just as happy with second as I would have been winning the thing. Every heat I made was just a bonus, when I made it to the fourth round I was ecstatic. Making it to the Final I feel like I can go home and be proud forever.”

Also some great results from the Saffa’s at the ISA Surfing World Adaptive Surfing Champs at La Jolla. Congrats to Antony Smyth on his Gold (left) and Jean-Paul Veaudry (right) on his Bronze. Doing SA proud.

Staying in comp mode – this coming weekend is the Car Park John Pro-am comp at Noordhoek. Seriously not a serious surf comp at all. Ride anything that floats. Plenty prizes and a fun day out. Tune Merv re deets and entries.

Grant Beck is doing some serious round-the-world missioning right now – having just been in China for the World Longboard Champs he has flown over the Pacific puddle and now finds himself in Mexico chilling with boet Brad – who’s working as a surf guide in the land of Tequila.

Greg Heasley was spotted at Seals getting his lightie into some waves. If the grom ends up surfing anything like his pop he’ll be a ripper for sure. Perfect Christmas pressie for your lightie is definitely a bodyboard or surfboard – get em into that water young!

SAMREC has a few penguins ready to go back home. They have been successfully treated for all their ailments, sufficiently fed to build up their reserves and are now ready to be let loose back into the wild. Pull in to SAMREC on Sunday the 18th of December and jwave em goodbye. The tuxedo boys will be prepared for release at 15:00.

Entrance is R30 for adults and R20 for pensioners and children. Boerewors rolls and refreshments will be on sale at the Flying Penguin café.

It’s that time of year again – keep your eye’s peeled for beached lil fur seals. Cape fur seals are born every year from November – January on Black Rocks in Algoa Bay. After a big storm, hundreds may be swept away. Many of them are washed up on the coast, mostly from Woody Cape to Port Alfred. These animals cannot survive alone and need to be returned to Black Rocks as soon as possible.

If you do find a seal ashore, please call one of the numbers listed below. Please do not disturb the animal, but remain close if you can until a person with a permit comes to fetch the seal. Please ask other people not to go too close and please keep dogs away. Do not pour water on the lil dude. Remember that all seals (pups also) can bite and are potentially dangerous.

Note that all seals are protected under the Seabirds and Seals Protection Act of 1973 and it is an offence to disturb them. Numbers to call:

• Greg Hofmeyr / Frikkie vd Vyver (Bayworld) at 0717 242122
• In Addo Natl. Park: South African National Parks at 046 653 0601
• Near Cannon Rocks: Lana Cummings at 083 267 5198
• Port Alfred & surrounds: Willem Nel (Ndlambe Municipality) 082 388 4600
• In Port Elizabeth Bayworld at 041 584 0650

As usual – the summer sunrises and sunsets never disappoint….