I fight my way through a haze of foam dust and whirring machines to find Dennis perched behind a bank of computer screens like a modern day Frankenstein. Except Dr D isn’t creating monsters, far from it. Bobby the Robot, under the ever watchful eye of Dr D, is spitting out cutting-edge, high-tech, wave-eating magic carpet rides. You DEFINITELY want one of these… So Dr D, tell us where Bobby the Robot comes from The shaping machine is actually originally from Clayton’s factory in Durbs. He moved outta SA, and Seals local Alistair Brown brought it down to Cape St Francis. He’s involved in blank distribution, so it made sense at the time for him to get this to shape the blanks he was supplying to the Seals, Jbay and PE shapers. I bought it from Alistair. Must’ve damaged the piggy bank somewhat? Let’s just say a new one costs around R300k! Thankfully Casey Beveridge put some cash into the project, which allowed me to go ahead and get the machine to PE. Ok, give us the quick tour of how Bobby works. If we’re making a normal board, it’s a case of putting on one of the pre-shaped blanks. If it’s an epoxy – then that’s a fair bit more work. The epoxy just comes in sheets. We have to first bend the sheet to get the rocker in, and then hot-wire the blank out of it. The blank rests onto a bunch of suction cups in the centre of the machine, which are powered by a compressor –these hold the blank in place. I switch the machine on – and the blank gets ground into shape by the quickly rotating bit attached to the horizontal arm. Top deck and outline first, then it’s flip the board over, and the bottom deck gets done. The whole shaping machine process is about 15 minutes per board. Then the board still gets finished off by hand, with some extra sanding and tweaking. Then it’s off for artwork, and finally glassing. Now obviously Bobby doesn’t have a mind of his own – how does it know what to shape? It’s all about the software. I’m using Shape 3D – which is what Al Merrick over at Channel Islands is using too. It’s basically an Autocad design program. It’s now the design process that takes the time, and not the actual shaping. I’ve created templates for all my models, and the software has the ability to scale them up proportionately according to the size required. I can also do tweaks to the designs on the software, so the board is still as customised as you want it. So is this the Holy Grail then? Can you replicate “magic’ boards? Absolutely! That’s the beauty of this machine. I can now measure up your favourite board and put it on file. Which means once you’ve got that magic board, you can order it again, and again, and again. Want a pin tail on it instead of a squash, no problem. Just a tweak in the software and you’re good to go. So is all this high-tech going to mean boards become more expensive? No, I’m going to be absorbing the extra cost myself, so machine-shaped boards will stay the same price as the hand-shaped one’s. I’d say there’re only about 4 other shapers globally that are doing epoxy boards on shaping machines. Myself, Stubby, and 2 guys over in Aus. The epoxy blanks are all hand-made by us, and that’s where the technique and time come in. You’re looking at about 2 hours of pre-shaping before it goes onto the machine. That’s why the epoxy boards are more expensive than the traditional foam boards. So what’s the benefit in going epoxy? The boards are insanely strong. The blank itself is super-light, which means we can add more glass to it without worrying about it getting heavy. We don’t use stringers in them, which also helps keep the weight down. The strength and stiffness comes from either the carbon rails, or channels. The channels are for the guys who don’t want the carbon. It’s basically small gutters running along the top deck just inside the rails. An epoxy board could last you up to 7-8 years. This means instead of having to replace your magic board every 2 years cos it’s bust, creased or the deck’s collapsed… now your magic boards last – so you can rather build up a bit of a quiver. I see you hover around Bobby like a proud dad – not ready to walk out the room and let him shape by himself yet?
Let’s just say there was the odd disaster when I first started – some wrong settings in the computer (cos I was still getting the hang of it) suddenly saw rails going a bit haywire etc! I’ll admit my hands were shaking when I let it loose on those first few blanks. As they’re costly errors to make! But all good now! Bobby’s shaping like the machine he is! I know you must wanna make a few shout-outs... This is such a milestone for me personally as well as the Boardroom, I'd really like to the following people;
Thank you all! WIN A CUSTOM BOARDROOM STICK!! I'm going to put up a free custom board* to anyone who can come up with a crazy new Boardroom/Dennis Ellis logo for our new range. Get those crayons and finger paints out! Comp ends 1 April and starts......now! <CLICK HERE> to send in your designs *Polyurethane board up to 6ft6 Here's an opinion piece from local surfer Jaryd Mason about the state of the summer line-up's. A perennial problem without a solution in sight it seems. Here's Jaryd's thoughts on the matter: "This summer saw the usual increase in PE’s “surfing population”. Combined with a serious wave drought, Pipe has looked more like an “anything that floats contest” than a surf spot. Yea, you’re always going to get the surfing purist who will tell you that Pipe NEVER gets waves, but let’s face it, most of us surf there anyway! So along with the crowds comes the odd kook or two, or in PE’s case, ten! These kooks come along with their weapons of mass destruction (flying surfboards) and huge egos in the water. Combine this with a lack of “surfing knowledge”, and you have a rather unpleasant, and sometimes dangerous, situation. Surfing is by nature a dangerous sport, but it shouldn’t be a contact sport! I’ve given writing this article for Millerslocal plenty of thought as have realised that it could a sensitive topic. I thought it’d be easy to write about, but it isn’t. Everyone has their own views/opinions on this. These are my views and I hope I don’t offend anyone by expressing them. Tossing/shooting boards has become a regular sight in the water. Shooting a surf board at someone is WRONG and DANGEROUS! Surfboards are not footballs, you don’t shoot them! Even if you’re trying to avoid someone, don’t toss your board away. Shooting your board at an oncoming surfer is even worse, even if you think you’re doing it to try avoid a collision. If you can’t duckdive, then Eskimo roll, or at least hold onto your board. If you can’t duckdive or Eskimo roll, you’re going to be a hazard in the water, and shouldn’t really be out at a busy surf spot. I reckon that other surfers have the right to ask someone to move if they’re a hazard, as it’s for the safety of everyone in the water. It’s actually pretty selfish if the hazardous surfer refuses to move as they’re putting other surfers at risk! Beginners need to respect that, and understand that they may be out of their depth and endangering everyone in the water, including themselves. One of the worst things to do is to shoot your board at another surfer out of spite. Whether someone has dropped in on you or not, you should never intentionally shoot your board at them! I had a situation in the water the other day where someone tried to shoot his board at me cos he claimed that I was taking all the waves! The surfer who shot his board at me was way off the main peak and could barely surf. I think that people like that should have NO place in a line up! I’ve chatted to some other local surfers about the lack of etiquette in PE’s breaks over the summer period. Most agree on the general lack of respect shown in the water and that “new surfers” don’t have the correct “surfing knowledge”. I was lucky enough to have surfing as a school sport. It helped me understand what was wrong and right in the water. We were lectured by our coaches when we were out of line and by other surfers. I used to be so scared of the local surfers when I first started out (no names mentioned!). I also had my fair share of mishaps and lectures from other surfers in the water. When I was about 15 I remember screaming at a surfer at Millers who had dropped in on me. He was about 50 or so and wasn’t having some random school kid give him attitude. Needless to say he shared a bit of his mind with me that day and I don’t think I’ve ever screamed at an older surfer since! In the end I think the tuning helped me learn my place in the line up. I wouldn’t dare snake someone older than me especially if they were a better surfer. I saw dropping in as a kind of death sentence too! What worries me is that same respect no longer exists in the line up. I’m talking about is the respect beginners should have for more experienced surfers. The kind of respect which anyone should have for a more senior member of a sports team. The kind of respect which you should have for someone older than you! The respect you should have for local surfers if you’ve never surfed that spot before!I reckon that part of the reason for this lack of respect is that local surfers are not showing beginners the way. It’s like raising a child and never telling them stealing is wrong. By explaining that stealing is wrong and by setting a good example they will respect you. The same goes for surfing rules and MANNERS! Snaking is a massive issue in all line ups. Let’s face it, we all snake each other. Among friends snaking can be quite fun, especially when the waves aren’t good and there’s some good banter in the water. I’ll admit that I snake all the time! But here’s the thing which I found hard to write about...What do you do if someone who can’t surf well keeps snaking you? What do you do if you paddle past that surfer because they are not in the right spot for the wave and they tune you? Surely it’s a case of respect and the better surfer gets the wave? There is such a fine line between being a wave hog and catching your fair share of waves. It is hard to judge and to figure out who is wrong or right, who is “allowed” more waves. I reckon that the people who surf a break all the time are entitled to a few more waves than the surfers who are new to the wave or new to the sport. It’s how all breaks work, you could call it localism, but again there is a fine line between localism and respecting the locals at a spot! Back to my story about the guy who tuned me and tried shooting his board at me. He was nowhere near the main peak on the day. I’d say at least 10m away from the actual line up. Was I wrong to paddle past him all the time? In my opinion, if someone is not in the right place to catch a wave you have the right to paddle past them and sit in the actual line up. Especially if the other person can’t surf. I know that everyone won’t agree with me on this, but that’s just my opinion. If you accidently drop in on someone or do something wrong then apologise. Everyone gets into bad situations at times and sincere apologies go a long way to preventing conflict in the water.
The only way beginners will learn how to behave in the water is if they get told when they are out of line. If they give attitude then well...I’m not one for violence, but then they deserve a fat klap! The only way we can keep breaks safe and orderly is if surfers take responsibility and ensure everyone out there knows what they’re doing! It sucks! But I don’t see any other way around this problem! We can’t sit back and do nothing about this because then I think it will just get worse! So the next time someone drops in on you, shoots their board or deliberately snakes you. Let them know what they have done wrong! By not correcting beginners things could get out of control at our surf breaks and people could get hurt. I know that as surfers we need to be chilled and laid back, but there is nothing chilled and laid back about getting stitches in your pip from a flying surfboard. It is the only way beginners will learn and you will be doing the rest of the line up a favour! Let’s try help other surfers when we can, and make sure they learn the ins and outs of surfing, because in the end WE ALL LOVE SURFING! I’m keen to hear people’s opinions on this. As I said, I may be wrong and I accept that. These are just my views." Written by Jaryd Mason. Check out the Surf Guide for a quick brush up on lineup etiquette. I ran this classic sequence of vintage Denvils recently. Solid 6ft freight train barrels! Which is kinda ironic given that today Denvil’s is the “learn-to-surf” beach! I caught up with Malcolm Turner - the surfer in those shots, to find out a bit more about how good Denvils got back then - as well as to hear some great tales from back in the day. Like him witnessing one of the first surfs ever at Supers, catching chickens at the Beach Hotel with fishing rods; and finding mysto spots along the coast. Let's start with that Denvil sequence though.... How come you used to surf there so much? In 1970 I was employed at the Oceanarium in charge of the dolphins. With lots of free time & being right on the spot, I was able to surf all the best days. Used to get perfect Fence and unbelievable body surfing at Humewood (no one rode boards there in those days). Denville had very little sand in those days and was a sort of semi point break. The take-off was outside the furthest rocks to the right and the wave would peel off towards the MacArthur wall. The day these shots were taken was one of the biggest and was holding up well in a strong offshore. Luckily one of the surfers was on hand to record it! The guy swimming out is Trevor Dalton one of my colleagues at the Oceanarium. You were one of the first PE surfing crew – what got you into it? When I started surfing in about 1966? (Could have been 65), there were quite a few surfers around, mainly associated with the two lifesaving clubs Kings Beach and Summerstrand. Guys rode polyurethane boards and some of the older lifesavers used canvas and wood surf skis. The surfers were split into 3 tribes; the Fence, Millers and Pollock guys, with Jeffrey’s being the neutral meeting ground. I was introduced to surfing by Durnford Paxton, a Summerstrand member so I gravitated towards the Pollock crowd. Durnfords Uncle Trevor Gelderblom was keen on surfing and used to take us to the beach when the wind was right. There were only about 4 surfers in our school at that time. I remember Andrew Austin bunking school when the surf was up and one day the vice principle went down to call him out of the water! The school teachers were not too keen on surfing as it was not a team sport. I soon got hooked on the sport and bought my first board from Trevor for R80.00, it was #22 Seal Point board, a magnificent 9ft 6in three stringer with a nose and tail block. You guys were amongst the first Saffa’s to surf Supers – take us through that story. The PE surfers were regular visitors to Jeffrey’s and most surfed at the Surfer's Point (what we know as Point today). When it got good the better guys would surf Tubes. We never saw anyone ride at Supers or the “Point” as we called it then. We simply knew that when the “Point” started breaking we could expect a set at Surfers Point soon afterwards. The first time we ever saw anyone on the wave was Easter Weekend 1969. Keith Paull, a travelling Australian surfer was visiting Jeffrey’s and he had the latest “short Board’, a 7ft 6in plastic machine. We had never seen one before, and when we saw him riding what we now know as Supers, we (all 5 of us) got out of the water and watched him riding from the sand dune. The swell was glassy and medium sized. A few days later a violent cold front came through and all the fishing boats had to seek shelter in the bay. Keith went out again, but this time the swells were a solid 12 ft. We sat in awe as he caught rides right through from Supers to almost the Point. Suddenly the Glomar Sirte drill ship came close into the “point” and proceeded to drop anchor, she was so close that we could hear the chains as she lay anchor. Two Australians jumped off the ship and paddled into the break and joined Keith! I remember that they had rugby jerseys on and were wearing tennis shoes for traction! When I saw that they were riding 9ft 6in boards I decided that if they could do it, so could I. The other guys didn’t want to go out, so I went out on my 9ft 6in Ron Board, and caught some amazing waves. The rides were so long that after each wave we got out at Surfers Point and walked back to Supers as it became known. In June I went to the Army and when I got out in June 1970, quite a few surfers were starting to surf there, though it remained fairly uncrowded for the next 3 or 4 years. Super’s used to be on a guy’s farm, right? The whole area from Kabeljaauws River to opposite Super tubes parking spot was a farm. The first gate was just past the Kabeljaauws houses and the other gate was opposite the Supers Car Park. Since the 1950,s the farmer had established a camping ground close to Surfers Point, and the area was popular with shell collectors. The whole part along the coast was thick indigenous bush, and when out in the water you could smell the bush and see the odd monkey or buck on the beach. The only human activity was the shell brick factory opposite “Impossibles” and the donkey cart which collected the shell grit off the beach. There were also the famous octopus catchers who plied their trade at low tide. My first trip to Jeffrey’s was in 1966, and I remember going through the gate with Durnford and his father in a bakkie and having to push the vehicle out of thick mud on a couple of occasions. When we got to Surfers Point we erected a huge bell tent and had the most fantastic 3 week holiday. Over the years we often camped there. I remember lots of PE locals who used to camp, such as Larry Levin, Gavin Rudolph, Mush Hyde, Buddha Horn, Jamie Cowie-Shaw, Dave Smith, Donald Bell, Hartland Wilson and others I can’t remember. When the surf was down we got up to all sorts of mischief. Apparently Gavin Rudolph was quite good at fishing for chickens back then? Suffice to say that the guys camping at Surfers Point were partial to grilled chicken every now and then, and a natural source of that delicacy was the “hok” behind the Beach Hotel. Some well-known surfers were adept at venturing out of a night and snaring them off their perches by means of a snare at the end of a fishing rod, if it was done properly the unfortunate bird did not have time to “squawk” but sometimes all hell broke loose and the staff were not impressed, resulting in an exciting dash to the beach in the dark!!. In the sixties Jeffrey’s consisted of two towns - Ferreira Town and Jeffrey’s, with a dirt road between them. One could hire horses from the farmer and ride into town. It was like a Wild West movie with the mayor sitting on his stoep in the main street and greeting us as we rode past. One day we galloped through town and were told to slow down. You’re pioneered a few other spots too. Tell us a bit about surfing Tofinho in Moz back in the 70’s. When in the army (State Presidents Guard 1969-1970) I made friends with the famous racing ace Kenny Gray. His folks had a house at Tofo Beach in Mozambique. We planned a trip up there and for four years I visited Tofo every June. I started surfing at the little point north of present day Tofinho which was a superb wave. In 1972 myself and the late Rob Berman took a trip up to Tofo in February, and while surfing at the point we saw the most amazing surf breaking in the next bay, which in those days was called “Goat Rock”. When I went out to surf it, locals from a nearby native village came down to watch us and judging from their incredulous reaction we were almost certainly the first guys to surf there. The wave breaks close to a shallow sandstone ledge and gets incredibly hollow. In those days there were no houses on the point and the only way was to walk from Tofo Point or travel along a thick sand track. On our return to PE Rob passed away from cerebral malaria, which he picked up in St. Lucia, where we had slept on the beach. Mozambique in February is not a good place to be, the heat was almost unbearable. There’s a shot of your classic old VW Kombi with a really short looking board on top, what was the story there? That Kombi was a real old dog, but it took me to Beira once. Local surfers were quick to follow international trends and when the short board revolution started we simply cut our boards down. We also started using leashes. The board on the roof had about 2 ft. shaved off; boards became ridiculously short and then went back to a more respectable size. It is interesting to note the leash made of plaited ski rope, if you look at many old boards from the 70,s you will see the scars where the rope cut into the tail of the board. Later on we used surgical cord which had a bit of stretch but on a big wipe out it normally snapped. Love the shot of your beach buggy overlooking the wild side at Seals. Were you doing some surf exploration? Surfing was only one of my interests, and when there was no surf I used to look for and explore wrecks. In those days there was no bridge over the river, and to get to Seal Point you had to take the Oyster Bay road from Humansdorp and turn off onto the long road on the north side of the Kromme River. This shot was taken on one of those flat days and the bay is the site of my favourite wreck HMS OSPREY about 3 km west of Seal Point light. You can see my rudimentary salvage gear crammed in the back of my Kart Kraft buggy. So you were into wreck diving. Anything interesting wrecked off our stretch of coast? There are lots of great wrecks along our coast; the most valuable were the tin wrecks such as the L, AGILE a little west of Klippen Point. I dived on many wrecks in the PE area and found many interesting artefacts, many of which I still have. There are over 300 wrecks between Cape St Francis and Blue water Bay. Diving along the Kouga coast was extremely difficult due to the endless surf that that stretch of coast gets pounded with. And find any secret spots whilst you were exploring the coast for wrecks? The very nature of wreck sites make them good surf spots, I saw lots of potential surf spots such as the beautiful left which breaks over the OSPREY. I saw an incredible left breaking on Bird Island, plus many others probably never ridden. I often put my boat in danger and nearly lost it on a number of occasions. The worst experience was on the wreck of the LYNGENFJORD at Huisklip (west of Oyster Bay), when a huge clean-up set nearly swamped my boat! My surfing experience definitely came in handy when anchoring over wreck sites! Still get into the water these days at all?
I try and surf most weekends, my favourite spot is upper Seal Point and in PE I like to go to Rincon. I enjoy Loch Ness in the winter when the berg wind blows. Currently riding a 7ft 8in board by Dennis Ellis. I also love body surfing when the water is warm; usually I go to Sards or Pollock. I don’t get all that many waves these days, but every now and then I get a good one and it’s a great feeling. Surfing has become very aggressive and egotistical, which is a contradiction to the true ethos of surfing - I'm more of a soul surfer! Just love to be out in the water! At last the longest flat spell in recent memory ended with some super fun waves in the bay. Everywhere from Rincon down through to Millers had line's pouring in non-stop from 1 - 3pm. Sheet glass, high tide overhead perfection, and hardly anyone out. Crowds filled in thick after school, and wave quality dropped as the tide dropped. But even then, there were some great waves to be had.
Some looooong rides went down at Millers. Most legendary was Greg Smith, who hooked not one, but two, waves from Chomp Rock all the way through to the sand at Hobie. On a shortboard! Respect. Much of the Pipe crew pulled into Millers for a visit, as apparently Pipe was a big washing machine with a horrendous rip. The guys report getting solid waves up at Rincon. Avo's started to light up late evening as the tide dropped, and some seriously solid sets pulled through. Quite a few ou's made JBay and Seals missions, and reckoned the surf was legit! Jorg says he had a few heavy wipes at Point - managing to air drop into a beating on a solid 8ft one. Reckons you couldn't duckdive the sets - too hectic. Says Tubes was outta control. Here's a few random shots from the day - check out the photo gallery <here> Great news that something good is happening at Something Good! Everyone is pretty familiar with the run-down takeaway spot in the car park at Avo's, and that some development has started there recently. Turns out the the old faithful is being given a new lease on life. I caught up with one of the developers, Grant Davies, to find out more... I believe you guys are going to be developing the site. Can you tell us a bit about it? At one stage before it was run down, Something Good Roadhouse was an icon, and we want to bring it back. And more. The existing structure is being upgraded, given a more modern façade and made more user friendly. So what all will the development consist of? By dividing it into 4 outlets we tried to cater for more people and able to offer the public more variety.
We believe that foremost this proposal is sustainable and it responds directly to the community’s needs in a relatively short space of time. You mention a restaurant – what sort of restaurant are you going to be doing? Something flash or just toes-in-the-sand casual? Definitely very casual – emphasis on good food at reasonable prices. Any lil pub type area planned where the ou’s can sit and sip a cold one whilst watching the surf at Avo’s and Clubhouse? The deck area (weather protected) will be perfect for a cold draught beer or choice of some local SA Craft Beers which are on the market. We have raised the deck for this reason and the views of Avalanche and Clubhouse are perfect. Still going to have the road-house vibe going where guys in the car park can “flick their lights” for service? Yip that’s the idea. People seem keen to start flicking their lights again! Will the development be occupying the same area as the existing Something Good? Yes – Our proposal was that we wouldn’t exceed the footprint of the existing structure and that is exactly what we have stuck to. We will also be removing the alien vegetation from the dune alongside the property and reinstating it with indigenous plants. And are you guys going low-key and keeping it single story?
Yes, single storey – only difference is that the outside area is now also covered to provide protection from the elements. Any ideas on what you’ll be calling it yet? Something Good! We had a bunch of other names but kept coming back to it. Everyone remembers it and recalls the good old days. That’s what we want it to be about! Great to see some investment happening on our beachfront - and that it's nice & low-key. Ou's are going to be stoked to be able to chill on the deck & grab a beer after a surf, or grab some post-surf chow without even having to get outta their car. Surfing journo David MacGregor from Port Alfred dropped me a mail to let me know about an article he wrote for for the Daily Dispatch last week. Turns out some bunch called New African Global Energy Limited (NewAGE) have managed to wangle themselves the rights to go exploring for oil & gas in Algoa Bay and along the coast up to the Gamtoos. A quick google search turns up bogger-all on NewAGE, although some digging reveals a LinkIn page - which has a link to their website - which doesn't work. Starting to smell like a BEE deal! Some government connected brother's uncle's cousin's friend now suddenly has a lucrative mining concession. Aaaah, Africa... Anyhow - back to the issue at hand. These ou's are now going to be doing a seismic survey of the whole area, which entails letting off load blasts of a seismic airgun towards the seafloor looking for fossil fuel deposits. Which is quite a kak thing if you happen to be a turtle, whale or dolphin anywhere close by. It's the equivalent of being locked in a small room with thumping death metal being played at a zillion decibels. Well, maybe not quite - but enough to say they've banned it in lank countries overseas cos of concerns over the effect it has on marine life. But it's effect on marine life will pale in comparison to what'll happen if these guys actually do find oil or gas. Gas is the lesser of two evils cos at least a leak will just blow themselves up instead of ruining the whole bay. But shew, if they find oil that's kak luck for us. Cos now THAT stuff makes a moer of a mess. Remember the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico a while ago? And that was a 1st world country. Good luck trying to clean up an oil spill here... Personally I hope they just end up wasting all their money and finding bogger-all, cos I sure as hang don't want a big oil drilling platform off our coast thanks. Anyway, fossil fuels suck. They killing our planet anyway, looking for oil is so old-school. They should rather spend their money on renewable energy - we're called the Windy City remember....wind farms rock. Here's Dave's article:
"A controversial seismic survey of the ocean floor off the Eastern Cape for oil and gas reserves has begun despite fears they adversely affect already threatened marine resources. The 450 000 km2 (SUBS: 450 000 square kilometre) two dimensional survey is one of several taking place off the South African and Namibian coast that involves ships crisscrossing the ocean firing several loud airgun blasts at set intervals towards the seabed looking for fossil fuels. Outlawed in several developed countries around the world, a recent report for the renowned Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) by Bayworld's Dr Stephanie Plön and Renee Koper has called for South Africa to conduct its own systematic formal research on the effects of ocean noise on marine animals. Although much research had been conducted on the impacts of seismic surveys on marine species in the northern hemisphere this was not the case down south. "Yes, I and a few of my colleagues are concerned about the seismic explorations off our coastline as to date very few research projects have concentrated on the effects of such surveys on Southern Hemisphere species," Plön told the Dispatch yesterday. She said the bulk of informastion came from research on northern hemisphere species and could not simply be applied here because of obvious differences in biology and ecology. According to Plön, very little is still known about hearing in most marine species, which could differ substantially between species. "Ideally one should employ the ‘precautionary principle’ when approaching such issues and some research should be conducted into the potential effects on local marine fauna prior to or alongside the surveys." Fears were raised the surveys could have a negative impact on whale tourism and the fishing industry. She said ocean noise pollution was a large concern in other parts of the world and was recently flagged at the last International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) meeting as an area of importance. IUCN supports scientific research, manages global field projects and brings governments, non-government organizations, United Nations agencies, companies and local communities together to develop and implement policy. Plön said anthropogenic noise was a 'hot topic' of Northern Hemisphere research as sound played a pivotal role in the lives of many marine mammal and fish species. "As seismic surveys are conducted by airguns, which basically fire off a loud sound at set intervals, this constitutes a possible disturbance." Phumla Ngesi of Petroleum Agency South Africa - which according to their website "promotes exploration for onshore and offshore oil and gas resources and their optimal development on behalf of government and regulates exploration and production activities”- yesterday confirmed the "acquisition of seismic data has commenced." Plön said seismic disturbance impacts could range from behavioural responses - where species avoided an area for a certain amount of time - to physical damage of body tissues by sound pressure waves and temporary or permanent hearing loss. "Interestingly in my dealings with (local) industry to date I have encountered some resistance towards research into potential side effects of seismic surveys and marine construction - which is in contrast to many ventures overseas where industry and government together fund research into this as well as into how best to mitigate such effects on the environment." She said the seismic permits appeared to be in contrast to government's initiatives towards a clean and green economy using alternative, environmentally sustainable energy resources such as wind and solar power." So can we do anything to stop these guys? Late last year CANSA got everyone in a tizz cos they decided to announce that none of the locally produced sunscreens make the grade as far as European standards are concerned, making lotsa people think local wasn’t so lekker after all. Turns CANSA were pretty much waaaay off-the-mark with that call.
SA does have its own Sunscreen standard (SANS 1557:2009) as well as using the Australian Sunscreen Standard too (AS/NZS 2604:1998). The furore caused by CANSA was whether the sunscreen standard in South Africa meets what’s called the COLIPA test used in Europe. Which right there and then should raise a red flag….cos what the hang do the pasty euro’s know about the sun anyway - Saffa’s and Aussies live under the blazing thing! Anyway, back to the doff muppets at CANSA – they went and made some pretty sweeping statements about the state of our local sunscreens being kak when all they did was test a random sample of 8% of the sunscreens – and only scanned each product ONCE (considering that COLIPA requires 15 tests). Not very good science in anyone’s books sadly. So, local IS still lekker….and safe! Island Tribe, one of the most popular locally-made sunscreens amongst surfers, tests their products according to SA & Aus standards, as well as the Boots standard – a well-respected UK sunscreen standard; and they make the grade in all those tests. So surfers can happily keep plakking themselves full of Island Tribe and be safe in the knowledge that they’re keeping the UVA/B at bay. Even better news is that the manufacturers of Island Tribe will be improving upon their formulations and be meeting the latest ISO standard for sunscreen, which is streaks better than the COPLIA thingy anyway. Remember to stick that sunscreen on though – cos it ain’t gonna help bogger-all sitting in the tube in your car… Also not a bad thing to go visit the dermatologist once a year - just to make sure you haven't got any lil nasties growing on your skin. Rather catch em early and nip em out before you end up having to cut a whole arm off or something! After an 8 year gap I finally got round to seeing mine last week - after being declared healthy in about 5 minutes we ended up talking surfing for the next 15! Turns out Dr Proctor was also a surfer back in the day, and was a contemporary of all the guys from the 70's we've been featuring in our vintage section lately. Yet further confirmation that PE is really just a very small place....and that a surprising number of ballies used to surf! If you missed the earlier article on Sunscreen - check it out <here> Ballies are just loving all these old pics we've been finding, mainly thanks to Jonty Hansford for the bulk of them. So decided to catch up with Jonty and ask him a few questions about that golden time in our surf history back in the 70's - when Fence cooked, so did Millers, Avo's had sand, JBay was all about camping in the bush, and Seals was a full-on mission to get to. Those were the days...mythical Fence cylinders, classic beefy shortboards, and wetsuits that looked like they'd rash you to death. Let’s start at the beginning – were you a born n bred PE local? No, born and schooled in Camps Bay, Cape Town. It was only after the Army in 1971 that I came to PE. What was the go-to spot back when you started surfing here? I think Fence was possibly the most popular break then, with Millars and Pipe also up there. And who were the local rippers at that time? The local rippers back in the early 70’s were Peers Pittard, Mush Hide and Gavin Rudolf. John Davies also displayed some fancy footwork and board control. Weapon of choice? Coming out of the Army saw me dispense with my solid, trusty, 9 foot 6, Seal Point board, in favour of a 7 foot 6, Clive Barber, and I think it was a fairly standard length for the time – they were all still single fins though. The popular tail was a rounded pin, and the noses were fairly broad. After the Clive Barber, and for many years thereafter I rode Larry Levin’s boards. For those with a good bank balance, there was the classis Whitmore and Safari. It looks like the wetsuits were, to put it lightly, rudimentary! Some even looked like dive suits! Coming from a childhood where your Cape Town winter wave kit consisted of a well inflated lilo, a good pair of Cressi flippers and a tight woolen jersey as a wetsuit, it was just paradise to play in the warm PE waves. I took a hammering here though in the winter months, so my dad got me a sleeveless Bodyglove vest with a zip up the front. Suits were big, thick and heavy, and I hated the way they restricted your movement. The popular suits at the time were Banzai spring suits, and Reef who began marketing a bigger range. What was the deal with leashes in those days…did you have them to start with…and then when they came in, where they pretty similar to what we’ve used to today? Leashes were a blessing and eliminated the slashed feet and constant rock-dance of previous years. If I recall correctly, leashes began in the early 70’s. They were ultra-basic. Picture this: Firstly, drill a hole at the back of your fin where it meets your board. Then take a stiff nylon cord of about 2m and thread it through the hole and tie a knot. Then take the other end, and make a slipknot for your ankle. I don’t recall how many fins I had ripped from my board as I plunged over the falls at solid 8 foot Supers. Gradually we got wiser and I remember Larry making streamlined fiberglass lugs near the tail of the board. We had also reinforced the cord, which then ran inside surgical rubber tubing. They were equally as destructive though, as a bad wipeout would cause the cord to wrap around the board and cut through the rail, sometimes right up to the stringer. Happy days! The absence of leashes to start with must have put certain spots we consider normal today outta bounds to you back then? In a way, yes. Millars was still surfed a lot though, and the lack of a leash forced you to surf in a fairly conservative style, and dive like crazy to catch your board in a wipeout. Spots like Avalanche were a no – no, especially with a new board. But I remember surfing there with a hammered old, cord-less stick, and not being particularly phased when the rocks began splintering it to pieces. Did you guys used to make the mission to Seals and Jbay? Musta been pretty different back then. Real undeveloped? Uncrowded too? Getting to Seals was a major undertaking. I had seen it featured in the classic 1966 movie, Endless Summer. Soon thereafter, I came on holiday with my folks to PE by car from Cape Town and I managed to twist my old man’s arm to take a detour down to Seals. The gravel road was a nightmare, passing through many flowing drifts, and corrugations so bad, that before we lost our entire undercarriage we had to turn back. It was 10 years later that I first got to surf there. Jbay was easier to get to, but still very underdeveloped with pockets of surfers from all corners of the world, camping in the bush. Saw a few shots of you in a camper van – was that the deal for outta town trips back in the day? I fell in love with Seals the first time I surfed there, and decided there and then that I needed a Kombi. It was the ideal vehicle for taming the lengthy gravel road, and like a tortoise, your bed was in the back. Many surfers had them, and in those days the Feds were pretty ineffectual so we camped on the point and only sneaked into the caravan park for the odd shower. The van served me well on many out of town trips to Cape Town, East London and the Transkei. How did the photography bug bite? Were you into it before starting to surf, or was it something that evolved from surfing? I think for me, the surfing and photography bug grew simultaneously. I was lucky to get a lecturing job in the Photography Department at the old Technikon where we had the darkrooms and materials to help me expand my creative side. To surf or to take photos? - it was always a difficult decision to make when the waves were cooking. Water photography was pretty unusual back then cos of the limitations of the equipment. Take us through your camera set-up and water-proof rig. Back in the mid 70’s my brother got me a waterproof, Nikonos, film camera. It had no lightmeter but was easy to use and very strong; it had a fixed, 35mm focal length lens, which captured a fairly wide angle of view. It took me a while to get used to this, as a lot of my earlier shots had the surfer too far away, and consequently too small in the frame. I then got a perspex water housing for my Canon F1 camera. This was magic. I also had a few lenses, so I could change the focal length, depending on what break I was shooting. Unlike today, zoom lenses were pretty rare and good ones, very expensive, so I stuck with the fixed focal lengths. After a year of having the housing, I was offered a good price for it and being a bit short of cash for an overseas trip I sold it. Thereafter the travel bug had bitten well and I was constantly saving all my spare cash for overseas travel. And no such thing as nipping off to the local Kodak shop to get your prints done…did you develop your own negatives? Yes, I processed and printed all my own black and white films. I shot very little colour negative film though, as the printing of those negs was a real mission, so most of my colour work was shot on slide (transparency) film. The technically superior Kodachromes had to be sent to Doornfontein for processing, and then after about 2 weeks you received the mounted slides in the mail. Collect any boards to the pip? Looked like you were pretty close to getting scalped in a few? Yes, there were a few very close shaves but generally I warned the guys that I was bobbing around in the line-up, and they had better keep an eye out for me. It looks like the photography bug bit properly – you ended up making a career outta it? Yes, after a fairly low achievement at school I took an immediate liking to the art and design environment, and by 1975 the Technikon offered me a lecturing post. The academic year was pleasantly interrupted with lengthy holidays, which suited my desire to surf. Any last words on the surf scene back in those golden years?
You know, possibly each surfing generation will view their era on the waves as the epitome of the art of surfing, and the ‘good old days’ will just repeat themselves. But even though I only arrived here at the age of 20, I sensed a tremendous camaraderie amongst the surfing community, and in no time, after surfing all the local breaks I got to recognize just about every surfer in town. There was a definite pecking order and the kids knew the consequences of a careless drop-in, so it very rarely happened. But they were keen to learn and loved to surf out of town. I remember heading off for a day at Seals with 10 up in my Kombi and at least half were kids. Now they are the senior generation and their kids are doing moves we hadn’t even dreamed about. But that’s the fun of the game. Thanks Jonty! And thanks for all those lekker pics! Wanna see more of Jonty's shots? Check out the Vintage section <here> MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate publication Monday February 11, 2013. Surfing South Africa announces the surfers in the SA Junior Team for the 2013 ISA World Junior Championships The Board of Directors of Surfing South Africa has ratified the names of the surfers who will represent South Africa in the SANZ Challenge against New Zealand and the 2013 ISA World Junior Championships. Both events will take place in Nicaragua between June 6th and 16th this year. There are four new caps in the team which was selected from the results of the U17 Boys & Girls & U15 Boys divisions at the 2012 Hurley SA Junior Championships and from a series of regional trials and a national trial held at Seal Point recently. South African U17 champion Benji Brand of Western Province earns his third cap as the winner of this division at the SA Junior Championships and is top seed in the U18 boys group for Nicaragua. Gina Smith of Eastern Province earned her place in the team after winning the U17 girls title last October while Matt Mcgillivray of Eastern Province is top seed in the U16 boys group courtesy of his victory in the U15 Division of the 2012 SA Junior Championships. Joining Brand in the U18 boys division are Dylan Lightfoot of Eastern Province, Josh Smit of KZN Central and Diran Zakarian of Boland. There are no new caps in this group who boast a total of 12 caps between them. The official non travelling reserve is Jason “JJ” Harris of KZN Central. McGillivray’s team mates in the U16 Boys division are new cap Jordan Maree of Western Province, Steffen Burrows of Boland and new caps Shane Sykes of KZN Central and Simo Mkhize of Southern KZN. Bevan Willis of KZN Central is the official non travelling reserve. Nicole Pallet of KZN Central joins Smith as the other U18 Girl while Chanelle Botha of Southern KZN and new cap Anoush Zakarian of Boland are the two U16 Girls in the team. Inge Mclaren of Border is the official non travelling reserve for the U18 girls and Crystal Hulett of Eastern Province is the official non travelling U16 Girls reserve. The full U18 boys team is Benji Brand (who qualified as the 2012 SA U17 Champion), Dylan Lightfoot, Josh Smit and Diran Zakarian. Jason Harris is the official non travelling reserve. The U18 girls are Gina Smith (who qualified as the 2012 SA U17 Champion ) and Nicole Pallet with Inge Mclaren the official non travelling reserve. Matthew Mc Gillivray (who qualified as the 2012 SA U15 champion), Jordy Maree, Steff Burrows, Shane Sykes and Simo Mkhize make up the U16 group with Bevan Willis the official non travelling reserve. The Melkbosstrand based Zakarian siblings,Diran and Anoush, become the first brother and sister to represent South Africa at the ISA World Junior Championships while last year’s U16 Boys Division reserve Simo Mkhize and the U18 Girls reserve in 2012, Gina Smith, have both gone one better and will earn their national colours. This year history will be made when the SANZ Challenge takes place between the South African and New Zealand juniors for the 10th year in a row. The first SANZ Challenge was held in Durban in 2003 and has been contested between the two nations every year since then. The one day event has become a competitive tradition and although billed as a “friendly” the rivalry is intense. Since 2003 the unique SANZ Trophy, which is made from semi precious New Zealand stone and South African yellow wood, has been won four times by New Zealand and five times by South Africa. South Africa are the current champions. Over 30 countries from five continents will compete in the 2013 ISA World Junior Championships which are taking place in Nicaragua for the first time. The annual tournament determines the World Junior Team Champions, the World Junior ISA Aloha Cup Champions and medalists in the Under 18 Boys and Girls and Under 16 Boys divisions. Surfing South Africa is the recognized governing body for the sport and is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA). All representative South African teams are ratified by the Board of Directors of Surfing South Africa. Compiled by Robin de Kock General Manager Surfing South Africa Heard you just got picked up by Billabong, awesome stuff! So what’s the deal with the sponsorship – what all does it entail? I’m super stoked to be sponsored by Billabong now and its going to be super cool to be surfing for them .They gonna look after me for 4 years. Stacks of kit and gear! Head to toe in and out of the water. When I saw the contract for the first I couldn’t believe it. Andy Irons! Parko! Taj! How did it all come about? Did they just like call you up and go “Hey, we’d dig you on the team?” Josh phoned my dad on Monday and asked to speak to me. Josh asked me if I would like to be on the Billabong Team. Didn’t know what to say so said something like “that would be sick”. I can’t remember much more You mention there’s some travel allowance in there – does it mean you’ll have Bong helping get you to comps around the country? The PE gang, (My bro and the Coffey boys) are going to try to get to all contests. So I will travel with them, but I can go with the rest of the team. When I get to the contests, Billabong will take over. I’ll be staying at the “Billabong House” and they sort me out with food and stuff. I hope they know how much I eat!! Now that you’ll be travelling all over for comp’s, what does that mean as far as schooling goes? You gonna stick to the program or do home schooling? Your dad says you do pretty good in school? Yeah schools pretty fun and I don’t wanna do home schooling. I just hope Pearson will understand that that I will miss some days before contests. My dad has made an appointment to talk to them about it. Do get to do any surf trips with the Billabong crew now? I hope so. I have not heard of any yet. That would be so sick So what are you plans for this year – set any goals yet? I want to do well at school and make the EP Junior Team, The EP Longboarding team, and do well at the SA Champs if I make the team. I am also going to start working much harder on aerial moves And long term? Where does Alex wanna be with his surfing in 2 years time? 2 years ago, I had not surfed a contest, and was scared of Pipe! I would never have thought that I would be where I am now. I was surprised and stoked to win the SA Grom U14 title and that gave me a lekker boost. Making the EP Team was a highlight and the SA Longboarding Champs was so much fun. I got a 2nd and am amped to practise more this time and do better! My plan originally was to make the EP Team before Matric. Now I’m not so sure anymore. I would really like to make the SA Team, but the ou’s are so good. I know I’ll be having as much fun as I am now. I want to make my sponsors happy! K, so give us a quick run-down of your other sponsors. Dennis the Menace (aka the Boardroom) still gonna be doing your boards? Dennis will still make my boards. He has been so good to me. He surfs with me a lot and it’s always fun. He takes me to surf some gnarly stuff on the wildside and always helps out and keeps an eye out for Paul and I. A few months ago I got such a sweet deal with VonZipper, Dakine and Kustom. I get to keep them as sponsors and add Billabong. I still can’t believe it! We’re super stoked for you kid – go big or go home, but have the biggest jol doing it. Any shout outs?
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AuthorMillerslocal Archives
July 2021
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