The week that was...

Some cooking surf went down at Pipe on Wednesday. Was chucking lips like it was the real Pipe. Ah wait. maybe it was! Lil April Fool's prank caught out a few peeps. Hawaiian Pipe photo-shopped onto ours. If only life imitated art. Pity ours is named after an actual pipe and theirs is named after the crystal blue cylinders bombing over a shallow reef. Wonder if the Pipe Crew stickers will help in the line-up over there?

The Billabong SA Grom Games went down at Pipe last week. Conditions were tough, as day 1 was easterly slop, and then once the wind switched offshore there was hardly any surf left. But groms are froth machines, and nothing could dampen their enthusiasm. Congrats to micro-grom Zia Hendricks from Jbay who claimed the u9 girls title. The EP team got a credible 3rd possie.

Grom shaka's © Petronel Posthumus

EP's Zia Hendricks - SA u9 champ © Petronel Posthumus

Coupla waves about over the Easter weekend out west. Easter Sunday in the Kouga region meant no power for the whole day, but luckily that didn't stop the surf. The pomping east on Saturday night created some solid wind swell for Sunday which snuck into the normally protected points. 

Rock jumps weren't for sissies - only the brave and determined made it out. Grant lost a fin as he made the leap, but luckily had a backup board so could head out and snag a few bombs. Luckily Sean Payne arrived with the jetski and provided some much need lifts in and outta the line-up. 

Dale Staples

St Francis taxi service

Dave Lippie seems to be looking before he leaps quite a lot lately. Just recently he had an altercation with a nail on one of the Pipe steps, and then this week a rock at Seals jumped up and bit his foot - and another 8 stitches. Good timing cos it seems we're gonna be subjected to a week and a bit of easterly winds. So those wanting to get wet will either have to do the onshore thing, or think outside the box.

Extended spring cleaning turned up some more old suits. Including my first suit, bought at Oceans in Rink Street way back in the early eighties. Went to choose a Chrissy pressie, which was a spanking new fibreglass Macski bodyboard, complete with glassed in fins and handle on the top deck. Perfect for foamies at Kings beach as a kid. Just don't get hit by it! The suit was a Banzai. And is still in perfect nick today....rubber's 100%, as are all the seals. Don't make stuff like they used to! 

The other suit was a Frontline. My 2nd suit, bought 10 years later when I started to surf. Surf shop in the Bridge opposite the Ster Kinekor. Also a great suit. Lasted forever. They were Saffa made, apparently by a dude in East London - can anyone shed more light on the brand?? They were awesome suits.

Small swells mean having to drive a few extra km's to find your glide. Sometimes it comes with unexpected perks, like finding lighthouses growing under your arm. Here's Taz Wright dealing with the inconvenience with style.

© Tom Collins

Not only do they make rad socks, it seems like the ou's at Stance have a solid sense of humour too. They've posted Jules some of their funky footwear. Pretty sure he'll wear them too!

An old shot of the Baakens turned up  - the factory is where the Boardroom is today. Just don't think they were making surfboards back then. Pity, cos pretty sure there must have been some awesome set-up's back then thanks to the massive dune field which emptied into the bay from Rincon down to the top of Kings.

Perspective is everything. Drone shots can make any spot look lekker. Like this aerial pic of the Grom Games at Pipe by Brad Grobler. Hides the fact that the surf is knee-high to an ant!

Sometimes you eat too many easter eggs, so in order to make space for more it helps if you stand on your head. Like this ou at Seals over the weekend. Pretty fine balance to get that right. Respect.

© Clive Wright