The week that was....

11/1/2015

Coupla fun lil waves about this week thanks to the east swell. Lekker glassy weather conditions made for some good days in the water. At least this week you didn't have to drive west for surf, but if you did, it was worth the effort too. Here's hoping summer delivers better than winter did.

Unfortunately another consequence of summer is more peeps on the beach for whom swimming isn't something they've grown up with. Shot to the boogers and lifesavers for rescuing a lady who got into difficulties at Pollock on Saturday. Keep your eye's peeled whilst you out in the surf, cos you might spot someone who needs a hand.

PE peeps are stoked to have their pier back. Nice to see it all fixed up. Well done to the Godfrey at the Beach Office for finding some bucks in the budget to get it sorted, and local surfer Dono Zoetmulder and the crew from Newport Plant Hire and Techni Civils for doing the facelift.

Big news for the week was that it's been confirmed that there'll be no fish farm for Algoa Bay. Democratic Alliance MPL Ross Purdon says that in reply to a speech he made last week, Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism MEC Sakhumzi Somyo confirmed plans would not go ahead. Up til now the jury was still out, as the DEA had asked DAFF to re-assess other locations in the bay, and compare the Coega and Pollock sites.

Great to see that large scale public participation (and persistence) can kick a doff idea into touch. Not so much a doff idea actually, but rather a doff location for the idea. Special thanks to Dr Shirley Parker-Nance for her tireless campaigning - and all the rest of the peeps that made the effort to make their voices heard.

Filipe Toledo won the Moche Ripcurl Pro in Portugal, with a combination of high flying and man-carves. Took out fellow brazzo Italo Ferreria in the finals. With a coupla of the top seeds falling early in the comp, it means the title race is down to the wire at Pipe. Remember to pick your winner in the ML Fantasy Surfer comp, and you could win a kiff Billabong gear - cos who would say no to the freshest boardies, T, slops and cap? Certainly not last comp's winner, Margot Reilly, stoked with her stash!

Staying with comps - the EP, I mean NMBS, Champs, took place at Pipe over the weekend. Plenty of hot surfing going down, as well as some hot new board sprays. Josh Enslin's version of Mrs Palmer's and her Five Daughters created some interest with the ou's.

The Big Wave world was rocked this week by the news that Twig has been given the cold shoulder for Mavs this year. Organisers are acting like a bunch of muppets and have excluded Twiggy from the event cos he had tried to get Pete Mel back on the invite list - and for his efforts he got cut too.

A coupla years back Big Wave World Tour Commissioner Peter Mel tried to incorporate the Maverick’s contest into the BWWT schedule. Negotiations fell through and as a result, Mel, another former Mavs champ, was removed from the invite list due to what our source has called “a trumped up ‘conflict of interest.’”

Twig had circulated a petition amongst the surfers in the event with the hope that they’d support Mel’s reinstatement. Instead the organisor idiots decided to ban him too. Twig is not only a big wave champ, but has a champs character too, and quietly took the smack in the chops without resorting to blaring it out in social media.

It was only when others found out what had happened that word got out, but in true Twig fashion he hasn't entered the fray, and can't be drawn into commenting on the issue. Respect.

Anyone trying to sneak down to the beach for an early surf on Saturday had to deal with a wall of pink. Just over 11 000 pink peeps hit the streets along the beachfront in the annual Algoa FM Big Walk for cancer.

Luc Hosten probably spends more time at the beach than the average surfer, but he's armed with a camera instead of a surfboard. He always comes up with some unique angles, including this shot of what looks like a lil wire dude throwing his version of the shaka.

No secret that I love bright sticks, so when I spotted this awesome looking quiver by local Seals shaper Eric Stedman I went into froth-overdrive. If you love groovy retro boards then give Eric a shout. Twins and single fins are his thing. Beautifully crafted boards.

John Scheepers, you famous for your brew, bru! Headline billing at the Grapes & Grain Beerfest at the German Club this weekend. If you haven't tried the Richmond Hill Brewing Company's amber ale - mission down to the Beershack and skull a pint. At least John's long stints in the car park didn't go unheralded. Props to Matt for naming a beer after him. http://www.millerslocal.co.za/millerslocals-blog/carpark-john-gets-his-own-beer

Sad news of the week was the loss of the world's most famous surfing/skating bulldog, Tillman, who died of a heart attack. If you've never seen his youtube vid's, do yourself a favour and give him a google - and spend the next 30 minutes being awestruck by how he loved the glide - whether it was a skimboard, surfboard or skateboard, this ou was all over it like a rash. RIP bro.

Stonehenge might have alien crop circles, but this Halloween saw PE get it's own bin-circles. Erratic beachfront lawn maintenance saw the bins get mowed, but nothing else.

The Eastern Cape is renowned for it's right points, but Dave Lippie was happy to stumble up this reeling left doing it's thing late in the week. Maybe you can bribe him with a coupla cheeseburgers? Gonna have to be Banting one's though, cos the big man's on a big diet. Soon to be known as Little Dave instead of Big Dave.

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The week that was....

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