You’re probably one of the only true watermen in PE, take us through all the various water sports you’re into.

It all started with my mom taking me down to the beach from DAY 1, she taught me how to catch fish with a net and how to enjoy the beach. Naturally it progressed and along came nippers at Pollok at age 7 and that’s where the affinity with the surf began. Surf Lifesaving is such a great movement with a competitive component that teaches you so much about the ocean through years of experience. That skill and knowledge cannot be replaced or bought and I feel so privileged to have had the opportunities that it has afforded me.

Body Surfing, Body Board, Short & Long Board, Stock 12’ ft Paddle Board (*Mal, Knee Board), recently got into SUP after having bought a paddle way back in 2007 in Hawaii, Ocean paddling on my Surf Ski, Flat water Kayaking and a bit of flowing river racing. Not really had a chance to give the sail sports ago, honestly it scares me a bit after the horror stories with all the accidents that have happened with dudes getting flung into windows etc.

You used to surf quite a bit, but I don’t see you in the water on a board as much anymore – how come‌

Focusing a lot more on my surf ski paddling lately to get to that next level in competition as the level nowadays is just crazy. I have aspirations of winning world cup races & maybe one day taking the world title. Surfski paddling over the past 5 years has exploded and you can find ski’s throughout the world.

The World Series is awesome and you get to go to some very unique & beautiful locations; I have raced in places like Hawaii, New Zealand, Portugal, Australia and even on the party island of Ibiza in Spain! Being an open sport it allows for novice competitors to line up against world and Olympic Champions which is not found in any other sport. One thing’s for sure, as great as it is to win races and be competitive NOTHING beats riding waves with your friends on whatever craft.

What boards you riding when you do surf, and where you surfing mainly‌

I recently sold my quad, so I’m in the market for a new short board. For now I have a solid yellow long board custom built by Dennis at the Board Room. She surfs like a dream and I have had some great sessions at Millers, Flat Rocks, Seals and Club House. Been getting back onto my first love recently, 12’ ft Paddle Board, I just dig it so much and I’m looking into a Hybrid that I can surf both stand up and kneel on.

I remember a conversation with you years ago when you told me what good waves you’d had at Oyster Bay, and I asked if you knew the size of the whites that roamed the shores there! Your face was a picture! You still surf out there at all‌

After that discussion most definitely no! Only went once, but hell the surf was perfect, the bank was so good with 2-3 footers running off left and right!

See you seem to be quite the fisherman as well - do you fish often‌

As much as I would love to say I fish often I don’t, but I really do love our friends with scales & tails and the enjoyment they give us. Probably fish roundabout twice a month and its all light tackle stuff.

My local hang out, you’ll never guess, Millers! Caught some epic fish right there on the Golden Mile just off the reef with different baits. My biggest fish to date was a shark caught off Keurbooms back in 2006, I even paddled the bleeding Pilchard out on my paddle board.

You’ve done really well in lifesaving – what are your best achievements in that sport‌ Are you still active in lifesaving at all‌

Without a doubt the best success was a bronze medal in the 2007 Aussie Titles in the Taplin Relay with my club, Tugun. The Taplin Relay constitutes 6 members; 2 swimmers – 2 board paddlers – 2 ski paddlers. It’s the blue ribbon event, the last after 5 days of competition & draws the largest crowd.

To put it into perspective the Aussie Titles is the second largest sporting event in the world in terms of competitor’s numbers averaging between 7000 & 10000 annually!

Other achievements include South African Lifesaving Surfski Champion 2008, and runner up in 2009.

Have you ever had to rescue anyone‌

Plenty!! Touch wood though I have never had to resuscitate any patients and I hope it never comes to that. The craziest rescue ever was when a Chokka Boat hit the bank just off Blue Horizon Bay in 03’.

It was 1 AM when the call came through, the scene was something out of a Spielberg Movie, the boats night fishing lights lit up the ocean to reveal perfect waves running off the bank. Thankfully all 22 crewmen were brought ashore safe and sound.

You’re really into your paddling now – when did that start to become a focus‌

It’s always been a focus however I have had consistency issues with my training and motivation and only recently sought advice to get me on a more stable track to achieve my goals. I’m 27 now and must use the time afforded to me to achieve, I’m giving myself 5 years, so that will take me to 32. After that I wanna catch a lot more waves and go on a couple adventurous boat trips with my friends.

Are you paddling professionally‌

Thankfully I have a very supportive family and an awesome boat sponsor, FENN KAYAKS who supply me with the best surf ski’s in the world. I work fulltime in the family transport spares company and at the moment I am looking at finding ways of attracting sponsors to help me fund my overseas travels.

It’s really stressful going to a race knowing that in the back of your mind that you have to finish within the top 5 or 7 to pay for your trip, but at the same time it motivates you to do well. Although the sport is growing tremendously there are only a handful of pro’s with big sponsorships.

What are the big paddling races you’ve done thus far‌ Any overseas events‌ Tell us a bit about those.

There have been a couple, but the most memorable has to be the Molokai Channel Crossing in Hawaii. An unbelievable race with so much history and tradition which takes a paddler across one of the craziest stretches of ocean in the world!

Have you done the Ironman at all‌

Not yet & I don’t plan to anytime soon although at the Ocean Racing Series registration I won an ORCA Tri Suit and the idea did cross my mind. I’m just too big & the damage to the skeleton & tendons when not properly conditioned for that beast of a tri-athlon can hurt a person! The road side party is where it’s at!

Any gnarly paddling stories‌ Big wipeouts, sharks etc‌

Touch wood in all my years I count myself lucky not to have spotted any big sharks in SA considering the places I paddle and sometimes surf. There was this one time (at band camp) whilst training on the Goldy in Queensland that I came across a huge Tiger Shark milling around the baited buoys 500m off the beach. We were training on our 12’ft paddle boards and the shark was easily that length!

Not that many big waves around the bay, but I have had my issues around the corner on the Wildside where things can go pear shaped pretty quickly like when I got cleaned up 600m out and lost my ski! The wind was raging at 40 knots and the swell was up at around 3-4 meters, luckily for me I coaxed a buddy along and he somehow heard my ‘Mariah Carey’ high note screams for help over all the chaos. Safe to say I shat myself and the swim in through the Gulley from out far was gnarly. My ski was never seen again!

Also got caught out by a freak set at the Southport Seaway on the Gold Coast in Aussie, easily a 10 footer ate me and I had to swim in with all the Zambezi’s checking me from below.

You must see bits of the PE coast that most of us have never seen. Any potential waves hidden close by‌

Lots of potential & sometimes you have to look just that little bit harder; we have some great wave’s right here in the Bay. I’m looking forward to Surfing one or two of them in the near future! One spot we found in 2008 was on the Garden Route when I organised an Adventure Paddle from Plett to Cape St Francis over four days, the wave was a gem, but in very dodgy looking waters!

Saw a video of you out at JBay on your ski, catching some waves – can image the locals didn’t take too kindly to that! Get caught inside at all‌

Was on a great day during this year’s Billabong Pro and I wanted to get some great footage, which we did. The surf was just right and we got some really great waves down at point. Sat in the channel with Bruce Campbell & Brett Armstrong who were doing the safety and had the best seats in the house!

You’ve got some killer shots taken of a big reef off Cape Recife shot from a chopper – what was the story behind that‌

Pure impulse, something that I’ve always wanted to do was capture the great wave running off the point at Recife which I believe is the best Surfski Wave on the Planet! On its day you can paddle surf it, but it’s a ‘helluva’ far out, way out back! (*Not Cobbles or the Elbow)

Got all the things I needed organised in half an hour on the evening of December 22’nd. Chopper, Cameraman, Film Crew and 11 Paddlers. The next day unfortunately the wind came up to a blustery 30-40 knots, but I was committed & the pilot ‘tuned’ me he could fly in 60 knots plus. So no matter what I was going, the 11 guys though whittled down to just 3 core paddlers. Myself, H Skinner and Brett Caudwell.

What’s your training involve‌

5 Paddling Sessions a week, mixed with some running and cross training via paddle board. Training up to SA Champs it was the standard early morning paddle and evening runs with two paddling time trials flat out a week.

What’s coming up in Richard Von Wildemann’s immediate future‌

Cape Point Challenge, a 56 km Surfski Race around the Cape of Storms on December 19. Seals Holiday and a bit of cruising up and down the coast looking for un-crowded surf.

What's the story behind the shot of you in a compromising position with Denver Burns‌!

2009 SA Champs Board Rescue semi-final, some fun with Mr South Africa, we caught a smoker at the back and past a couple teams to make the final.

How come the nickname Chopper‌ Cos of the nice smile‌‌

HAHA … Thanks, my girlfriends brother calls me Donkey from Shrek for my Smile, nice guy hey‌ The name Chopper comes from Old Man from when I was just a little tot & it stuck.