Category Archives: Featured

Michael February – Cape Town Local Surfer International Wild Card

Turn the clock back to Apartheid days, and Michael February would not have been able to showcase his amazing talent to the world. His dad, Isaac February, was not allowed to surf at many of the best surfing spots around the country. Even after 1994, Isaac still had a tough time being taken serious as… Read More »

Chris Bertish – Cape Town Surfing Explorer

Chris Bertish is a real-life adventurer. The South African born surfer and stand-up paddleboarder loves pushing himself physically, regularly taking on record breaking challenges. He is also a great motivational speaker, drawing from his personal experiences to inspire others to challenges themselves. In 2009 he was the Mavericks Big Wave Surf champ. His other big… Read More »

Meet Billy Ackerman

Billy Ackerman was originally born in Durban in 1957 and started to surf there at a very young age, till they transferred to Cape Town in 1985. Presently, he is working at the biggest Valve Supplying Company in RSA, as one of the Tech Sales Team members. He loves to travel and search for new surfing spots.… Read More »

Donovan O’Neale

Ask Donovan O’Neale, 24, why he started kiteboarding seven years ago, and he’ll tell you he needed a new sport to fall for when his first love let him down, and not so gently. “I was first into motorcross, but I needed a new way to stay healthy – I’d broken too many bones!” His… Read More »

In 2009 he was the Mavericks Big Wave Surf champ. His other big passion, stand-up paddle boarding (SUPing), has put him in the limelight many times. The most recent daring feat he took on, was to be the first person to cross the Atlantic on an unsupported SUP, paddling from Morocco (Africa) to Antigua (Caribbean). In March 2017, after roughly two million strokes and 93 days, Chris successfully completed the solo journey.

Paddling for A Cause

There was method to his madness, Chris linked his record breaking experience to three charities: Operation Smile, The Lunchbox Fund, and Signature of Hope. He managed to raise R6 million, changing countless lives forever. These three charities help kids born with a cleft lip or palate smile with confidence again, provide kids with a healthy meal at school each day, and help to build schools in rural communities. Carrick Wealth was one of his main corporate supporters.

southafrica.operationsmile.org

thelunchboxfund.org

signatureofhope.org

You can still donate to these worthy causes via thesupcrossing.com

Chris planned his daring feat for five years, tweaking the paddleboard and equipment needed to accomplish the dangerous trip. He created a 6-meter-long customized board, weighing 350 kilograms. That might sound quite heavy to you, but he says that you still feel like a little cork being tossed around in the ocean. The board is much lighter than an average small boat. Only 10 centimetres separated him from the unpredictable ocean. He also carried 350 kilograms of food, meaning he was pushing roughly 700 kilograms across the Atlantic, with only his paddle to make progress.

The customized craft included a small cabin that Chris used to overnight in and hide from rough weather. It also protected the equipment needed to steer and sustain him across the open waters – a radar, MacBook, water purifier, radio, satellite phone, bilge pump, navigation lighting and solar power, as well as battery banks to keep all the equipment charged. He had to plan every little detail of his trip, for instance purifying water instead of transporting 10 litres of water times 90 days.

Even with all the careful planning, he still faced many unexpected challenges. At one stage, most of his equipment failed him, except the radar. Luckily it kept working, he needed the radar to inform passing ships of his presence.

Beside the tricky weather conditions, Chris had to deal with curious sea creatures, including sharks. The carefully constructed board also failed him at times, the main steering broke down after only a few days at sea. He had to think quickly to figure out an alternative. It also regularly filled with water. He needed to pump out water almost every two weeks, carefully keeping an eye on his food stock and equipment in the process, as to not let anything valuable float away. Most of the time his feet and ankles were covered in water. Read More

Bernie Shelly is one of Cape Town’s true surfing legends and who would have thought that she is a 65 years old surfer and a Grandma of six potential surfers. Aside from her husband, Alan, surfing is one of the determining elements of her life’s course. Although she didn’t surf for 25 years, stopped travelling and became a mother of 4, she didn’t quit and started surfing again in the early 90’s at the time long boards made a good comeback. She underwent a bilateral hip surgery 3 years ago, but that didn’t keep her out of the water and she continues to surf, compete and travel if given a chance.

She has competed most of her life. And just like other surfers she won some and she lost some. One of her greatest achievements was winning WP Champs in the Ladies category and adding 2nd, 3rd and 4th may times. Just lately a new category was formed for women above 35 – men have 5 year progressions. “In the older age division I have come out tops most times in WP Champs”, she revealed. She always ended up being runner up or at least being in the finals of SA Longboard champs and finally won the Diva division. Since the day she had her hip replacements, she became more reticent and careful. Imagine the thought of breaking your leg bones or dislocating your prosthesis; it’s a big deterrent to willful abandon

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