Greg Bertish is the brother of Chris Bertish, who won the 2010 Mavericks Big Wave Challege in Half Moon Bay California. He is a stalwart of the South African big wave scene himself and has a epic story of his own. He is most well know as the Owner of the epic True Blue Travel, the first surf travel company in Africa, as well as founder of the crucial Shark Spotters program.

However most people do not know that at the age of 31 he went through open heart surgery after his heart was infected by an un-diagnosable tropical bacteria, which destroyed your aortic valve and caused his heart swell to 30% larger than it’s normal size. (Read Greg’s full story here).

11 years later he is fitter than ever and spends his time surfing big waves and.

After an epic feat to overcome the near death experience involving his heart his now teaches people how to learn from his experience as a public speaker.

Greg says that the process knocked him harder than he thought possible. He found himself asking Why me? Will I live? Will I surf again?

He says 3 things helped him survive and eventually to thrive.

1. The power of positive thought!
2. Having a fit and healthy lifestyle.
3. Great family and friends.

Greg think that these elements far more powerful than any drug that doctors could administer.

Positive thought played a massive role in his recovery. After he had his “why me” moment and time to feel sorry for himself. He stepped back, re looked at his life, set new goals and took positive powerful steps to making them happen one small step at a time. Small wins you know!

Before his big operation he had a “Hearty Party” with all his friends and family so that he went in feeling all the love tiere was for him in the world, and used that to see him through.

Once Greg was in recovery, he found very little literature and support for his heart condition. So in 2002, 4 months after his first operation he set up www.crocheart.com to assist people who are facing life threatening operations or diagnosis, as well as their families.

He works with The Heart and Stroke Foundation to assist people online from all over the world, as well as through motivational speaking and group and private sessions, hear in South Africa.

In 2006 he had to go in for a second operation because of further complications from the bacteria. This didn’t hold him back though. Greg went on to become a nominee for the Raw Courage Big Wave Awards in 2009 for the biggest/meanest wave ridden that year, among other achievements.

The bacteria that was attacking Greg’s heart was un-culturable, un-named and doctors did not know how to kill it! After the first operation, it lay dormant in his body for 5 years until it reared it’s ugly head again. Greg knew he had beaten it once and now set his mind on doing it again. It was a long fight, and he spent nearly 11 weeks in hospital during and after the operation, within a 6 month period. This was because, after the second operation, the bacteria came back again for a third time. He was forced to spend 8 weeks, in hospital, on drips 24/7, being pumped full of the strongest anti-biotics known to man.

Greg’s love for surfing was one of the things that helped see him through his experience. Greg was about 4 years old when he rode his first wave. He thinks it was probably on a bodyboard. He first stood up on a surfboard in 1978 on one of the all time great surf boards – the white polyurethane boards with 3 red fins! It was in the Langebaan Lagoon area at a secret spot called Lientjies Klip.

Greg moved into big wave surfing when he was in his late teens and started surfing Outer Kom on his 6’4 “big wave boards”.

These days Greg spends a lot of time with his family and young children, but still trys to get as much surfing in as possible.

In 2003 in Greg’s first session back at Dungeons he had a serious wipe out. He hesitated at the last moment and went over the falls. His board connected his chin and he was knocked out. He was rescued by his brother Chris Bertish as well as the Red Bull safety crew of Ross Lindsey and Pierre Du Plessis. He was under for a while as 2 or 3 waves smashed over him and his board tomb stoned 20 feet above him. Greg was pulled up unconscious and half full of water. After being semi resuscitated on the rescue boat, he rode from the harbor in an ambulance and spent the night in the hospital. He had to be treated for secondary drowning. He was checked out the next day with a bad headache and a wry smile.

If you are thinking of starting out in Big Wave surfing Greg suggesting trying Outer Kom or the Crayfish Factory. Build up from 6ft to 8 ft to 10ft and then more. The correct equipment and leashes are critical. Once you are surfing at Dungeons or Sunsets you need to be on anything over 9ft and have a very long leash.

Death is definitely a concern when big wave surfing and it is a reality you have to deal with. Greg is on blood offers to thin his blood for his mechanical heart valve. So he bleeds easily. A cut or blow to the head is a major risk for him. He wears a helmet now as a head wound could be fatal. Greg rides big and heavy waves still, but only to a point, He rides them safe and with lots of respect and wisdom.

Greg uses a variety of surf craft. From a 5.11 Spider Bomb, a twin fin Armstrong fish, 7.2 DVG semi gun, 10 ft Pierre De Villiers Rhino Chaser, a kite board, a tow board and his Coreban SUPs from 7.10 for surf to 14 ft for downwinders.

Surfing is a massive part of his life. His businesses are based around it, his brothers and wife, Tracy, surf and he hopes his two little boys will enjoy the stoke in a few years.

He needs to get his fix a few times a week.

There is a bit of a love-hate relationship between a lot of the SUP and surf crowd in Cape Town but Greg thinks that SUP is a new sport with massive potential and a vast array of opportunity to ride / paddle / surf and have fun in any conditions. He thinks it is misunderstood. He compares it to when windsurfing, kiting or tow surfing started. There were who dislike it or do not believe in it. These sports finally found their place in the oceans and waves, and so to will SUP. Greg loves it because it keeps him fit when while doing down winders, and riding waves for 300 meters at a time, for 10 km. Greg loves SUP in the surf as well as he can SUP in his baggies in 8 degree water, and he can ride the outer reefs while no one else is surfing.

As we do, Greg thinks Cape Town is hard to beat, almost impossible actually as there is nothing like it. However he enjoys different paces like the snowy mountains of the Andies or the Tyrol or G-Land in Indo, Margaret River in Oz, Blue Bush in the Mentawais.

Greg’s favorite surf spots the left at Sunset Reef Cape Town, Flame balls in Madagascar and Skeleton Bay in the desert.

Talking about the desert… check out Greg surfing in the African desert – August 2012

Greg is also the founder of the Shark Spotters and has noticed a definite increase in shask sittings in and around CT. He sees four reasons for it.

• More people in the water.
• People are better-informed and equipped to see sharks from the shore.
• Less fish and more sharks due to them being protected
• Shark cage diving and the familiarizing of people and sharks and their behavioral changes due to this.

As with most of us, we know the risks of surfing in our waters and we choose to put ourselves in those situations and locations. So it won’t keep Greg out of the water.

Hi Megan, thanks for chatting to Cape Town Surfers! Tell us about Megan’s typical day:

Wake up at 7am. Tea. Gaze up at the mountain till I decide to get ready for work… Work… then surf if there’s enough light still or head for a swim if not. Then grab some Kauai goodness (just below my flat), visit friends or chill. SLEEEP!! Do it all over again. It is not as boring as it sounds. I own and manage a small business called Intermarket Guest Amenities. We manufacture shampoos and small soaps that we supply to hotels and guest houses mainly in the Western Cape but we also in PE, JHB, Bloem and Namibia. I have been running the business for about 2.5 years and I love the challenges that the manufacturing side of the business brings and the rewards from putting into practice what I learnt from my Post-Grad Marketing degree at UCT. It also allows me to take some business trips to great surf spots like JBay when on the road to PE and a week in Mauritius next month when I go to visit some hotels there! I like that!

As a family we have also started building up one of our most exciting businesses. Holdfast Roof Racks. I am very excited about working with this brand and it is closely tied with my passion for surfing, water sports and mountain biking.

Follow Megan on Twitter @meg_mouse

What is the best part of your job?

I work with my family which is great but the fact that I can plan my own time off and schedule is definately the ultimate!

Do you ever manage to sneak a surf in during working hours?

Definitely! I sometimes have “important client meetings”.

When did you get your first surfboard?

I think when I was in university and stopped riding horses.

Do you remember your first wave?

No! I didn’t have anyone to push me onto waves when I was young. SO i just got smashed by giant walls of white water. I hated surfing when I was young.

What does surfing mean to you, and how has it affected your life?

Surfing is my fun time and it helps remind me what life is really about and why I’m alive and to not get sucked into the concrete jungle. I don’t think it’s affected any major decisions directly but it’s definately influenced my life in a serious way.

Tell us a bit about your boards, the type of surfing you are into and where you like to surf?

I’m a surfboard ho! Haha. I have too many boards. My favourite board at the moment is my 5’10 roundtail/fish/funboard from Greg Smith. I like fatter boards that make paddling out easy. I think I’m a bit of a lazy surfer so I enjoy long right-hand point breaks the most. My father and bro are longboarders and I dig a bit of a longboard session with the them.

What is your favorite surf spot (locally and internationally) and why?

Locally, Llandudno summer surf sessions!! Spending the day on the most beautiful beach in Cape Town with my friends and surfing a couple of times in between, watching the sunset and then going for a braai and party at night. It cannot be beaten. But my favorite wave is Point in JBay. I have had my best surfs there. I love that wave.

Do you feel you’re at an adv or disadv being a female in a mainly male dominated sport, and has it ever affected the outcome of a surfing experience for you?

Hmmmm… well being female means we can’t paddle as hard and we’re not as good as the guys but if you can paddle out and get a wave straight away then I think the guys respect you and I’ve only had friendly encounters in the water. I’ve often had random guys give me waves just because I’m a girl and that is awesome! So all-in-all, I’d say it’s an advantage, but you just gotta make it work for you.

Of all the places you’ve visited, which one falls 2nd best to Cape Town and why?

Definitely JBay. Some people hate it  because it’s a bit of a hole if there are no waves, but I have a huge affinity for the place. Maybe it’s because I have a super sick place to stay when I go there, and the waves are AMAZING.

You’ve recently returned from a trip to Mozam, tell us a bit about it?

Warm water!!

Hahahaaa.

I’ve been to Mozambique a few times now and it’s such a special place. The roads are made of tar these days, not mini duckponds and dirt so it’s easily accessible even if you do not have a 4×4. Flights are really expensive though. The local food is amazing! Abundant fresh seafood everyday! The water is so warm and clear, there is so much to do and the parties are great because the local rum, Tippo Titto, can only result in a wild night. Basically, to summarise… it’s paradise!

Lastly, if you could hang out with one famous surfer for a day, who would it be and why?

Flip! Maybe Matt Wilkinson, he seems pretty entertaining so potentially him. Or actually, Bethany Hamilton, she’d probably be a lot more inspirational than Wilko.

Check out this amazing video below of the always inspirational Bethany Hamilton.

Thanks for the time Megan! You can follow Megan’s companies on facebook below, or visit their website – www.intermarket.co.za and www.holdfast.co.za

Michelle Davy runs a well-known surf school called – Stoked School of Surf. Stoked School of Surf was started out of a pure passion for surfing and sharing the ‘stoke’. Michelle likes it as every day is different for them as they introduce people from all walks of life to the joy of surfing which makes each coaching or guiding session interesting and fun. But besides the coaching element, there is the daily running of the business, which ranges from answering enquiries, marketing, book keeping and equipment maintenance.

The Stoked School of Surf logo was designed by Daniela Loureiro. Michelle liked the classic design that embraced the essence of the surfing lifestyle. On closer inspection, the illustration seemed familiar to Michelle. Dani later told her that she had actually used a picture of Michelle overlooking the surf at the beautiful Tea Tree Bay in Noosa as her reference for the logo. They had traveled there together in 2008 and shared many great waves. So besides being an incredibly striking design, it has great memories attached to it too.

She loves teaching the most. She loves to watch clients arrive for their first lesson slightly hesitant and seemingly nervous and then leave totally stoked and confident. She also loves the marketing side of her job.

Michelle’s advice to anyone thinking about learning to surf is to stop thinking about it, just get out there and give it a go. It is important to you use the correct size board when you start. A longer board generally makes it easier to catch waves. The more waves you catch the more you actually learn to ride a wave. Go out with someone who can guide you into the correct waves and give you tips on how to stand up correctly and show you effective paddling technique.

She got her 1st surfboard at the age of 23 and currently rides a 6.2ft DVG. It is relatively buoyant (compared to her other short boards) making it easier to paddle and get into waves and flies as soon she’s on her feet. It’s the perfect board for waves on the Atlantic Seaboard. She also has a range of fun boards which she likes to use for softer point breaks or beach breaks. As a thoroughbred Cape Town surfer she doesn’t have an affinity for any particular spot as she’s willing to go where ever the waves are. However, given the choice she would say she likes the waves on the West Coast best.

Locally, one of her favorite sports is Seal’s Beach when the banks are good and is one of her favourite waves along with Elands Bay on an uncrowded day (which is rare these days). Pavones in Costa Rica is her favourite wave overseas. It is one of the longest lefts in Central America with warm water and a jungle setting as a backdrop that makes for an incredible surfing experience.

Surfing is more than just a sport for Michelle. She loves sitting on her board as the sun dips into the horizon, hooting as a friend gets a good wave, shrieking when she gets one yourself along with riding the energy of the ocean and communing with. Surfing has affected many major decisions in her life – She quit her professional career in marketing and advertising to go surfing around the world, met the love of her life whilst surfing up the West Coast and started a business which is all about sharing the love of surfing.

If Michelle could change one thing about surfing it would be all the localism and aggression on the backline at some of the busier surf spots. She hates that.

Like some of our other female surfers on this site, Michelle was inspired by Bethany Hamilton’s courage, humility, tenacity, and faith.

Get out there and hit the waves.

Gary Van Rooyen was known as “the main man” at New Balance South Africa. Before this he had been in the surf industry for 10 years, he started a number of small sports agencies, lost the ranch and all its contents, before he was picked up by Converse and Saucony as their local Agent. This led him to being employed by Nike as the Regional Sales Director for 7 years, but once the real corporate rules kicked in, he became despondent and was about to jump off the treadmill. That was when New Balance International approached him to start up NB South Africa.

Gary loves heading to the beach, sometimes he even lies to his staff about having “to go into a meeting” when he is actually going for a surf. In early the 80’s, Gary went to Hawaii and was able to surf Sunsets, Pipeline and Honaluha Bay, while he was on the North Shore, they had a few issues, like the time when someone resembling a Sumo wrestler threatened them and gave them 3 minutes to get out of the water! They subsequently stole their soft-racks off their Cadillac and left them trying to squeeze 5 guys and 6 boards inside the car.

Gary was the first to person in South Africa to windsurf Witsands, Crayfish Factory and Outerkom. He was also the undefeated SA Surf Sailing Champ for 4 years. For all the places that Gary has visited, the 2nd best place for him aside from Capetown is Madagascar. There are no crowds and the tropical conditions are epic according to him.

One of the worst days that Gary has experienced is when he was going over the falls on a 10ft day at Crayfish Factory and being dragged for 50m while being held under.

gary first encounter surfing when he was 6. He was playing down at Muizenberg beach with his mate and they both found a broken in half longboard which they carried into the water and managed  to catch a few waves and even stood up. However, it was far too heavy for them to carry home, so they hid it in the dunes but never saw it again!

Although he was always swimming, diving and playing water-polo it wasn’t until Gary was 14 year old that his Wynberg Boys High school buddies convinced him to come down to Muizenberg on a September school holiday break-up day and try surfing out properly for the first time. He was dressed in a rugby jersey and tracksuit pants, on a borrowed 7ft cut-down. He sat at the back of the berg for 2 hrs without catching a wave. Eventually, he caught a foamy in and got to his knees – stoked! He was back the next day and stood for the 2nd time ever.

Gary’s shortboards, longboards, custom SUP’s and kiteboards were all made by Dave Stubbs because he loves and likes to support locals. Gary is amped on all types of waveriding which is lucky as Cape Town has it all. The Witsands coast cuts it when he is kiting, Outer Kom has the juice for SUPing and shortboarding and then Long Beach, despite the crowds, is always fun on what ever you are riding. He said the odd ‘shack’ at Crons is always a keeper on any board he has.

His favorite surf spots are at Crons or Flameballs in Madagascar.

For Gary, surfing defines who he is. It’s his way of escaping, his expression, his release and his love. The Cape ‘ICEMAN’ Johnny Paarman has had a great influence on Gary in the world of surfing.

Gary advices would be surfers to start with a surfing instructor or a surf school. This is because of a number of incidents where people have been fighting over waves in the water. He does not think enough emphasis is placed on the etiquette and rules of surfing. He would like all surfers to start from there. Surfers should be polite, shouldn’t hog every wave and share the passion and stoke with everyone.

Surfers can’t escape the love-hate relationship that exists between the SUP and surf crowds in Cape Town. Gary understands that it is difficult for surfers to accept someone on another craft who is able to paddle faster and catch a wave earlier, but they had the same issues decades back with paddlesurfers, and then kiteboarding. Eventually, the frenzy and negativity dies down and it mellows out and people find their way. Nowadays, Muizenberg is a bit of an issue but they coach and influence all the SUP folk to surf from the small circle down towards the vlei mouth and this seems to be working. Long Beach isn’t an issue yet because there aren’t more than 3 of them playing there. But if more guys come and SUP there it will become an issue and they will have to go off to Pebbles or another break. Long Beach won’t hold or tolerate a crowd of SUP’ers. It seems as though the Seli Wreck has become the SUP spot on the Atlantic and while the surfers have kicked and screamed, he thinks it’s accepted now.

Gary loves to surf together with Shaun Tomson, and enjoys his amazing stories – his victories, losses (including his son), his challenges and travels. Gary loves being with him.

Gary now runs Coreban International which is a Stand Up Paddle boarding company which is based in South Africa. He is a major player in the Stand Up Paddling world, and a great leader for the sport and South Africa.