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Micheal_February

Michael February – Cape Town Local Surfer International Wild Card

Featured, Surfers, SurfingBy cts_adminMay 28, 2018

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 a black surfer. He had to deal with heckling and taunts on a regular basis. 15 years after the big political shift, Michael followed in his dad’s footsteps, competing and winning a surf contest at the same spot where his dad had struggled to surf in peace.

Breaking the Mould

Isaac knew that this was no small feat, his son would change the South African surfing scene for good. Michael February’s inclusion in the Championship Tour, is inspirational to all black surfers dreaming of surfing alongside the big names in the surfing world.

Michael was born in 1993, a year before the big political shift. Growing up in Woodstock in the 90’s was a whole different ballgame. Today the suburb has a hipster vibe, but back in the day it was much rougher around the edges.

Michael fell in love with surfing at age 10, and shortly thereafter his parents decided to move to Kommetjie. It’s a wave-rich small town about 45 minutes from Cape Town. His carefree free-range style soon caught the eyes of judges in local surfing competitions, he steadily climbed the South African ranks. By 2012 he started entering the Qualifying Series events in other countries as well. Three years later, he made it to the 2015 Martinique Final.

Follow @mickeyfebruary on Instagram

By 2016 he was riding the international waves with flair, winning third place at the Azores Airline Pro. The next year was his big break, finishing third at the Ballito Pro and fifth at the US Open of Surfing. The big QS 10 000 results were followed by three QS 1 000 wins at home. He finished one spot below the qualifying cut-off end of 2017. But this meant that he still held the first injury-replacement spot for the upcoming season.

Then early 2018 Mick Fanning decided the Rip Curl Pro at Bells would be the last event he participated in. Suddenly Michael’s status changed to full-time Championship Tour surfer. He is one of eight rookies in the competition mix. Michael February is already a crowd favourite, his artistic flair wows both fans and peers. Who could resist that confident smile? He is truly an ambassador for his community, carrying hope with him wherever he goes.

Surfing Stats: #30 Men’s CT 2018 | 2 Heat wins | 7.95 Average heat score | 2.50 Average wave score

The Wildcard is On a Roll

He had a great run on the World Surf League’s South African circuit, making it all the way to the Ballito Pro Semi-Finals. Michael beat Jesse Mendes in the Quarterfinal 1, securing his spot in the semi-final.

The feisty surfer managed to win three of the South African QS events. He surfed circles around his competitors at the Nelson Mandela Bay Surf Pro, Corona Durban Surf Pro and the Vans Surf Pro Classic. He was also the runner-up at the Buffalo City Surf Pro. He’s climbed to No. 4 on the Qualifying Series rankings, up by 17 spots.

The winning streak secured him the wildcard slot at the Corona Open J-Bay. The WSL Commissioner’s office sat up and took notice, offering him the slot at the Championship Tour event in South Africa. He now has the chance to again challenge World No. 3 Jordy Smith, who eliminated Michael in the Ballito semi-finals.

Eye on The Prize

Michael sees the third-place result in a Qualifying Series (QS) 10 000 event as the game-changer moment he’s wanted for a long time. He has grown as a competitive surfer throughout 2017, inspiring his fans with his performances during the Ballito Pro.

He is entering the upcoming season on a high looking forward to pushing himself at the US Open, the European leg, and finally Hawaii. Jordy and Michael are on good footing, the surfing veteran offering the wildcard some encouraging words after their surfing stand-off. Jordy Smith went on to win the Ballito Pro.

The showdown between Michael February and Jesse Mendes was also an exhilarating moment for the wildcard. After catching some ruler-edged waves, he managed to outshine the goofy-footer, to make it through to the Ballito Pro semi-finals.

Born to Conquer the Waves

Michael had a great start before entering the competitive surfing world. His father encouraged him from a young age to experiment with surfing and he had great access to quality waves in Kommetjie, Cape Town.

He’s the full package with an inspiring air game, a solid rail-approach, plus numerous man-hacks up his sleeve. Conquering the wild waves of Kommetjie as a child has made him fearless, never backing down from a challenge, tackling the big surf head-on. Michael February has all the winning ingredients for a very successful career as a professional surfer.

His level-headed approach to contest rules and his great heat strategy, will take him far on the premier tour. Michael’s equal 3rd place in Ballito Pro presented by Billabong, is a sign of greater things to come during the rest of the World Surf League 2018 Season. He’s not scared to try high-risk moves and he can’t resist pulling off air moves at every chance that pops up. It’s a great strategy – d big moves mean heat and contest wins are much more likely.

Follow Michael February in the World Surf League | Follow the World Surf League 2018 Season

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Chris Bertish SUP Paddler

Chris Bertish – Cape Town Surfing Explorer

Feats, Featured, SUP, SurfersBy cts_adminMay 18, 2018

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 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.

Conquering the Endless Blue

Chris was aiming to hit Florida, which would have been a trip of roughly 7 400 kilometres. But due to harsh weather conditions slowing him down and forcing him Southwards, he decided to set his aim on the Caribbean islands, setting a record of just over 6 500 kilometres. He aimed at paddling between 12 to 15 hours per day. To limit his sun exposure, he mostly made progress during the night.

At one stage the battery banks stopped charging properly, resulting in Chris having to juggle the available power between his equipment and water purifier. He cut down to only 5.3 litres of water per day, stretching his physical capacity to the limit. Sports doctors recommend a litre of water per hour during any extreme sport activity. Chris now has first-hand experience of how you can train your body to overcome difficulty, so long as you have an end goal to focus on.

Chris Bertish Atlantic PaddlePushing the Limits

Chris has been building up to this epic record breaking moment over the years. He was the first guy to paddle in on his own, instead of being towed, at Jaws in 2000. Next, he won the Maverick’s Big Wave Invitational in 2010, riding the biggest recorded wave in history.

In 2012 he SUPed 320km up the South African West Coast. He faced huge waves, trying winds and even sharks. All while being unsupported and unassisted on his board containing his tent, food and communication devices.

Chris Bertish Big Wave Surfing

Next on his to-do list, was to set a new Downwind World Record for the 12-hour open ocean world record paddle. His aim was 120 kilometres. With the mighty South Easter assisting him in December 2013, he managed to set a new record at 130 kilometres. And in January 2015 he took on the 24-hour open ocean SUP world record. He paddled 131.8 kilometres, setting a new all-African and South African record.

“It was pretty radical, pretty incredible, driven by a passion and a purpose greater than yourself – and that powered me to get through everything, day in and day out,” said Chris Bertish in an interview with National Geographic.

Taking on the challenge of paddling across the Atlantic on a SUP, he knew what he was in for. Before the trip he bulked up to a robust 80kgs. By the end of his 93-day journey, he slimmed down to approximately 65kg. Even his choice of an epic full beard was done on purpose, protecting his face from the harsh elements. Biltong was his choice of energy food, as well as chocolate and a special electrolyte shake.

On the technical side, he packed two different paddles, a long and short shaft. With his food stock diminishing during the trip, the boat’s waterline changed. He had one very strange encounter, with his parachute anchor getting caught on something, something big. Chris speculates that it might have been a whale, or possibly a giant squid! For a moment he was pulled backwards, until the anchor freed itself again.

Read more about his adventures

More Than Just A Paddling Expert

“Nothing is impossible, unless you believe it to be!” says Chris. The inspirational man has captured his story in a book called Stoked! Find out how a boy from Kenilworth in Cape Town managed to travel the world, without sponsorship. Then go on to outwit and outperform the world’s best-paid professional surfers in a big-wave surfing event.

His story is filled with the power of dreams, courage, and determination in action. Chris was the first South African to conquer the monstrous waves of the Mavericks Big Wave Invitational surfing event. He mastered the biggest waves ever recorded at a sporting event. In the same year he managed to finish third during the Big Wave World Tour, and he only surfed at three of the five events.

Dream it – See it – Believe it – Achieve it. This is his life mantra. Chris uses his infectious enthusiasm to inspire others to pursue their own dreams. He regularly appears as motivational speaker at events, impressing the crowds with stories of his death-defying feats.

Order a signed copy or buy the kindle version.

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Billy Ackerman

Meet Billy Ackerman

Featured, General, Photography, Surfers, SurfingBy CTS EditorJanuary 15, 2016

Billy AckermanBilly 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.

It was at the age of 13 when Billy first took up photography. He started taking black and white pictures, considering that color was very costly to develop at that time. “I turned all my late Mom’s spare rooms/bathrooms into dark rooms, hahaha!” he laughed.

He began his passion in surfing photography after he got the first Gunston 500 right on his doorstep and seeing all those photographers with their long lenses. Of course as a beginner, he had a lot of questions and his idols in surfing photography were and will always be Patrick Flanagan and Chris Van Leppan, who were actually the frontrunners when it comes to surfing photography.

When he went to Durban to celebrate their 35th Wedge Reunion, a good friend named Dawn Rouse, who happens to be a surfing photographer in Durban, came up with the name PB (Photo Buddies) and that started his PB surfing page on Facebook. He started the page to feed this surfing and boadyboarding family with pictures, as not everyone can afford to get a photo of themselves in a magazine.

During his days, he surfed with the likes of Paul, Mike and Shaun Tomson, as well as Mike Esposito. “ They are trying to get me to start long boarding again but I can’t stand surfing in a wetsuit and the water here is too cold, ahahaha!”, he exclaimed with laugh.

Billy also plays golf every now and then, when he is not hiding behind his camera. “It is a great way to relax when there’s no surf around, and I also cycle to keep me fit, and will be doing my 7th Argus next year”, he explained. He also is a fan of the Sharks Rugby team.

Other than surfing, he also enjoys shooting any type of sports. In fact, Pierre Marqua has recently introduced him to downhill mountain bike racing and he did his first shoot and is looking forward to shoot in Tokai forest.

This year, he spent some time in Jbay taking on the Billabong Pro event. “It was a very well-run event, best in years!”, he says. For him, Brazillians stood out from the rest as they stick together and root for one another. Us Saffa’s take defeat lying down too easily, that’s just my personal opinion”, he added.

When it comes to surfing shots, he mainly uses the Canon 7D with 70-200 mm f/2.8 as well as his baby 400 mm f/2.8 lens. With regards to the photo editing software, he uses Lightroom 4 and Photoshop CS5.

His favorite location to shoot is Llandudno. “I lived there for 12 years, so yes it’s still my favorite spot as it just has something about it that’s hard to describe”, he explained. He offers his photos for sale as prints, but he also makes up a DVD for anyone who wants more than one photo.

If you were to ask him something about himself that we don’t know, his answers would be, “I am just a down to earth guy who loves life and enjoys spending time with family and friends. If he could spend a day taking photos of one surfer at a certain spot, it would be Shaun Tomson at his favorite spot “The Bay of Plenty”.

Find Billy’s Surf Photography Facebook Page here: https://www.facebook.com/InTheFiringLineBillyAckermanPhotography

 

The Gunston 500 was a long time ago. Check this out from 1984:

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Donovan O'Neale

Donovan O’Neale

Featured, Kitesurfing, Surf Shops, SurfersBy cts_adminNovember 5, 2015

Donovan O'NealeAsk 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 mates were kiteboarding, so they threw him on a board, telling him to teach himself the ropes. “I don’t recommend that,” Donovan chuckles. This is one of those things you don’t want to learn by being thrown in the deep end, so to speak. “You need to know the safety techniques, and how to do things like pass another kitesurfer – the rules of the water,” he explains.

Four years ago, Donovan started working at Cabrinha, the outlet at Eden on the Bay that not only sells kiteboarding equipment, but also offers a range of kitesurfing lessons in Cape Town daily.

As you can imagine, Donovan loves his job. He’s not bound to a desk, he gets to be near the sea, his boss knows he’ll be kiting before or after work most days, and he’s given room to explore new horizons and try new marketing avenues.

“But what I like most about my job is that I’m supplying happiness to a community,” Donovan says. “I’m selling a smile, I’m selling health. I’m helping be healthy and stay energised.”

Like most kiteboarders, Donovan is passionate about what kiteboarding offers as a sport. First, there’s the sense of freedom it gives the rider. With your board and kite, you can go as far and high as you like, and still come back by yourself. “I’ve been around Robben Island; to the ships in the Harbour and down to Silverstroom Strand. There’s that freedom of catching as many waves as possible, going as high as you want, and still being able to land as softly as you want without getting injured. If you did that with any other sport, you’d end up in hospital!”

That’s not to say there’s not enough thrill for the adrenaline addicts. Donovan describes the many types of people that make up the friendly kiteboarding community: There are the easy-going wave riders who still kite on gentle days, then there are those who’ll ride in 40-plus knots, and “the hardcore wakeboarders who are usually doing the big tricks close to shore.”

It’s hard to know where Donovan falls within this growing subculture. His friends call him crazy (think motorcross), but he also has a deep, chilled side. The waves have probably influenced Donovan’s pragmatic life philosophy – to just take everything as it comes, day by day – but he also counts his mentor, the bestselling international author and personal-development expert Dr. John Fredrick Demartini, as a grounding influence. John, from Hawaii, is also a surfer.

Donovan met John through his mother, a publicist for Hay House books, when he was just 10. “I’ve looked up to John my whole life. We’ve had a good relationship since I was 10 years old. We meet up every time he’s in South Africa, and I always take his advice seriously,” Donovan says.

So, why should someone consider taking up kiteboarding as a sport? “It’s a great stress relief after a hard day’s work. It’s also really big as a family sport, and it’s not too dangerous anymore if you’re taught by accredited, affiliated people,” says Donovan. In other words: “Don’t let your friends try teach you,” he says with a laugh.

 

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Meet Billy Ackerman

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Greg Bertish

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Recent Posts
  • Micheal_February
    Michael February – Cape Town Local Surfer International Wild Card
    May 28, 2018
  • Chris Bertish SUP Paddler
    Chris Bertish – Cape Town Surfing Explorer
    May 18, 2018
  • Andrew-Birkett-Cape-Town-Surfers
    Meet Andrew Birkett
    March 30, 2016
  • Bernie Shelley and Friends
    Meet Bernie Shelly
    January 21, 2016
  • Andrew Wilsnaugh
    Meet Andrew Wilsnagh
    January 16, 2016
  • Buzzy
    Meet Buzzy Joell
    January 16, 2016
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